Shelby Driving Talent

[68countrysedan]

Visited the impressive Carroll Shelby Heritage Center in Las Vegas.

Needless to say, impressive, particularly the car building area.

One question occurred to me. They have a photo/caption collage of Shelby's early years. It mentions the amature races he won leading up to the 1959 Le Mans victory.

How might Shelby have been rated as a driver if he raced full time? Would he have been a Dan Gurney or Mario Andretti skill level? Had things turned out differently, would he have been successful in Trans-Am?

I don't think I've ever seen a comment regarding this aspect of his life.

[deathsled]

I believe the fact that he won Le Mans answers your question in the affirmative. Le Mans has always been a difficult race to win in any era.

[FL SAAC]

The great CS !

[98SVT - was 06GT]

When Ford introduced the Black & Gold Mustang Cobra II to select dealers COCOA was asked to set up a slalom at Ontario Motor Speedway. We set up 2 mirrored courses in the pit lane. All the dealers got to make several runs. CS (in his mid 50s) made 2 one 3/4 pass to learn the course and one run that set an unbeatable low time of the day. It was rumored that this "race" event is why Edsel got sent to Australia shortly afterwards. Mike Shoen let Jim Wallace take his Coupe out of Petersen's museum on Hollywood Blvd for the day.
When CS was driving there really weren't any full time "professional" sports car racers in the US. That started 62-63 with the Cobra and Chevy giving away Vettes to good drivers (I wonder what the outcome would have been if Dave McDonald hadn't been lured away from GM - Ford even made him sell the Z06 Sting Ray Chevy gave him). The European factories had paid drivers but here in the US our factories put their dollars in NASCAR. Road racing in little 2 seat cars was a gentleman's (latin for richmans) sport where car owners hired amateurs on a per race basis to come drive the expensive Euro car they bought to impress the Jones'. Drivers usually got expenses and a little extra if they won - if you were good you got better offers  to drive better cars. The ultimate goal was to go race in Europe as a paid factory driver - which CS proved he was one of the few capable of reaching that goal.

[Side-Oilers]

CS was a bona fide master behind the steering wheel.  No doubt.  Smooth as silk, but fast as hell.

I've ridden with him driving fast, on many occasions, including in the Viper Indy Pace car on the track, at speed. He made it all look easy.  (IMO: That's one of the traits of a true pro...in any profession.)

If he hadn't had heart problems that cut short his driving career, who knows how far he would've gone? 

Carroll probably would've driven one of the Cobras at LeMans...at least one stint...for PR reasons (and to give the finger to Enzo each time he passed pit lane) if nothing else.  How great would that have been?

[98SVT - was 06GT]

I've ridden with him driving fast, on many occasions, including in the Viper Indy Pace car on the track, at speed. He made it all look easy.  (IMO: That's one of the traits of a true pro...in any profession.)

Most harrowing ride of my life was going to McClusky's and lunch with CS driving a Dodge minivan. Always in control but that sudden U turn across traffic when he saw a restaurant he liked was surprising.

[Side-Oilers]

Brett...I've had a couple of those "surprise" experiences with him too.  But he ALWAYS made it...no matter the maneuver. 

I remember the first time when a "surprise" happened.  Like you, it was on the way to lunch, but it was also the day I met CS for the very first time. Yeah, I was a bit shaken. But then immediately thought:  "I'm riding with Carroll F-ing Shelby. LeMans winner. I think he can handle a Dodge Omni." 

[deathsled]

I've ridden with him driving fast, on many occasions, including in the Viper Indy Pace car on the track, at speed. He made it all look easy.  (IMO: That's one of the traits of a true pro...in any profession.)

Most harrowing ride of my life was going to McClusky's and lunch with CS driving a Dodge minivan. Always in control but that sudden U turn across traffic when he saw a restaurant he liked was surprising.

I have a mental image of that transaction as you described.  It brings to mind the scene in Ford v Ferrari where he (Matt Damon) takes over the flying duties of a plane.