Remembering Ken Miles

[FL SAAC]

On Wednesday August 17, 1966 Ken Miles lost his life during a testing session at Riverside, California while driving a prototype GT40. Miles was a key member of the Shelby/Cobra race team in the early 1960s and the main test driver for the effort to improve the Ford GT 40 Mk Il.

After almost a full day of testing at Riverside International Raceway while testing a revolutionary honeycomb panel design intended to both lighten and stiffen the car, Miles approached the end of the track's 1-mile downhill back straight at a top speed of 200-plus mph, when the Ford J-car suddenly looped, flipped, crashed and caught fire. The car broke into pieces and ejected Miles, killing him instantly. Ken Miles was 47 years old. The Ford J-car was intended to be the successor to the all-conquering Ford GT40 Mk Il and was later called the GT-40 Mk-4.

Today we remember Ken and celebrate his contributions to US motorsports and the Ford racing program.

[FL SAAC]

Happy Birthday  !

Ken Miles Was an Unsung Racing Hero

https://www.roadandtrack.com/motorsports/a29790086/ken-miles-biography-ford-le-mans/