Fords First Le Mans Win Driver, Ford Gt Wins 1966 Le Mans And Humbles Ferrari Youtube

The realization was forced on ford in 1965 that the 289 race car was not fast enough to win le mans.

Ford quarry football hub contact number. It was also the seventh round of the 1966 world sportscar championship seasonthis was the first overall win at le mans for the ford gt40 as well as the first overall win for an american constructor. However two dramatic events eclipsed the sporting achievements in sebring that year. It was a repeat of the american carmakers triumph at the 12 hours of sebring three months earlier.

A first place win at le mans would top off his endurance racing record. Ford dominated the le mans 24 hours race in 1966 winning it for the first time and taking all the podium places with its updated mkii and stellar driver line upbut instead of euphoria on the podium chris amon and bruce mclaren who were classified first were strangely subdued. We were included to give the car longevity says lee holman son of co founder john.

It was also the debut le mans start for two significant drivers. According to racing officials the drivers technically covered more ground because they started eight meters behind miles. The 1966 24 hours of le mans was the 34th grand prix of endurance and took place on 18 and 19 june 1966.

It was fifty years ago that ford scored its first 24 hours of le mans victory bringing ferraris dominance to an end with a conclusive 1 2 3 sweep. 1 one of the mk ivs was rebuilt to the ford g7 in 1968 and used in the can am series for 1969 and 1970 but with no success. He went all in for le mans 1966.

One of the first changes made for the 1966 racing season was the establishment of the le mans committee which was comprised of the heads of a number of ford divisions involved including the engine and foundry general parts and also expanded the role of the dearborn motorsports and styling and engineering teams. The pair had inherited victory from fellow ford driver ken miles in car no1 who had earlier pulled out a lead of. A total of six mk ivs were constructed.

Henri pescarolo who went. We had 450 employees far bigger than shelbys and one customer. Le mans 1967 remains the only all american victory in le mans historyamerican drivers team chassis engine and tires.