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.
RACING’S GREATEST UPSETS: Trans Am’s 1966 Pan-American Endurance Race (Part 1 of 3)
October 5, 2016
Stephen Cox Blog Presented by McGunegill Engine Performance
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.
McComb was delighted since his prior inquiries at Shelby had been met only by rejection. He had raced MGB sportscars for years but his first taste of Ford V-8 power came while driving Peter Talbert’s notchback Group 2 Mustang earlier that summer in the Trans-Am event at St. Louis. McComb and Talbert were leading the race until an exhaust pipe came loose, forcing them to settle for third place.
But McComb was already hooked. The car was more powerful than anything he’d ever driven. He wanted one of those Mustangs.
The Untold Story of Can Am’s Most Famous Car, Part V: The Turning Point
July 28, 2014
The Untold Story of Can Am’s Most Famous Car, Part V: The Turning Point
“Mark [Donohue] and the other people behind the Porsche are not lighthearted types. They take the whole thing very seriously.” – Pete Lyons, Road & Track
PART IV, THE EMBARRASSMENT – Penske’s L&M Porsche, the Untold Story of Can Am’s Most Famous Car
July 21, 2014
PART IV, THE EMBARRASSMENT - Penske's L&M Porsche, the Untold Story of Can Am's Most Famous Car
“I had a five-liter, normally aspirated nothing.” – George Follmer
A GREAT AMERICAN RACING STORY: Get ready to cheer for the underdog
February 11, 2013
(Hover mouse over photos for captions)
On a cloudy Saturday morning in the late summer of 1966, Charlie Wright and five of his friends left Wichita with a new Shelby Mustang SCCA Group 2 racer loaded onto the back of their open trailer. They had no gas cans, no plan, no experience and little idea what they were doing.
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.