One Make Series for GT40s

[Peter Mallett]

Motor Racing Legends has announced a two race series for 2021 for the GT40. No further details as yet but no doubt it will garner comments such as "they only built 10" etc.

Originally Posted by MRL E Mail 18 Nov 2020

Motor Racing Legends has great pleasure in announcing the launch of a brand-new Historic one-make race series for the Ford GT40, with two races for the ‘Amon Cup’ in 2021.

The arrival of the Ford GT40 in the 1960s remains one of the most significant moments in motorsport history. The back story of the Ford GT40’s rise as the most iconic GT car of a generation is indeed worthy of a Hollywood film and the dominance of the American challengers on French soil in the Le Mans 24 Hour race shifted the sands of Ferrari’s long standing dominance in the sport.

A machine of great technological advance, the Ford GT40 still commands great respect and affection from competitors and enthusiasts alike. Owners of Ford GT40s have limited opportunities to use their cars in anger so to address the void, Motor Racing Legends and DK Engineering are launching two eighty-minute races for the 2021 season; giving owners and drivers of these exquisite cars a unique opportunity to race in a dedicated one-make grid.

One of the most prolific drivers of all time, Chris Amon will forever be associated with the GT40; and we are deeply honoured that the Amon family will present the awards at each round in person.

The first race will be held at Donington Historic Festival on May 1st & 2nd; with the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit being the venue for the final race of the season on October 30th & 31st at Motor Racing Legends’ newly-announced end-of-year meeting.

Races will be for cars running to Pre-’66 specification, open to two-drivers, with a duration of eighty-minutes with a forty-minute qualifying session. Prospective competitors are asked to register their interest with Motor Racing Legends. Further details will be published on www.motorracinglegends.com

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Motor Racing Legends has announced a two race series for 2021 for the GT40. No further details as yet but no doubt it will garner comments such as "they only built 10" etc.

Always liked the GT40 . Actually sat in the one that won Le Mans 1966 or 67 , and despite all of the Hollywood / Wikipedia rubbish , they were UK designed & built .
Memory tells me that there were something like 114 of them built , so should be enough still about for a race series .

[john ruston]

Well max of 85 real ones .with 1085 being the last real chassis plus the 7 litre cars
Then there are another 100 or so extras which most people race
Not many of the originals actually race
Good idea .
It’s how many survive 6 hrs from earlier in month

[Peter Mallett]

The first round will be at Donington for the Festival. Then as you say the second at Silverstone for the Historic Tourist Trophy.

[Rudernst]

For starters, its not a one make series....
It were if it mixed Ford cars of different types
lets say GT40s and Anglias (both beeing pre 1969, that would make perfect sense)

It actually is a single model series
in fact, if faithful GT40 replicas are allowed in, not made or authorised by Ford, one argue that it might not even be a one make series.....

what concerns me more is this
the public debate at large is very much concerned with diversity nowadays,
to the point that 3 different kinds of toilets are now a fact in real life, in some places

a single model series is about as undiverse as racing can get
a concept not in tune with current thinking



RudE

[Anyopenroad]

I’m personally less concerned about diversity in toilet provision than I am about diversity of cars on racing grids .

Seeing a GT40 used to be special, a rare treat to be in the presence of motor racing royalty. An entire field of replicas? Not so much. It’s not for me of course, it’s for the owners/drivers. But lets not pretend this series has anything to do with the GT40 that basically invented modern motor racing in the late 60s.

[john ruston]

Not sure about the inventing modern motor racing?
The GT 40 failed for first two years and was spawned by the Lola with AM engine?
Would have thought Coopers and Lotus had a much bigger influence
I have no problem with the new GT 40’s as long as they are same spec as originals. Some at Spa last year were way different.
Why race cars that are worth up to 9/10 mil when you can
Use a copy at less than 500k?

[terence]

Originally Posted by Rudernst

For starters, its not a one make series....
It were if it mixed Ford cars of different types
lets say GT40s and Anglias (both beeing pre 1969, that would make perfect sense)

It actually is a single model series
in fact, if faithful GT40 replicas are allowed in, not made or authorised by Ford, one argue that it might not even be a one make series.....

what concerns me more is this
the public debate at large is very much concerned with diversity nowadays,
to the point that 3 different kinds of toilets are now a fact in real life, in some places

a single model series is about as undiverse as racing can get
a concept not in tune with current thinking



RudE

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Tel 911S]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Well max of 85 real ones .with 1085 being the last real chassis plus the 7 litre cars
Then there are another 100 or so extras which most people race
Not many of the originals actually race
Good idea .
It’s how many survive 6 hrs from earlier in month

FIA App J of period required 100 cars produced to be eligible .
I know there was some makers managed to fool the FIA inspectors with the numbers . But I do remember reading at the time that Ford sold the last one in England as a road car & it was a total of 113 or 114 .
But there has been a lot of very convincing replicas built since then , so it could bring a lot of possible entries out for this series .And if they are a very good replica , why not .

[john ruston]

Look at Ronnie Spain book which is the bible as far as these cars are concerned

[Anyopenroad]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Not sure about the inventing modern motor racing?

Hyperbole on my part, for sure. I would say that the massive investment Ford threw at the GT40 changed motor racing for good. The cars look, to me anyway, notably more modern that what went before. The change in the GT40 itself was pretty dramatic between 65 and 69.

But anyway, iconic. Seeing the #1075 68-69 Le Mans car at Goodwood last year actually had me shaking with emotion. So maybe I’m a little biased! Seeing a bunch of replicas racing feels a bit lame for me by comparison. But that’s a very personal view and I of course wish the series and its competitors nothing but success and enjoyment.

[rbs]

It would be good if the organisers put the real date of manufacture on the entry list, then we would all know the truth, or have 2 classes for real & replica's.

[john ruston]

Be a very small class for real ones.
Upside is lots of people who race the new ones have an original at home.

[Tel 911S]

Found this archive of the chassis numbers .
http://gt40.net/

Does give the race history on some of the cars , but not sure how many of them are still running .

[john ruston]

Most are running but not in today’s race trim.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by Anyopenroad

Seeing a GT40 used to be special, a rare treat to be in the presence of motor racing royalty. An entire field of replicas? Not so much.

THis, It's 20 years since I first got involved with old crate racing, the first few years was eye boggling. What you saw and heard was special, be it little GT's at club meets only made in their tens, or at the bigger events where the big guns came out to play.

The waters are so muddied now you may as well be watching the M25 on a Monday morning. It's devalued the whole fraternity.

Still fun to partake but It's not what it was. If I'd wanted continuous development I'd have started out with a Mondeo not a Cortina, it would have been a lot cheaper!

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by rbs

It would be good if the organisers put the real date of manufacture on the entry list, then we would all know the truth, or have 2 classes for real & replica's.

Already the case, some organisers entry lists show the letter C for continuation and are working out on a kind of BOP. But how to manage with authentic cars with refurbished and improved engines?
Only my opinion but I find its a good idea to offer this kind of opportunity to watch such cars. I will with pleasure not minding replica or not. Vox populi…

[john ruston]

I seem to remember many years ago we had a superb thread on here about reengineered, continuation, fake , copy or whatever you want to call them cars.
In the past week we have had three B8’s with same chassis number. Seems all the sports cars have same situation.This has also occurred with Pre War Bentley’s and most other Pre War cars
Some of the preparation people involved with cars and supposedly experts in the field use their position to create history
Good thing is that with so few GT40’s most people know what’s what and Gelscoe who create many of the new cars are very clear in what they do
Pity other people do not take the same moral stance

[Derwent]

I find it sad that we have one model series creeping into historics. one of the reasons I don't go to modern race meetings is that nearly all the races are one make. Even the BTCC is effectively that. Watching a variety of types of cars with different characteristics racing is much more interesting.
I think this series is for the rich gentlemen owners rather than the spectators.

[rbs]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Already the case, some organisers entry lists show the letter C for continuation and are working out on a kind of BOP. But how to manage with authentic cars with refurbished and improved engines?
Only my opinion but I find its a good idea to offer this kind of opportunity to watch such cars. I will with pleasure not minding replica or not. Vox populi…

I have seen these c's in entry list but it still has the date of the car as, eg 1967, it should show the date as 2015. Also the new Broadley T70's are often entered as periiod Lola's.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Derwent

I think this series is for the rich gentlemen owners rather than the spectators.

I don't think we should complain since it's these "rich gentlemen" who are helping to support the less wealthy racers by entering these events.

[john ruston]

Not sure about the gentlemen in the owners description.!

[john ruston]

There are copies in 90 % of series.
Despite the explanations they are at Le Mans Classic, Monaco and Goodwood.
Should you not let copy cars into a one make GT 40 series there will be no series . All people involved know this!
Problem is to stop it becoming an arms race like U2TC.
It will involve some big hitters

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Not sure about the gentlemen in the owners description.!

I think the term was used very loosely.

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by john ruston

I seem to remember many years ago we had a superb thread on here about reengineered, continuation, fake , copy or whatever you want to call them cars.
In the past week we have had three B8’s with same chassis number. Seems all the sports cars have same situation.This has also occurred with Pre War Bentley’s and most other Pre War cars
Some of the preparation people involved with cars and supposedly experts in the field use their position to create history
Good thing is that with so few GT40’s most people know what’s what and Gelscoe who create many of the new cars are very clear in what they do
Pity other people do not take the same moral stance

My first experience of ringing was someone in HRSR selling their HRSR spec car and buying an FiA car . . . . which turned out to have a twin in the USA! I'm pretty sure the HRSR car is/was a U2TC car now . . . .

I looked at 3 Lotus Cortinas in the early 2000's and dismissed them all, went GT instead as I got a good honest car, for less. In retrospect I'm glad I was naieve at the time or I'd have bought a 1200 deluxe and built a Lotus. I thought you had to have a real car to get FiA papers. Which was the passport to the nicer races.