What did Bruce McLaren say about Le Mans 1966?

I never did get to sleep properly in 1966. “It was the first time I’d seen the dawn at Le Mans and I must say it was a very pleasant surprise to see the sun start to come up and we knew we had the night behind us. But then I looked at my watch and I realised we still had another eleven hours to go!”

Why did Beebe not like Ken Miles?

Leo Beebe, portrayed by Josh Lucas This essentially forced Ken Miles to lose the race he had been determined to win. Years later, Beebe stated in an interview that his decision at Le Mans was partly because he was worried over safety and financial concerns.

Did Leo Beebe make Ken Miles slow down?

Bruce McLaren leads Ken Miles and Dick Hutcherson across the finish line in one of the most controversial finishes in the history of Le Mans. Leo Beebe – Manager of Ford’s Special Vehicle Dept.: “I wanted Ford to win. We called Ken in and slowed him down so that Bruce and Chris would win.

Why did McLaren win Le Mans?

However the reliability of the production-based McLaren helped it defeat the much faster Le Mans prototypes, although in an interview 20 years later Graham Humphrys (former Spice technical director), who engineered the race winning car, attributed the win to the rain which fell on the circuit overnight, which eased the …

How did Ken Miles not win Le Mans?

The move achieves the desired photo opp, but Miles loses the championship he deserved on a technicality. Le Mans rules hold that in the event of a dead heat finish, the car that drove the furthest distance is the official winner regardless of overall standings in the race.

Was Ken Miles’ 1966 Le Mans win back luck or conspiracy?

Ford’s efforts to secure a dead-heat photo finish at Le Mans in 1966 cost Ken Miles victory from a four-lap lead. But was it back luck or intra-team conspiracy? Ford dominated the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 1966, winning it for the first time, and taking all the podium places with its updated MkII and stellar driver line-up.

What was Bruce McLaren’s opinion on Le Mans?

Bruce McLaren was the first to admit that he had mixed feelings about Le Mans, but the race wasn’t just a chance to earn some useful pocket money, as it was for many F1 drivers.

How did Bruce McLaren become so successful in racing?

Working with manufacturers also exposed Bruce to the top managers and engineers of the day, something that furthered his racing education, and helped him to make his own team into the success that it became. His debut appearance at the Vingt Quatre Heures du Mans came in 1959, at the age of just 21.

What did Bruce Bruce learn from Le Mans test weekend?

Bruce was hugely impressed by the efficiency of the team under its legendary boss John Wyer, which he first experienced at the Le Mans test weekend. He noted: “I like the cars, and the confident, precise organisation of the team under John Wyer made a driver want to try hard and do well.”