Chris Amon's take on Ford v. Ferrari outcome

[deathsled]

1966 LeMans winner Chris Amon gives his opinion on his 1966 LeMans win.
https://jalopnik.com/heres-what-ford-v-ferrari-left-out-as-told-by-the-196-1841634598/amp

[Shelby_r_b]

Good read. Thanks for posting!

[deathsled]

You're welcome. Always good to hear the whole story then decide for yourself.

[gt350hr]

    "Reality" is why entities like National Geographic don't make Hollywood movies. Factual portrayals often lack the drama that drives up ticket sales. Even watching the race live now doesn't keep you on the edge of your seat. You can't "script" a live auto race like you can a movie , it is what it is. The movie is "entertainment" and based on actual events with allot of liberty. MANY instrumental people were left out and or slighted. Those who don't know the real details thought it was a great movie. Even current "REALITY" shows are scripted and embellished.

[Special Ed]

Does anybody know how they decide who will be driving the car when they cross the finish line and that driver gets the credit when 2 drivers share the car thru out the race? I was lucky enough to go with a group of ford guys that I had gotten together to go and see ford win again 50 years later and we were by ford pits and had seats above ford pits but all the talking and writing was in French and none of us really knew what was going on. I had a great trip even thou the airlines lost my luggage and I got pickpocketed at Lemans track in a crowd and got way overcharged for car rental $3000,00 because car rental contract was in French and I didn't know i was going over the limited each day mileage because we went to see D-day landing and Nazi camp and Switzerland etc. Then when I got home a month later I started getting speeding tickets in French every day for a week 6 total. I drove the rental car since it was in my name and all the guys said drive as fast as u want its the autobond don't worry But I found out (the hard way) France has automated ticketing on there autobond but the other countries don't!!

[propayne]

Thanks for posting, that was very interesting.

I was aware of many of the details of this story years and years before I saw the movie, saw the movie and really enjoyed, and have a pretty good grasp on reality (he said).

Can't help but find this quote from Amon interesting:

"Shelby approached [McLaren] with the idea of a dead heat, and the pilot was pleased. If it weren't for the trouble McLaren had with those Firestones at the start, and seconds lost with tire executives arguing in the pit which rubber his car should be riding, he could've been in the lead anyway. Politics had slowed him down, and he had as much a right to the win as anyone."

If politics hadn't prevented Dan Gurney from using his Gurney/Eagle heads on the Trans-Am Cougars, and he hadn't been black flagged for a leaky gas cap at the last race at Kent when he was ahead of the Mustangs in his Cougar......

- Phillip

[6R07mi]

I found the Amon "version" interesting in that he said they were down laps due to the Firestone tires chunking, then later said they were ahead of Miles and had to let Ken catch up.
But I also thought he claims Ken wasn't obeying orders to keep to the assigned lap times, so "they" ( Bruce & Chris ) should be allowed to win since they obeyed "team orders".

His whole narrative I found was inconsistent, and if Ken wasn't ahead and needed to be ordered to slow to allow Bruce & Chris to catch up, then why would Carroll for all the years following, say Ken was screwed and Carroll regretted how it turned out? Also Charlie Agapiou's telling supports that Chris & Bruce were behind and were allowed to catch up.

I'm not suggesting Chris was intentionally trying to deliver a untruth, I just believe over the 50 years memory can be altered by subsequent input.

Leo Levine's book "The Dust and the Glory" was based in interviews he had with most of the principals in 1967, 68, so it would have captured recollections closer to the events and less influenced by passage of time, and as such I would think should be weighed heavily when considering where the truth lies between the various versions of the events.

Preston Learner's book "Ford GT: How Ford Silenced the Critics, Humbled Ferrari and Conquered Le Mans" did a fairly even attempt to present the differing versions and leave the conclusions to the reader.

just for anyone's consideration, my humble opinion

jim p

[propayne]

Politics taketh away (Firestone use ordered).

Politics giveth back (dead heat ordered).

There is a terrific documentary on Bruce McLaren out there now too - can't remember the name off the top of my head but he is also very fascinating and well loved.

- Phillip