Paddock Patter from Laguna Seca.
Bill Rooklidge and his immaculately-restored 1952 Jaguar D-Type not only won third place in the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours Postwar Competition class but also the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2023 Race Group 12 Rolex Award. As for the racing “I took it out on Friday in the first race, but mis-adjustment of the throttle and brake pedals prevented me from heeling and toeing to blip the throttle, which prevented me from downshifting from 3rd to 2nd, which is critical in this car at turns, two, eight and 11. So, I started, but did not finish. I plan to finish tomorrow (Saturday of RMMR).”
Hovering round Bill’s Jag was Rhea Seher Dods, who helped her dad with the car when he owned it, and shared many adventures in it. In 1958 second owner her father Ray Seher, a Reno, Nevada, scale merchant, initially had his daughter Rhea sand off the numerals, roundels, and pinstriping, and raced the car in yellow with red numerals. He later resprayed the car in red with white numerals. Rhea was reunited with the car at Laguna Seca Raceway during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2023. She currently works as the SCCA Northern California Communications Director. She has been involved in motorsports since the age of 5 in 1968 and is still officiating at all SFR Events and Pro Events at Laguna Seca, Sonoma (Sears Point) and Thunderhill Raceway Park.
(http://www.lakeeriecommunications.org/lec-blog/how-did-you-get-involved-with-fc)
https://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/Ray-Seher-USA.html
More on this D-Type at http://dmtrg.com/2023/08/19/jaguar-d-type-xkd-531/