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Written by Jason Barlow
Marino Franchitti sure knows his onions. Not just his endurance racing onions his Blue Oval onions, and the history of the GT40 in particular. The nuggets come thick and fast; he"s even received lessons in the optimum Champagne-spraying technique from the man credited with starting the whole podium Champagne-spraying business in the first place: US racing legend and Le Mans winner Dan Gurney (also the creator of the Gurney flap"). A fully paid-up ledge, and no mistake. "A guy called Phil Remington worked on the original GT40 programme," Marino says. "Now, Dan is 6ft 3in tall or something, a big guy, and he asked for more headroom. So Phil got an old street sign and welded it into the roof" GT42 didn"t have the same ring to it.Fifty years ago, after a faltering start, Ford"s competition odyssey finally got into its stride. The US giant racked up countless racing victories, including four back-to-back at La Sarthe (1966-"69 Gurney and AJ Foyt winning in 1967), humbling a certain high-maintenance Italian along the way to such an extent that Ferrari pretty much abandoned front-line endurance battle. It"s a winning continuum the new team Ford Chip Ganassi Racing is clearly hoping to pick up in two months" time.Photography: Richard Pardon
Date written: 11 Apr 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 2914
Marino Franchitti sure knows his onions. Not just his endurance racing onions his Blue Oval onions, and the history of the GT40 in particular. The nuggets come thick and fast; he"s even received lessons in the optimum Champagne-spraying technique from the man credited with starting the whole podium Champagne-spraying business in the first place: US racing legend and Le Mans winner Dan Gurney (also the creator of the Gurney flap"). A fully paid-up ledge, and no mistake. "A guy called Phil Remington worked on the original GT40 programme," Marino says. "Now, Dan is 6ft 3in tall or something, a big guy, and he asked for more headroom. So Phil got an old street sign and welded it into the roof" GT42 didn"t have the same ring to it.Fifty years ago, after a faltering start, Ford"s competition odyssey finally got into its stride. The US giant racked up countless racing victories, including four back-to-back at La Sarthe (1966-"69 Gurney and AJ Foyt winning in 1967), humbling a certain high-maintenance Italian along the way to such an extent that Ferrari pretty much abandoned front-line endurance battle. It"s a winning continuum the new team Ford Chip Ganassi Racing is clearly hoping to pick up in two months" time.Photography: Richard Pardon
Date written: 11 Apr 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 2914