55 replies to this topic

[Vitesse2]

Not mentioning the feact that the three surviving cars of 1966 were what was left of a flotillia of 8 MKII's that started the race.....

I have read that Quenting Spurrung once stated in one of his books that Ford had entered 15 (!) cars of which 8 were eventually accepted.....

 

 

Henri

Stefan Ornerdal's listings show eleven Ford GTs - a J, plus Mk1s and Mk2s - variously DNA or 'not accepted'. Not all obviously works-backed though.

 

http://www.formula2.net/1966.htm

[Henri Greuter]

Stefan Ornerdal's listings show eleven Ford GTs - a J, plus Mk1s and Mk2s - variously DNA or 'not accepted'. Not all obviously works-backed though.

 

http://www.formula2.net/1966.htm

 

 

I was reading Spurrings Le Mans Decade book about the 60's (the one with the '67 winning Mk IV on the cover) and if I understood things correct, then Ford entered no less than 15 works supported cars of which 8 (Shellby & Holman Moody & Alan Mann) were eventually accepted. If I understand Spurring correct, then that number of 15 does not include the MkI's of Ford France yet but these 15 entries would have been the cars entered by the three factory teams alone! No way that all of them would be accepted for entry but the more you entered, the more enttries `had` to be accepted, increasing the success rate.

Or do I not understand what Spurring wrote?

 

 

henri

[GSiebert]

1999: I agree.

 

1998? No. the CLK LM was the fastest car there was at Le Mans 1998; only to have engine issues.  It won the FIA GT Title, so it can't be that bad.

We're talking about Le Mans here, and when none of your cars car last more than 2 hours, it is a disaster when your name is Mercedes.

[sjakie]

hmm, didn't BMW retire both cars before darkness in 1998, to come back in 1999 and win the race? Early retirement doesn't Always mean disaster.

 

But Mercedes' participation in 1998 en 1999 was a disaster indeed, thank god only litteraly

[chunder27]

Lister LMP1?  The one with the Chevy engine, not the Lister one!

 

I prefer Listalet.

[Henri Greuter]

We're talking about Le Mans here, and when none of your cars car last more than 2 hours, it is a disaster when your name is Mercedes.

 

 

To be honest, I think that the combination of the words motor racing - Le Mans - Mercedes - disaster brings up entirely different memories than the ones about 1998.... That was nothing compared with what Mercedes had gone through already and had yet to get through....

 

 

henri