GT40S AT LE MANS CLASSIC
During the 40th anniversary year of the first win for the Ford GT40 at the 24 Heures du Mans, a selection of examples competed at this year’s Le Mans Classic event held during the weekend of 7-9 July.
Competing in Plateau 5 were the Ford GT40 Mark 2s that finished in second and third places in the famous 1966 race.
The Lynx
prepared ex-Yamaha GT40
Mark 1 (GT40P/1077), driven by Lynx Chairman John Mayston-Taylor was also
competing in Plateau 5 and the car was qualified in 8th position
overall out of 70 cars with a very competitive time of 4mins 39.337secs (an
average lap speed of 109.9mph). This time placed 1077 second overall for all of
the GT40 qualifying times in Plateaux 4 and 5, bettered only by ex-World
Sportscar Champion Ray Bellm with a 4mins 31.025secs.
During the first of the three 45-minute races, 1077 experienced suspected engine cooling maladies and it was decided prudent to retire the car at the end of lap 5. This resulted in the car being classified in 51st position for the race in the Index of Performance.
Following a thorough
post-race inspection of the car, it was pronounced ready for the second race and
finished very strongly to record a 3rd place in the Index of
Performance. 1077 also finished the third and final race in 3rd place
in the Index of Performance.
The overall winner in Plateau 5 in the Index of Performance was the 1966 second-placed Ford GT40 Mark 2 driven by Bill Murray from Boulder, Colorado.
For further information, please view www.lemansclassic.com or see our Press Articles section.
