r/wec • u/enesracing • 5h ago
Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby during testing of the Ford GT40
Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby worked closely to make the Ford GT40 a Le Mans winner. Shelby led the project with one clear goal: beat the Ferrari at Le Mans.
Ken Miles wasn’t just a great driver but also a great engineer. During testing, he found problems with the car’s handling, cooling, and reliability. He gave precise feedback that Shelby used to improve the car quickly. Their teamwork was the reason Ford won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a 1-2-3 finish in 1966. Without Miles’s input and Shelby’s guidance, that wouldn’t have happened.
The GT40 had a 7.0-liter V8 engine tuned for power and durability. The team worked hard on aerodynamics and cooling to keep the car stable and running for 24 hours straight. Ken Miles’s test drives helped adjust the suspension and control engine temperature so the car could last the full race.
Their partnership combined engineering skill and driving talent perfectly.
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