Group 44 Inc. BoB Tullius 1981 Jaguar XJS Sillouette Trans Am Race Car Chassis XJR-4 (only 1 chassis built) 1st Purpose Built Tube Frame Race Car by Group 44 Inc. Commissioned by Jaguar to win the 1981 CRC Chemicals Trans Am Series XJR-4 Won three races outright Mosport, Portland & Brainerd Several DNF’s cost Tullius the Championship finishing 2nd Overall. Tullius entered XJR-4 in the 1982 Daytona 24hrs with fellow American driver Gorden Smiley and Canadian driver Bill Adam Deemed too modified to run in the GTO class, they were forced to run in GTX with the Prototypes. With no chance of overall win insight Tullius ran shaved Goodyear Gatorback street radials during the race for Goodyear. The car finished the race 7th in class and 21st overall. Tullius was clocked at 193 mph on the banking with street tires. This marked the first 24hr race where a Jaguar V12 engine lasted to the end, and marked Jaguars eventual return to Le Mans with Group 44 and the V12 powered XJR-5. XJR-4 was to be raced in the 1982 Trans Am by Gorden Smiley who was tragically killed in May during practice for the Indy 500. Tullius was now full steam ahead with the XJR-5 program and sold XJR-4 off to a collector where it sat in a barn for the next 18yrs. XJR-4 was purchased and restored by SVRA President Howard Turner and was featured in Classic Motorports Issue May 2005. Longtime Jaguar racers Andrew & Steve Moore bought the car and race it with SVRA, HSR and VARAC
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