50 years to the day following the '66 Le Mans 1-2-3, the No. 68 #FordGT has won the GTE Pro Class at #LeMans24 pic.twitter.com/jkMLuWlEYm
— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) June 19, 2016
At Haldeman Ford, we have to congratulate all the team members of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing on placing first place overall in the GTE Pro Class at 24 hours of Le Mans -- but we also have to wring our hands maniacally and laugh.
Back in 1966, Ford had its first-ever win at the prestigious international race in Le Mans, and what a win it was. The GT40 Mk. II swept the podium with a 1-2-3 finish that shocked the entire racing world. What a dramatic upset it would be if Ford could repeat those exact results 50 years later!
It almost happened, too.
Instead of 1-2-3, Ford took a 1-3-4 finish, and the team that snatched away second place couldn't be more historically appropriate. It was a Ferrari.
You see, that historic underdog victory of the GT40 back in 1966 was fueled by a bitter grudge Henry Ford II held against Enzo Ferrari for spurning him in a business acquisition. Enzo had led Henry to believe he was willing to sell the luxury sports car company to Ford, but refused to sign the contract at the eleventh hour.
Henry was foaming-at-the-mouth angry and promised to destroy Ferrari on the race track -- and succeeded.
The progenitors of the old feud have long since passed away, and it seemed that there was no bad blood between the two automakers, but Ford's return to Le Mans could change all that.
First, the No. 68 Ford GT which eventually won battled it out for over 20 hours against the No. 82 Ferrari that would come in second, swapping places several times. After the race was finished, Ford was unhappy to have what would have been headline-topping news taken away, so in a petty (but legitimate) complaint, Ford protested against a minor violation by the No. 82 Ferrari, hoping a time penalty would drop it out of the standings. In response, Ferrari protested a violation by the No. 68 Ford.
In the end, both teams received just enough penalties to put them exactly back where they started.
We say, quarrel on -- it's honoring history. Be vindictive and petty, because do you know what happens when two of the world's greatest automakers fight? We get faster, more sophisticated cars than ever before.
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