Jaguar vs Jaguar: The Day Speed Took Flight at RAF Abingdon

In the summer of 1990, RAF Abingdon played host to one of the most surreal and electrifying PR stunts motorsport and aviation had ever seen. On one side of the runway stood Martin Brundle, seasoned Formula 1 driver and Le Mans veteran, strapped into the cockpit of a V12-powered Jaguar XJR-12. Opposite him, Squadron Leader Mike Lawrence prepared for takeoff in a Rolls-Royce twin-turbofan SEPECAT Jaguar fighter jet. The stage was set for a drag race that defied logic and thrilled spectators—a showdown between two machines named Jaguar, each engineered for speed but born of vastly different worlds.

The event was as unconventional as it was audacious. According to Brundle’s recollection, the race was started not by a flag or countdown timer, but by a man in a British Leyland Metro flashing his headlights halfway down the runway. It was a moment of pure British eccentricity, underscored by the surreal proximity of the jet’s roaring engines. “The Jet was literally melting beside me,” Brundle tweeted years later, still marveling at the chaos and spectacle of the day.

As the lights flashed, Brundle unleashed the full fury of the XJR-12’s V12 engine, a machine built for endurance racing but more than capable of brute acceleration. The fighter jet, meanwhile, ignited its afterburners and began to lift, its nose rising as it roared past Brundle’s car. The turbulence was so intense that the Jaguar Le Mans car began to shift and dance on the tarmac, buffeted by the jet’s wake.

Despite the odds, Brundle crossed the finish line first, clocking an astonishing 220mph. It was a victory not just of speed, but of spectacle—a moment where engineering, adrenaline, and absurdity collided in perfect harmony.

Reflecting on the experience, Brundle called it “extraordinary,” describing the visceral thrill of having a fighter jet take off just above his head while his car fought to stay grounded. “Crazy PR gigs like that seemed easier back in the day,” he mused, capturing the spirit of an era when boundaries were pushed not just in competition, but in imagination.

The RAF Abingdon drag race remains a singular moment in motorsport lore—a reminder that sometimes, the most unforgettable races aren’t about trophies or titles, but about the sheer audacity of the idea.