Racing legend Jackie Stewart spoke at the Columbia Club to a crowd of eager Jaguar enthusiasts on the eve of the 2003 US Grand Prix. The event, held at the Columbia Club, was hosted by the Indianapolis Jivin' Jag Jaguar club.

Witty as he is charming, Sir Jackie Stewart's (he was knighted in 2001) droll remarks about the appropriateness of meeting in the Columbia Club underscored his personal desire to see Juan Pablo Montoya win the U.S. Grand Prix. Outside the Columbia Club, thousands of vibrant and passionate Columbians celebrated in anticipation of a major victory for Montoya and their race-crazed country. The excitement of the crowds and enthusiasm for Formula One clearly energized Stewart.

Sir Jackie, as he's affectionately called, smartly dressed in a dark suit (no kilt, for those who were wondering), regaled Jaguar racing fans and guests with stories of his early racing career. Jackie and his older brother, Jimmy, worked with their father who owned Jaguar and Astin Martin dealerships in Scotland. Jackie worked as a garage mechanic, while his brother was a Jaguar test driver. Later, after Jimmy moved from Jaguar to Astin Martin, Jackie began driving for Jaguar and went on to have a brilliant career as a racecar driver and motorsport safety advocate.

Jackie Stewart and Motorsport

In the history of motorsport, few people have achieved quite so much as Jackie Stewart. As a Grand Prix driver between 1965 (he won the 1965 Italian Grand Prix at Monza) and 1973, he set new standards in professionalism, winning 27 victories from 99 starts, and taking the world championship title in 1969, 1971 and 1973. Stewart's record of 27 Grand Prix wins was not equaled for another 20 years.

Stewart established his own unique image - long hair, Beatle cap and Rolex watch (two of the three were noted at the Columbia Club!). He drove with flair, precision and courage. Stewart's celebrated speed and almost machine-like consistent driving style, smoothness, and persistence earned him the respect of team members and competitors, alike.

Jackie's legacy to motorsport is safety. He is credited with almost single-handedly ushering in the modern era of F1 driver protection. Many of Stewart's efforts to improve safety were born of motorsport's darkest days. Stewart's crash in the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix left him trapped in the cockpit with petrol pouring over him for 25-minutes, and later driven in the back of a pick-up truck to non-existent hospital facilities littered with cigarette butts.

"I realized that if this was the best we had there was something sadly wrong: things wrong with race track, the cars, the medical side, the fire-fighting, and the emergency crews. There were also grass banks that were launch pads, things you went straight into, trees that were unprotected, and so on. Young people today just wouldn't understand it. It was ridiculous.

"If I have any legacy to leave the sport I hope it will be seen to be in an area of safety because when I arrived in Grand Prix racing, so-called precautions and safety measures were diabolical."

Stewart retired from motorsport racing exactly thirty years ago at the Watkins Glen US Grand Prix, eight years into his racing career and on the eve of his 100th race. He was 33. Stewart seems pleased with the twists and turns of his career and his continuing relationship with Jaguar.

Jackie Stewart and Ford Motor Company

Sir Jackie reminisced fondly about the two occasions when he drove at Indy - he was a test driver at Indy in 1965 and returned to race in 1967. Racing against the likes of A. J. Foyt, Stewart was in second place when his savage pump failed. That engine? As Jackie joked - it was a four-letter word beginning with F!

Jackie's relationship with Ford spans 34 years. Each of his three world championships was won in chassis powered by the legendary Ford Cosworth DFV and the partnership continued after Jackie hung up his racing boots in 1973. For almost three decades, he has contributed to many of Ford's road-vehicle development programs. The Stewart-Ford team, created in 1996, netted Ford's 175th and final Grand Prix victory.

With Jaguar Cosworth Racing picking up the baton from the successful Stewart Grand Prix team in 2000, the powerful presence and determination of Jackie Stewart will help to guide Jaguar Racing into the future.

As you'll recall, this time last year there was much speculation and rumor as to whether Jaguar would continue its commitment to Formula One. Jaguar's performance on the track was dismal and its drivers had no commitment headed into the 2003 season. When asked whether Ford and Jaguar were pleased with their 2003 performance and were committed to motorsport, Jackie resonated Ford's commitment to Jaguar Racing. If Sir Jackie's enthusiasm for Jaguar Racing's future translates to results in 2004, we are in for an exciting and encouraging season!

Stewart's influence on the new Jaguar XJ

Today, Jaguar and Jackie Stewart are in partnership to make certain that Jaguar's new XJ sets the standard. Stewart stated that the new XJ is unquestionably the most technically advanced Jaguar ever. The aluminum body is 485 pounds (the weight of a baby elephant) lighter than the previous model. Lightening the load by that amount greatly increases the car's agility. As Ford notes, the new XJ couples a lot of performance with fuel economy.

Jackie frequently bemoaned the fact that Ford forces him to have a driver - Ford's effort to increase Stewart's productivity, he jokes. So, Sir Jackie ought to know about the backseat (aka his 'office'), which he noted is considerably wider and features greater headroom.

Apparently, Jackie must have talked the chauffer into allowing him some behind-the-wheel time, as Stewart enthused that the Jaguar is very much a driver's car! In a sea of nondescript cars, Stewart is adamant that the new XJ has kept its Jaguar identity!

Spending an hour in Sir Jackie's company was a delight! His enthusiasm for motorsports and driving are contagious. His support for Jaguar is unwavering.