This win should put to rest any question about the greatness of the Ford GT40. The legacy of the GT40, is that anyone who has interest in racing. Knows this car well.
Those were the most glorious days of motor racing, when it was man and machine. Racing was more pure and not an exercise in technology. As a fan, we no longer see how a driver can make a difference. Technology has taken over the sport. The Ford GT40 was the antithesis of motor racing and everything that was beautiful about watching a driver man handle an insanely powerful machine for hour after hour and do it so gracefully, that it looked easy. There was no power steering or power brakes. They didn't drive on radial tires or have two way communication with their pit crew. It's easy to see how the Europeans fell in love with the Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Jaguars and Maserati's. Elegant sleek machines that romanced the fans with their beauty and sound. But then along came these beastly American machines. The Ford GT40 was the sludge hammer in a bag of tac hammers. With it's success came a revolution of power that has not been seen since. The 70's became the pinnacle of power and brute force. When drivers wrestled cars rather than finesse them. The governing bodies of racing stepped in and killed the most exciting part about racing when they began to limit the horsepower and displacement. The days of "Man and Machine" was over.
Have looked for years for this on UA-cam. Remember so well as a young boy when this came on ABC's Wide World of Sports Saturday broadcast with renowned Chris Economaki reporting. Before the start, Chris commented on how fast the little "Italian Buzz Bomb" was, Chris qualifying it on pole. Since I was 4 years old, I always had loved those red Ferraris, but that brand new 312P was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. I bemoaned Chris Amons' lack of a victory during the 1968 Grand Prix season after so many tantalizingly close and promising contests. Even teammate Jacky Ickx won for Ferrari at Rouen, but Amon was snake-bit. I so hoped for he and Mario Andretti to win this race for Ferrari at Sebring in March of 69'. It was electrifying to see that scarlet red beauty absolutely flying down Sebring's straightaways. Despite the pole position advantage squandered, it was captivating to see Amon reeling them in. Sadly in the end, due to a safety cone's interference (thrown out onto the course by another competitor) and resulting damage to the air inlet for the radiator, the overheating issue cost them a most deserved victory, winding up 2nd behind Amon's old teammate; Jacky Ickx. A hell of a result in spite of their misfortune. A wonderful and bittersweet memory for me of a beautiful car piloted by 2 extremely quick and talented drivers. Rest In Peace Chris! I'll never forget you.
The list of drivers sends a hot shiver down my spine ... especially when knowing these gentleman from the golden days of Formula 1 in Europe and e.g. the Targa Florio .. Ickx (aged 24), Oliver, Siffert, Stommelen, Amon, Andretti, DeAdamich, Elford, Rodriguez raced everything, everywhere under any conditions . and these machines were fragile, tincovered birdcage mounts for raw engine thrust 🌹☮️
In 1969 I lived between the Hairpin turn and the Start-Finnish line. As a kid I lived 100 yards to the left of the building you see at 2:24. The school shut down for Race Week back then and us kids ran wild! LOL Things were so different back then, Things have changed so much since then. They have even changed the track since then to slow the cars AGAIN! Back around 1966 they had installed a right-left just after the hairpin to slow the cars after several spectators were killed in an accident. How do you gage the old lap records against the new if they keep changing the track?
Those right-left turns moved the track away from those warehouses and airplane hangars; those turns were a bit faster and the track outright was actually faster than it had been before. I’m going to Sebring in 2023, can’t wait for that!
Piers Courage stopped at our Hairpin camp by the hole in the fence.. And had some cold German wine... He was soaked in SWEAT! His ALFA overheating we dumped a cooler of ice water onto the motor.. He limped back to retire.. The other Tipo 33 followed suit.. About 20 laps in... We put up huge butchers paper signs at the Esses/MG Bridge FORZA FERRARI GO MARIO ! VIVA FERRARI ! Made the press.. Got waves from Andretti... Amon! It was quite a race! J.C.
Oh, Sebring is rough. The broken concrete slabs and separated expansion joints beat a car up. 12 hours at Sebring is equivalent to 48 hours at Daytona.
No apologies needed, as I recall filmed highlights of motorsports events always had a slightly grainy quality to them. For those not familiar with the Sebring circuit: There are sections where it is run on the slab concrete aircraft runways, which as it aged over the years, made for a rough surface for race cars. Race cars with less than robust strength suspensions had problems, such as with the Lola T70s, in this race. I take exception to the announcer saying this was the most exciting in years, as in the 1967 race had the Chaparral 2F versus the Ford GT Mark IV. What made that race exceptionally noteworthy was the fact that the Chaparral had trouble at the start, lagging a minute at the start, in other words, it was in last place. Chaparral driver Mike Spence roared through the field, setting a new lap record, to challenge the leading Ford GT . . . where they dueled it out for several laps until the Chaparral retired with drivetrain failure.
Ironic really. The Ford GT40 Mk1 is vindicated with a win at the end of its top tier team racing career as the 1969 FIA Prototype champ. By virtue of reliability, something that plagued it in ‘64 and ‘65. Also a tribute to John Wyers, who lost the program to Shelby in ‘66.
Dave, I don’t think I ever thanked you for changing the T mount camera lens when we were in the motor home used by the Ringfree Oil team of the female drivers in the Sprite Prototype. Incidentally, my fellow Sprite timer told me a few months ago that the car owner, Jim Baker, offered to sell him the car after the race for $4,000.
10:21: The old hairpin. Sometime after 1995, the road cut off just before this to lead to new section of the track. 10:23: The Green Park chicane. This was installed in 1967 to bypass the Warehouse Straight after spectators on the side of the road were killed by a spinning race car. The aftermath of the accident almost resulted in the track shutting down.
What chassis # was this winning Ford GT40 mk1 ? Chassis # 1075 was the legendary winner at Lemans 1968 qnd 1969. I'm curious if this car still exists and if it appears at Historic Events.
Lukas W well I'm not real familiar with American race cars but learning...and these GT,s I've seen last cpl seasons....very nice.👍 As well as the ones in this video...tc Lukas and ty for the reply..🙋
@sarasarah1810 I know I'm WAY LATE here. But, the reason they look similar is when Ford decided to bring back the GT40 they finally decided was best to simply keep the design. Design wise it's essentially the same car but slightly bigger with modern tech. The newer car sat 54 inches tall versus the original GT40s height of 40 inches. (That's where the 40 in the name comes from.) So they simply called it the GT. Hagerty has an awesome video on UA-cam about this if you're interested.
This win should put to rest any question about the greatness of the Ford GT40.
The legacy of the GT40, is that anyone who has interest in racing. Knows this car well.
Your not kidding, I laugh when he mentioned "the ancient GT-40's"
They might've been "ancient" but some of them had 7 liter engines and were very freaking fast!
Even when it no longer had a speed advantage the Ford GT40 was much more durable and reliable than the faster Euros.
I was there in 1969 I was 17 years old and drove my 1968 Firebird 400 to the event it seems like a dream now but boy what Memories
Dang, that's lit sir, your era is awesome today 17 years olds cannot even own a car or drive properly, I wish I was living on that time.
Those were the most glorious days of motor racing, when it was man and machine. Racing was
more pure and not an exercise in technology. As a fan, we no longer see
how a driver can make a difference. Technology has taken over the sport.
The Ford GT40 was the antithesis of motor racing and everything that was beautiful about
watching a driver man handle an insanely powerful machine for hour after hour and do it so
gracefully, that it looked easy. There was no power steering or power brakes. They didn't drive
on radial tires or have two way communication with their pit crew.
It's easy to see how the Europeans fell in love with the Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Jaguars and Maserati's.
Elegant sleek machines that romanced the fans with their beauty and sound. But then along came
these beastly American machines. The Ford GT40 was the sludge hammer in a bag of tac hammers.
With it's success came a revolution of power that has not been seen since. The 70's became the
pinnacle of power and brute force. When drivers wrestled cars rather than finesse them.
The governing bodies of racing stepped in and killed the most exciting part about racing when they
began to limit the horsepower and displacement. The days of "Man and Machine" was over.
That old GT40 was not done yet. 1969 LeMans was a classic. And Mario Andretti came back to Sebring in 1970 for an epic drive.
Have looked for years for this on UA-cam. Remember so well as a young boy when this came on ABC's Wide World of Sports Saturday broadcast with renowned Chris Economaki reporting. Before the start, Chris commented on how fast the little "Italian Buzz Bomb" was, Chris qualifying it on pole. Since I was 4 years old, I always had loved those red Ferraris, but that brand new 312P was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. I bemoaned Chris Amons' lack of a victory during the 1968 Grand Prix season after so many tantalizingly close and promising contests. Even teammate Jacky Ickx won for Ferrari at Rouen, but Amon was snake-bit. I so hoped for he and Mario Andretti to win this race for Ferrari at Sebring in March of 69'. It was electrifying to see that scarlet red beauty absolutely flying down Sebring's straightaways. Despite the pole position advantage squandered, it was captivating to see Amon reeling them in. Sadly in the end, due to a safety cone's interference (thrown out onto the course by another competitor) and resulting damage to the air inlet for the radiator, the overheating issue cost them a most deserved victory, winding up 2nd behind Amon's old teammate; Jacky Ickx. A hell of a result in spite of their misfortune. A wonderful and bittersweet memory for me of a beautiful car piloted by 2 extremely quick and talented drivers. Rest In Peace Chris! I'll never forget you.
Man, I remember the old Speedworld intro like it was yesterday! Thanks for posting this!
Love watching this old school racing cars back then are beautiful and fast 🥰👍🇺🇸🏁🏎️🏆a lot of America Muscle cars to so glad to born in 1970
Ickx, one of the greatest ever.
The FORD GT40 being 4 years old since development. Gaps the rest of the field of high dollar race cars. Amazing 😂
top entertainment from a time when sportscars were as popular as F1.
Tiro of Kiwis. 7 part doco @ the top. Bruce McLaren with Denny Hume & Chris Amon...www.nzonscreen.com/title/trio-at-the-top-2001
The list of drivers sends a hot shiver down my spine ... especially when knowing these gentleman from the golden days of Formula 1 in Europe and e.g. the Targa Florio .. Ickx (aged 24), Oliver, Siffert, Stommelen, Amon, Andretti, DeAdamich, Elford, Rodriguez raced everything, everywhere under any conditions . and these machines were fragile, tincovered birdcage mounts for raw engine thrust 🌹☮️
4:42: "We go as slow as possible to win" :50 plus years later and the technology is such that now the cars go flat out for 12 and even 24 hours.
In 1969 I lived between the Hairpin turn and the Start-Finnish line. As a kid I lived 100 yards to the left of the building you see at 2:24. The school shut down for Race Week back then and us kids ran wild! LOL Things were so different back then, Things have changed so much since then. They have even changed the track since then to slow the cars AGAIN! Back around 1966 they had installed a right-left just after the hairpin to slow the cars after several spectators were killed in an accident. How do you gage the old lap records against the new if they keep changing the track?
Those right-left turns moved the track away from those warehouses and airplane hangars; those turns were a bit faster and the track outright was actually faster than it had been before.
I’m going to Sebring in 2023, can’t wait for that!
That's right. The track is faster because every time they modify it they shorten it also
Piers Courage stopped at our Hairpin camp by the hole in the fence..
And had some cold German wine...
He was soaked in SWEAT!
His ALFA overheating we dumped a cooler of ice water onto the motor..
He limped back to retire..
The other Tipo 33 followed suit..
About 20 laps in...
We put up huge butchers paper signs at the Esses/MG Bridge
FORZA FERRARI
GO MARIO !
VIVA FERRARI !
Made the press..
Got waves from Andretti...
Amon!
It was quite a race!
J.C.
Oh, Sebring is rough. The broken concrete slabs and separated expansion joints beat a car up. 12 hours at Sebring is equivalent to 48 hours at Daytona.
camped by the hairpin with my parents. still have my ticket stub and program. it was glorious.
This is gold!
No apologies needed, as I recall filmed highlights of motorsports events always had a slightly grainy quality to them.
For those not familiar with the Sebring circuit: There are sections where it is run on the slab concrete aircraft runways, which as it aged over the years, made for a rough surface for race cars. Race cars with less than robust strength suspensions had problems, such as with the Lola T70s, in this race.
I take exception to the announcer saying this was the most exciting in years, as in the 1967 race had the Chaparral 2F versus the Ford GT Mark IV. What made that race exceptionally noteworthy was the fact that the Chaparral had trouble at the start, lagging a minute at the start, in other words, it was in last place. Chaparral driver Mike Spence roared through the field, setting a new lap record, to challenge the leading Ford GT . . . where they dueled it out for several laps until the Chaparral retired with drivetrain failure.
Ihit like simply because there was no crappy music. Well done.
Ohhhh man, the wonderful sounds and sights of auto racing in that era, but so sorely missing in today's high tech racing world. I've lost interest !
To finish first, first you must finish.
Nothing to sorry of, thx for this
Ironic really. The Ford GT40 Mk1 is vindicated with a win at the end of its top tier team racing career as the 1969 FIA Prototype champ. By virtue of reliability, something that plagued it in ‘64 and ‘65. Also a tribute to John Wyers, who lost the program to Shelby in ‘66.
I still have some of these I recorded on DVD I wish I had more of them
Built FORD tough..... 🏆
.
Hell yea!
Kuddos to the Ford GT!
good ol power by FORD
Dave, I don’t think I ever thanked you for changing the T mount camera lens when we were in the motor home used by the Ringfree Oil team of the female drivers in the Sprite Prototype. Incidentally, my fellow Sprite timer told me a few months ago that the car owner, Jim Baker, offered to sell him the car after the race for $4,000.
Great footage!
Do you have 1966 USAC Fuji race (non-championship event)?
ITS INTERESTING BUT SAD THAT Sifford died because he was not belted in correctly ... note he was the first one out on this race..
He also won the race the year prior
Chris Economaki. Missed is the racing world.
10:21: The old hairpin. Sometime after 1995, the road cut off just before this to lead to new section of the track.
10:23: The Green Park chicane. This was installed in 1967 to bypass the Warehouse Straight after spectators on the side of the road were killed by a spinning race car. The aftermath of the accident almost resulted in the track shutting down.
Im 1/2 way through watching Garner's the racing scene.
quality doesnt matter if there is about those great races that were made in the past..
What chassis # was this winning Ford GT40 mk1 ? Chassis # 1075 was the legendary winner at Lemans 1968 qnd 1969. I'm curious if this car still exists and if it appears at Historic Events.
It *is* chassis #1075
WHERE did my comments go?
I was there...
J.C.
Only you care. No one else does.
Your comment is about half way up/down the page.
Very cool seen James Greaner
....gives way to redmond as the porsche refreshes itself..........
Yea, and ir was barely broadcast that the Ford GT40 won a race again!
That's because the US media supports Commies
Gees a LeMans start 🎉🦧🙈🆗
Young Penske
Wow them merican Ford gt's look similar to their gt's today.
sarah sarah Ford did that on purpose
Lukas W well I'm not real familiar with American race cars but learning...and these GT,s I've seen last cpl seasons....very nice.👍 As well as the ones in this video...tc Lukas and ty for the reply..🙋
Sara Sarah is some serious Mario Mario stuff.
@sarasarah1810 I know I'm WAY LATE here. But, the reason they look similar is when Ford decided to bring back the GT40 they finally decided was best to simply keep the design. Design wise it's essentially the same car but slightly bigger with modern tech. The newer car sat 54 inches tall versus the original GT40s height of 40 inches. (That's where the 40 in the name comes from.) So they simply called it the GT. Hagerty has an awesome video on UA-cam about this if you're interested.
6:30
5 year old Ford beat the Ferraris and Porsches. USA USA dominance in the 1960s.
DISTORTED CARS ARE NOT BETTER THAN NO CARS AT ALL -- SHODDY TECH!!!
God awful race track ... !