SBD Jade Sportscar – XE
1997 – 1999
Events 1999
A lighter version was built for 1999 British Sprint Season with a 270bhp XE engine, however we had to stop mid way through 1999 season due to damage from Nutts Corner event in Northern Ireland.
Final overall position: 7th overall (after competing in only 5 rounds)
Gurston 18Apr, Steve – 1st in Class, 33.04s
Lydden 24Apr, Steve – 5th in BSC Top 12 Run-offs 72.08s, 1st in Class
MIRA 29May, Dick – 1st in Class, 46.81s
Pembrey 5June, Dick – 6th in BSC Top 12 Run-offs 91.82s, 1st in Class
Pembrey 6June, Steve – 2nd in BSC Top 12 Run-offs 69.83s, 1st in Class
Curborough 20June Steve – BSC 4th in Top 12 Run-offs 53.35s, 1st in Class
Aintree 26June, Steve – BSC 7th in Top 12 Run-offs 38.55s, 1st in Class
Castle Combe 10.7.99 Steve – FTD 61.44s – Class E3 Course Record – Sports Libre Cars over 1800cc
Kirkstown 6Aug, Steve – BSC 4th in Top 12 Run-offs 108.96s, 1st in Class
Nutts Corner 8Aug, Steve – 1st in Class 108.40s
1998
CCC SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP Report, January 1999:
For the past two season’s, it’s been Steve Broughton’s impressive Vauxhall engines that have been the motivating force behind Trevor Willis’ Westfield as he took the CCC Speed Championship in both ’96 and ’97.
For ’98 however, Steve himself managed to find the time away from the workshop to mount a championship challenge of his own for the CCC Speed Championship.
Steve has always been quick, if a little wild when he first started in the CCC Championship in a Westfield some four years ago. However, he has honed his skills to devastating effect and this year proved unbeatable in a Vauxhall 2-litre-powered Jade.
Next year he plans to take on the big boys in the British Championship.
Brief Torque Newsletter October 1998:
‘If my memory serves me correctly it was at the beginning of 1995 when I had a phone call from someone who wanted to take up Sprinting and I spent some time explaining the Blue Book, which in itself takes time, as well as all the other obvious questions that face a newcomer to the sport. It was no different to very similar phone calls that I get at the beginning of most seasons, although in this case the newcomer had experience in rallying and was going in at the deep end with a very quick 2-litre Westfield on slicks in the Sports Libre Category. And his first event was going to be on the fast sweeping curves of Goodwood. I remember watching his first runs, sideways, ragged, an accident waiting to happen. I think he finished third or fourth in class and just managed to dip under the 100 seconds barrier.
Well, how things change, I thought as I watched Steve Broughton on his final run at Curborough a few weeks ago. To be fair he had already clinched the Cars & Car Conversions Championship on his first run as the SBD Jade drove round seemingly on rails giving the impression that he was not trying that hard. Not trying hard! Steve stopped the clocks in a shattering time of 29.99s, the first time we have had a CCC contender go sub-30 seconds. It was a very impressive end to the season and once again we end up with a very worthy champion.’
Events 1998
Gurston 18Apr, Steve – 2nd in Class, 33.99s
Curborough 2May, Steve – 1st in Class, 56.91s
Donnington 17May, Steve – 1st in Class, 87.84s
Goodwood 30May, Steve – FTD, 81.96s
Speedscene report: ‘A small contingent fought for FTD, taken on the last run by a highly delighted Steve Broughton in the Jade-Vauxhall.’
Pembrey 6June, Steve – 1st in Class, 41.74s
Speedscene report: ‘Steve Broughton shook the establishment with a superb performance at the wheel of his SB Development Vauxhall powered Jade. The two seater sports racing car claimed a magnificent 6th Overall’
Pembrey 7June, Steve – 1st in Class, 49.84s
Abingdon 13June, Steve – FTD, 43.84s
Goodwood 20June, Steve – 1st in Class, 2nd Overall, 160.94s
Goodwood 4July, Steve – 1st in Class, 2nd Overall, 80.32s
Speedscene report: ‘A thrilling fight for FTD took place between John Hewat’s Reynard-Warrier & Steve Broughton in the SBD Jade-Vauxhall. Their practice times were half a second apart, Hewat with the edge. He was to stay in front during the first timed runs but Broughton was getting into his stride and the gap closed to just five hundredths. Into the final runs and either could be the victor but with both drivers inside their personal best times the laurel wreath provided (unusually) by the BARCs London & Home Counties Centre went around Hewat’s neck. The singe-seater driver’s excellent time of 80.19 was just 0.13s ahead of Broughton’s equally fine effort. But the sportscar man is feeling very much at home in the Jade and the increased competition at the sparsely supported FTD end of the entry list is welcome.’
Castle Combe 11July, Steve – FTD, 64.44s
Speedscene report: ‘No one came near Steve Broughton’s 64.44. After narrowly missing out on FTD last year the Jade-SBD driver, confident in the wet, showed his single seater opposition a clean pair of rears with apparent ease. Broughton is doing very well in the race for overall champion.’
Colerne 31Aug, Dick – 1st in Class, 73.76s
Goodwood 5Sept, Steve – FTD, 84.43s
Speedscene report: ‘FTD at this meeting was Steve Broughton’s Jade SBD. 84.43 was not his best time at this circuit, set as it was on a track drying after rain……..which brought Broughton forward as a major challenger for the overall title.’
‘Broughton, of course, dominated the 2-litre sports libre division but had to fight over and above the competition for his result, having fallen foul of the drive-by noise test. His large & friendly team of mechanics earned their keep by much sweat & toil as they strived to make the Jade noise level acceptable to the Sussex circuit’s exacting criteria. But a couple of noise tests later, the Jade passed and the FTD was in the bag’
Brighton Speed Trials 12Sept, Dick – 2nd in Class, 11.07s
North Weald 27Sept, Dick – FTD 69.99s
Curborough 10Oct, Steve – FTD, 29.99s
1997
CCC featured the SBD JADE in December 1997 issue
Jade Motorsport ran it in the Winter race series 1997/8 at Brands Hatch.
Speedscene reports: ‘The unlimited Libre class saw the debut of Steve Broughton’s much heralded Jade SBD, which sports a 5 speed Hewland sequential gearbox and SBD modified Vauxhall unit from last years Westfield. With the event used a an extended test sessions, revisions to the front splitter and ride height at lunchtime made the car more stable during the timed runs. Despite the smaller splitter’s tendency to shovel it’s way into the ground under aerodynamic load, Steve still managed to set 2nd FTD in a car that is destined to upset a few applecarts once it has been sorted’
Events 1997
Colerne 12.7.97 Steve – 1st in Class, 56.10s, 2nd Overall
JADE 2.0L XE engine Engine specification: 2.0L XE with SBD taper throttle kit for 250bhp, Omega pistons, steel rods, steel crank shaft, dry sump system (designed specifically for the JADE & still being sold today) & MBE management system. Gearbox: FT200 sequential version.
During the 1996 season, we began doing some engine work with the 2.0L XE for JADE Motorsport which was to be used for circuit racing in one of their sports cars. We were so impressed with their work that we decided that we would like to run a JADE on the sprint scene, so after striking a deal with JADE they starting building me a car. Steve started designing the engine specification & accessories to run on the car, this took many months & after some very late nights, the car was finally finished at about 2 o’clock in the morning before our first event at Castle Combe.
We rolled the car out of the trailer, got it through scrutineering & apart from the brief drive up & down the business park the night before, first practice was it’s first drive in anger. It was certainly interesting to drive & Steve managed to get second overall on it’s first outing even with quite a few handling issues. Over the next few events we refined the handling of the car.
