The True Story of the 1966 Le Mans Race

It was released in our country on November 15, 2019. Ford V FerrariThe true story of, as everyone knows, is actually 1996 Le Mans 24 Hour Race regarding its effectiveness. The biggest thing that makes this race special is the tension between Ford and Ferrari and the great rivalry that has emerged.

this race FordIt was a turning point for Ferrari It was a matter of great success in the face of speech. After the tension before the race, the strategies of both groups, vehicles and pilots, 1996 Le Mans was an event that made its mark in the history of car racing. In this article, we talk about the story of this race.

Let’s start with the basics: What are these 24 Hours of Le Mans?

To understand the story better, it would be best to know what the Le Mans 24 Hours are. Le Mans races total above the name lasting 24 hours racing events. The races take place on a 13,469 km track in France. Different pilots from many different countries represent the groups in the race and try to complete the race, which takes a total of 24 hours. Many bands until the 1980s with 2 pilotsrepresented, but later for the safety of the pilots. this is number 3 It’s out. The race is a huge one as it lasts 24 hours. it’s an endurance raceand pretty brutally for the pilots exhausting are races. Until the next race, the teams design many vehicles, conduct countless pilot and vehicle tests and want to be in the middle of those who complete this powerful race. Many factors, such as strategy, vehicles and drivers, play a valuable role for rosters in races. Fuel loadingand wheel change The race continues without interruption. More than finishers DNFthose that race those who did not complete available. If we understand the race, let’s move on to the story.

Exactly 3 years before the race, in 1963, the rivalry and tension between Ford and Ferrari ignited:

The rivalry between Ford and Ferrari is full of the legendary race. 3 years ago starting. Since Le Mans races are a very famous endurance race, many brands are trying to highlight themselves and they are world-renowned. wants to gain respect they were racing. The world that won Le Mans best car manufacturers was sitting in the middle. This meant a tremendous gain in brand equity. Chairman of the Ford Executive Council at the time Henry Ford II had his eye on Ferrari, which had been ahead for years. Ferrari, which won consecutive Le Mans mid-1960-1963, had a great reputation in the world but was in a position where it needed urgent capital. Ford, on the other hand, wanted to buy the brand by making an agreement with Ferrari in order to double its own cost and turn things in their favor. Thereupon, the Ford group, which went to Italy for the purchasing processes, chose one of the purchasing elements. Enzo Ferrari He couldn’t accept it. This included the transfer of management of the Ferrari racing staff to Ford. Ferrari did not want to lose their independence in this form and when everything was almost settled this issue was not accepted and Ford returned empty-handed from the purchase. After this incident, Ford vs Ferrari great competition He got into it and decided to take his revenge in the Le Mans races. Ford and Ferrari had since become arch rivals.

The 1964 and 1965 races are a huge disappointment for Ford:

Henry Ford worked on a new vehicle to help them compete with Ferrari. That vehicle will become a legend in 1966. V8with engine Ford GT40 It was him. Unfortunately, the Ford GT 40 did not perform adequately at Le Mans in its first year. The winner of the 64 and 65 races was Ferrari with its more suitable cars and pilots. Ford GT40, aerodynamicAlthough it was a successful vehicle in terms of performance, it was quite unstable and had many more problems, even in the 1964 race. 3 Ford GT40 MKIs model broke down and could not complete the race. By 1965, Ford was an American car designer. Carol Shelby agreed with. Shelby, on the other hand, is the pilot she trusts a lot as a racing and test driver. Ken MilesHe chose . failed in 1964 Ford, which is the owner of the vehicle, tried to strengthen the vehicle and made many tests. If they manage to make it more beautiful and even 1965 Daytona Although they showed great success in the race, when it came to Le Mans, the Ford group could not complete the race with 6 cars. From then on, Ford focused all its focus on making the Ford GT 40 the 1966 Le Mans champion. The Ford GT 40 legend was about to be born.

The Legendary 1966 Pre-Le Mans Legendary Ford GT 40 MKII is getting ready:

The legendary Ford GT 40 had many models. With the 1964 and 1965 racesFord team, Shelby and the legendary driver, who learned lessons from their defeat together Ken MilesHe tried to optimize the GT 40 with the reinforcement of . In engine and transmission changes were made and numerous tests were carried out. Here, in the middle of 1966-1969, the legendary vehicle Ford GT 40 MKII, which brought Ford victory for 4 consecutive years, was ready for the 1966 race. A total of 8 Ford vehicles participated in the race, and they were placed in the first 3 rows. All 3 vehicles are Ford GT 40 MKIIit happened. 6697 cm3vehicle with cylinder volume, 485was horse and 320 km/h He had maximum speed. His rival on the Ferrari side is that Ferrari has carefully designed and prepared by forcing the ends. Ferrari 330 P3was the model.

At the start of the 1966 Le Mans race, Ferrari looked very relaxed:

One interesting point about the race was that Ferrari confidently entered the race with far fewer cars. Ferrari only raced 2 pcs P3 had attended. If Ford full 8 pieces joined by vehicle. Ferrari was very confident in himself and his new vehicles and experienced drivers. John Surtees They believed that he would succeed. Things did not go well and John announced that he would not be able to participate in the race. In the qualifying laps of the race first 4 rows so Ford took it. Ferrari would pay a heavy price for John’s absence and his participation with very few cars. The 1966 Le Mans race, the biggest symbol of the eternal rivalry of Ford and Ferrari, was starting.

1966 Le Mans didn’t start well for Ford:

Race 16.00and Ford started the race in a confident form in the first places. at night timeSituations took a frightening turn for Ford and Ferrariteam first 2 places managed to get it. In addition, Ford’s total 4 agents was out of the race. At this point, the Ford group was pretty nervous, and the team told the drivers not to give them full throttle. By the morning, things were starting to turn in favor of the truth again in Ford’s favor. Ferraris would have a nightmare.

Ferraris are out of the race and Ford takes the top 3 places with 3 cars:

Ferrari cars in the morning accidents and breakdowns As a result, he was out of the race and the race turned in Ford’s favour. The truth to the first three rows noon now belonged to Ford’s vehicles. The car, driven by the legendary pilot Ken Miles, was placed in the first place. Ford was about to win the victory he had targeted for 2 years. Ford race judge on the way to the finish line Leo Beebe wanted something different from the drivers. All three Ford vehicles were required to finish the race together. Ford vehicles in the top 3 will finish the race together and will be an unforgettable experience for Ford. photo finishwould be done.

Ford wins the 1966 Le Mans race with three cars and Ferrari is defeated:

Ford was about to succeed in defeating his rival Ferrari in this legendary race in the great competition that started after the tension in 1963. Ken Miles slowed to wait for the other Ford drivers. Behind Bruce McLaren’ Bruce McLaren moved to the first place with the arrival of the . Thirdly, too 12 lapsFord, who managed to finish the race third even though he came from behind, Ronnie Buckmun With the arrival of Ford, Ford became the winner of the race and completely captured the first three places. Thus, Ferrari suffered a great defeat after years of outstanding success.

In the same year, Legendary driver Ken Miles dies in a vehicle test:

The death of legendary pilot Ken Miles, who had a great contribution to Ford’s 1966 Le Mans win, was also quite tragic. After the Le Mans victory August 1966Ford in the aftermath of the GT 40 MKII J-Car He started a vehicle project called and decided to carry out his tests. Ken Miles, who took part in the tests, during the test of the vehicle 320 km/hgoing fast overthrownand somersaults started to beat. Vehicle started to catch fireand Miles get out of the car during somersaults. jumped out. riverside The lifeless body of the legendary pilot was lying on the runway. As a result of the tragic accident, which Ford stated to have occurred due to a mechanical failure, the legendary pilot Miles lost his life exactly where he was related and left us. Even more tragic is Ken Miles’ 1966 race. second was to finish. Miles, who slowed down after Ford’s special finishing request, lost the first place to his bandmates due to the gloom of the interval calculation. Although he did not come first that year, he became a driver who deserved to be among the unforgettable pilots in Ford’s racing history.

Ford GT40 wins races for 4 consecutive years:

Ford not only got what he wanted, but also managed to take the top three places with his 3 cars. 1967,1968 and 1969 Ford GT 40 vehicle managed to win Le Mans races. Ford, who could not buy Ferrari and was greatly disappointed in the 64 and 65 years, was now the winner of the races for 4 consecutive years. Things were getting harder for Ferrari.

Ferrari is forced to sell many of its shares to Fiat:

1969 By the end of the year, Ferrari was out of power financially. The offer made in 1963 was rejected and from 1966 onwards, 4 successive defeats were received. After the properly deteriorated financial situation, Ferrari, sell half of his shares to Fiathad to. 1988By the year, Fiat had taken over Ferrari’s shares. to 90% was in possession. Ford’s wins against Ferrari caused Ferrari to have great thoughts.

Legendary racing takes its place in recognized culture:

The race remains popular even after many years and is mentioned in many places. One of the examples in the recognized culture ‘Go Like Hell’book 2009 Released in the year. in Turkish ”Go To Hell” The title of the book, which can be translated as . Another work about the race is ”The 24 Hour War” A documentary produced in 2010 called In this documentary, the story of the race is presented to the audience. Finally, in our title 2019from Turkish “Kings of Asphalt”designated as Ford v Ferrari cinema is one of the most valuable productions of the race in the recognized culture. Successful actors in the cinema Matt Damonand Christian Bale is also included. Cinema on IMDb to 8.1 pointshave and 2 hours 32 minutes has a long time. If you haven’t watched it, we highly recommend watching it.

In this article, we touched on the real story of the 1966 Le Mans race. What do you guys think about the race and this big rivalry between Ford and Ferrari? Have you watched the Ford v Ferrari movie? You can share your valuable opinions with us in the comments section.