November 15, 2016
Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance
(Part 3 of a 3-part series) John McComb ordered a new car for 1967. The choice was easy. Given his success in the 1966 Group 2 Mustang, he ordered a new notchback for 1967 to pick up where he left off with the Shelby program.
The 1967 Mustang was the model’s first major redesign and the car gained both size and weight. McComb didn’t care for either.
“Even though the ’67 car had a wider track, it was a heavier car, so I don’t really think the wider track helped,” McComb said. “The ’66 car was just a very reliable, quick car. I always thought the ’66 car was better than the ’67 anyway.“
While awaiting delivery of the new car, McComb pulled his old mount out of the garage to start the new season. The 1966 car still ran strong, competing at the Daytona 300 Trans-Am race on February 3, 1967 and in the 24 Hours of Daytona the following day.
STEALING THE 500: The Story of Carroll Shelby’s 1968 Turbine-Powered Indycars, Part 2 of 2
September 7, 2016
Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance
(Read Part 1 by clicking here) Ken Wallis was running out of time. Both of Carrol Shelby's turbine-powered cars were now at Indianapolis but they were nowhere near race-ready condition. His drivers, McLaren and Hulme, had only a six-day window before they returned to Europe for the Spanish Grand Prix.
In a desperate bid to make the cars competitive, Wallis used a liberal interpretation of USAC's rules to design a new annulus (the engine opening that fed air to the turbine). When measured by technical inspectors, the annulus was under the legal 16-inch limit. But at full throttle on the race track, a variable valve system opened to permit greater air flow into the turbine. At best, this was a careful translation of the rules. If they were caught there was no guarantee that USAC wouldn't immediately disqualify the Shelby/Wallis Turbines. Such a move would be an unmitigated disaster not only for the team principals, but also for Goodyear, their drivers and their sponsors.
STEALING THE 500: The Story of Carroll Shelby’s 1968 Turbine-Powered Indycar, Part 1 of 2
August 26, 2016
The Stephen Cox Blog is presented by McGunegill Engine Performance
PART 1 of 2
He wasn't the first to try, nor was he the last. Armed with a huge budget, a massive turbine engine and two of the finest drivers on the planet, in the spring of 1968 Carroll Shelby was ready to steal the Indianapolis 500.
THE RACECAR THAT NEVER WAS: Shelby’s Ultra Rare Group 2 Mustang
May 4, 2015
(Photos by Phillip Pietri, courtesy of Mecum Auctions)
On the morning of May 11, 1966, Carroll Shelby's crew went to work on their sixteenth Shelby Mustang SCCA A Sedan/Group 2 racecar. They would never build another one.
Carroll Shelby’s Turbine: The Car That Was Supposed to Win Indy
The Botany 500 Shelby Turbine Indy Car is among auto racing's most famous near misses.
THE GREAT STOLEN ENGINE CAPER: Tracking Down Carroll Shelby’s Missing V8
January 6, 2014
The Stephen Cox Blog is presented by McGunegill Engine Performance
A good Shelby-built 289 engine was a coveted item in the mid 1960’s. Many were stolen out of the legendary Hertz Shelby “Rent-a-racers.” They left the rental lot on Friday with a High Performance 270-horsepower 289-cubic-inch V8 and returned on Monday with a garden variety 289 that appeared nearly identical.
Shelby’s Last Stand: The Forgotten Mustang Group 2 Racer
On a hot summer afternoon in late August 1966, the telephone on John McComb’s desk rang.
On the other end was automotive design engineer Chuck Cantwell of Carroll Shelby’s legendary racing shop, calling with the surprising news that Shelby had a Mustang Group 2 racecar for sale.