Ford Le Mans Driver Ken

On the podium from left to right are winners bruce mclaren.

Ford le mans driver ken. Miles won the 24 hours of daytona and the 12 hours of sebring in 1966 and placed second at le mans with. Ken miles already had a well respected career in the auto racing world but leading ford to defeat ferrari at the 24 hours of le mans in 1966 made him a star. The story in a nutshell. Lost his well deserved win at le mans 66 to another ford driver.

Miles was a gifted engineer and driver who got involved with ford through his work for carroll shelby. It was also the seventh round of the 1966 world sportscar championship season this was the first overall win at le mans for the ford gt40 as well as the first overall win for an american constructor. Ken miles at the 24 hours of le mans race june 1966. Although that glory was short lived for miles who died behind the wheel soon after he is still considered one of racing s great american heroes with his feat inspiring the recent film ford v ferrari.

Ford trounced the frontrunner ferrari as all three ford cars crossed the finish line in a dead heat. After the death of walt hansgen in a j car ford while testing at le mans in april the decision was made to shelve the j car and focus on the proven mk iis and little. Ford was going to build a car to beat ferrari in the world s most important race le mans a race ferrari had won five years in a row. It was also the debut le mans start for two significant drivers.

And tragically ken miles did die shortly after le mans. Henri pescarolo who went. The ford v ferrari battle that played out at the le mans 24 hours race of 1966 was a personal feud between henry ford ii and enzo ferrari that played out on endurance racing s grandest stage the story dramatic enough to warrant a hollywood telling of the story that took ford to the top step at la sarthe. Assistance throughout his life and ford s le mans project.

Ken miles s death marked the lowest point in ford s le mans program. The real life le mans 66 ended with a historic finish. The ford j car was intended to be the successor to the all conquering ford gt40 mk ii and despite reliability problems showed potential in the springtime le mans trials. Ferrari is set to be bought by ford.

The 1966 24 hours of le mans was the 34th grand prix of endurance and took place on 18 and 19 june 1966.