Photo: https://www.legendarymotorcar.com
Now that the Ford v Ferrari motion picture has made sure that legendary driver Ken Miles doesn't remain a footnote in the history of Ford's Le Mans dominance over Ferrari, we also need to talk about a Mustang the British-born race was supposed to race.
Sure, Miles might've not been very fond of the original pony, but this 1966 Shelby Group II racer that was prepared for this would've certainly been his kind of machine. Alas, the driver passed away in August that year, in an accident that occurred while he was testing a GT40 J-car at Riverside, planning to return and grab the Le Mans win he had been stripped of. So he never got to put the toy to work.
Well, John McComb, a sportscar driver whose SCCA and IMSA career spans from the 1960s to through the 1980s, was able to use this pony as its maker intended.
Since the SCCA rulebook labeled the Mustang Fastback, which served as a base for Shelby's GT350, as a two-seater, this couldn't compete in the Trans-Am A/Sedan class. As such, Shelby American tasked Chuck Cantwel, a gearhead who had raced MGBs with McComb, to turn 16 k-code notchback 'Stangs into Trans-Am racers.
The stripped-out vehicles were animated by a Shelby-built 289ci featuring an aluminum high-rise intake manifold and 715 CFM Holley 4-barrer carburetor, a Borg-Warner close-ratio 4-speed, Detroit Locker rear end, heavy-duty front disc and rear drum brakes, Koni shock absorbers, heavy-duty oil cooler and radiator, 15x7 American Racing wheels and others.
Note that since Shelby's factory racing effort was axed at the end of the 1965 season, these cars were sold to privateers as Ford Mustangs.
Well, you are now looking at #12 and since all 16 units had been spoken for back in the day, it wasn't until the said tragic accident that McComb managed to purchase the racecar. And the driver wielded the Mustang in a way that allowed Ford to grab the manufacturer's title that year. Following a few more years of laurels, the Mustang racecar vanished for 28 years, subsequently being discovered in a Texas garage.
The vehicle has undergone a no-expense-spared restoration thanks to Legendary Motorcar, being brought back to its period-correct motorsport glory. For the record, the racetrack tool is signed by Caroll Shelby, John McComb, Chuck Cantwell and Terry Doty - you'll find an immersive photo gallery documenting its restoration here.
Update:As confirmed by the said specialist, the vehicle is now for sale, with the asking price sitting at $650,000.
Well, John McComb, a sportscar driver whose SCCA and IMSA career spans from the 1960s to through the 1980s, was able to use this pony as its maker intended.
Since the SCCA rulebook labeled the Mustang Fastback, which served as a base for Shelby's GT350, as a two-seater, this couldn't compete in the Trans-Am A/Sedan class. As such, Shelby American tasked Chuck Cantwel, a gearhead who had raced MGBs with McComb, to turn 16 k-code notchback 'Stangs into Trans-Am racers.
The stripped-out vehicles were animated by a Shelby-built 289ci featuring an aluminum high-rise intake manifold and 715 CFM Holley 4-barrer carburetor, a Borg-Warner close-ratio 4-speed, Detroit Locker rear end, heavy-duty front disc and rear drum brakes, Koni shock absorbers, heavy-duty oil cooler and radiator, 15x7 American Racing wheels and others.
Note that since Shelby's factory racing effort was axed at the end of the 1965 season, these cars were sold to privateers as Ford Mustangs.
Well, you are now looking at #12 and since all 16 units had been spoken for back in the day, it wasn't until the said tragic accident that McComb managed to purchase the racecar. And the driver wielded the Mustang in a way that allowed Ford to grab the manufacturer's title that year. Following a few more years of laurels, the Mustang racecar vanished for 28 years, subsequently being discovered in a Texas garage.
The vehicle has undergone a no-expense-spared restoration thanks to Legendary Motorcar, being brought back to its period-correct motorsport glory. For the record, the racetrack tool is signed by Caroll Shelby, John McComb, Chuck Cantwell and Terry Doty - you'll find an immersive photo gallery documenting its restoration here.
Update:As confirmed by the said specialist, the vehicle is now for sale, with the asking price sitting at $650,000.
Google News