Smith Jr. has unfinished business at Le Mans

ELKHART, IN – Amidst the excitement of the Donington Historic Festival in England this May, owner of The JBS Collection, Jack Boyd Smith, Jr., suffered a setback when a piston in his prized 1929 Bentley Blower Series gave way. A 'Did Not Finish' (DNF) outcome at Donington was not what the rising collector hoped for, but the result only strengthened his resolve. Smith Jr. is determined to see his 1929 Bentley Blower Series take a victory lap at the 2025 Le Mans Classic, July 3-6 in Le Mans, Sarthe, France.

In 2023, Smith Jr.’s inaugural experience at the Le Mans Classic—his first as a Bentley Blower Series racing owner—came tantalizingly close to a spot in the winner’s circle. After Smith Jr.'s Blower Series entered the first heat of its event in 31st position, driver Stuart Morley—a fourth-generation member of the legendary Stuart Morley Racing Team—expertly worked the rare racing vehicle toward the front of the pack to finish its second leg in 7th place out of 84.

During the final determining heat at Le Mans that year, Morley, who earned the 2023 Bentley Drivers Club Racing Driver of the Year, had Smith Jr.'s Blower Series in the mix to assume the lead, and perhaps even make history in the process. Morley clocked a 06:33 lap, and was trending toward a sub-06:30 lap, never before done by a Bentley Blower in 100 years of racing at Le Mans. Then, with slightly less than two laps left in the race, a gasket failure ended the teams' torrid pursuit of what might have been a thrilling, and historic, come-from-behind victory.

"This time around I would love to see Stuart and our Bentley Blower Series win at Le Mans," said Smith Jr., whose collection is ranked No. 85 worldwide by The Classic Car Trust's The Key publication. "Donington is a lovely event, and we enjoyed being there, but our main purpose was to prepare for Le Mans. We wanted to get back out on a track at speed and uncover any potential issues with the Blower to make sure we'd have time to get to full strength before July. I had limited expectations in 2023 at Le Mans, but this time, with a better understanding of what this vehicle and Stuart can do, I have winning on my mind."

Smith Jr.'s 1929 Bentley Blower Series is one of only 12 Bentley Blower vehicles hand-built to nearly-exact 1929 specifications by Mulliner of Bentley, which operates as Bentley’s personal commissioning division. The Bentley Blower Series began with Mulliner’s production of a new Blower prototype, known as Blower Car Zero, that underwent extensive testing before the 12 commissioned Blower Series vehicles could be built.

To build its Car Zero prototype, Mulliner dismantled a vintage, priceless 1929 Bentley Team Blower, then carefully catalogued and digitally scanned each component. A digital model was then produced to serve as a blueprint for the Car Zero prototype and the 12 commissioned Blowers. All told, 40,000 hours of work went into completing the Blower Car Zero prototype. Securing all the parts for the Blower Series required Mulliner to design and hand-craft nearly 2,000 individual parts using original 1920s moulds and tooling jigs.

The Le Mans Classic is a biennial vintage sports car event held on the grounds of the renowned 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. The 2023 Le Mans Classic featured over 800 racing cars and 1,000 drivers from across the globe, including past 24 Hours of Le Mans winners Andy Wallace, Emanuele Pirro, and Yannick Dalmas. The event featured 24 races with an average grid size of 60 entries, and was attended by a record sell-out crowd of nearly 235,000, making it the largest historic car racing event ever held.

"Racing at the Le Mans Classic in 2023 was an incredible experience," said Smith Jr. "You can just feel the history, and the energy, and I'm excited to be going back with Stuart at the wheel, because this vehicle was built to race. The Blower Series also represents the highest levels of design, engineering and innovation, and that's what The JBS Collection is all about. My goal as a collector is to preserve and share historic vehicles with the world, but it is beyond exciting to be able to race our Bentley at historic motorsport events like the Le Mans Classic. No matter the outcome, this vehicle adds a whole new dimension to The JBS Collection, and I am loving every minute of it." 

About The JBS Collection - The automobiles in The JBS Collection represent the ultimate in early automotive design, craftsmanship, and innovation. Educating future generations about the merits and importance of each piece guides every addition to the collection. The select autos in The JBS Collection are more than just vehicles; they demonstrate what can be achieved with forward thinking and effort. The collection seeks to advance the cause of preserving and promoting invaluable vessels of art, design, engineering, luxury, and heritage. https://thejbscollection.com/

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