[ad_1]
When one thinks of the Ford Torino, visions of David Starsky racing through Bay City in his “Striped Tomato” are often among the first that come to mind. Also, when the 24 Hours of Le Mans is discussed, thoughts of fear-mongering battle car races speeding down the Mulsanne Straight come to vivid memory. Exactly 10 years later Ford claimed overall victory at Le Mans with its GT40, a different kind of Ford will enter the grueling 24-hour race; this time, the car comes from the world of NASCAR.
In 1975, Le Mans organizers wanted to bring more entertainment value to the historic race, and approached NASCAR President Bill France Jr. with a proposal to field two NASCAR teams in the upcoming 44th running. of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. France Jr. liked this. the idea, and agreed to send two teams for the newly created Grand International class, but which two? Because the 1976 race would be against Riverside in the Winston Cup Series, two of the smaller teams volunteered to go to France; Herschel and Doug McGriff will drive their family’s Dodge Charger, and Junie Donlavey will send her Ford Torino. The French identified two American vessels as Les Deux Monsters (the two monsters).
The Ford Torino: A Pop Culture Icon
When producer Aaron Spelling needed a star car for his new cop show, Starsky and Hutch, he originally fielded a green Camaro. But while the production team went with Torino when they found out Ford was the lease supplier for the producers of the show. The pilot episodes featured two 1975 Torinos equipped with a 351 Windsor and 2.75:1 gearing. As the series progressed and became popular, Torinos were fitted with Ford’s 400 V8 and improved gearing, giving the car more punch for stunt scenes.
It is well known that Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul are not big fans of the Ford Torino. In early episodes, the Soul was thrown side-by-side in chase scenes because of the bench seat, which resulted in aftermarket bucket seats being added. Glaser, on the other hand, was recorded to hate the car so much that he deliberately tried to destroy it. Regardless of the actors’ opinions, the show and the car were a huge success. The popularity was too great to ignore, and Ford built 1,100 Starsky and Hutch special edition replicas, not including countless fan-made replicas around the world. While the “Striped Tomato” is in its element racing around Bay City chasing bad guys, racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans requires a little more imagination.
Ford History At The 24 Hours Of Le Mans
After Henry Ford II lifted the AMA racing ban in 1962, the company set out on a new initiative to focus more on racing to boost its car sales. It was here that Ford started throwing money into the Ford GT program, in an attempt to topple Ferrari’s reign at Le Mans. After two failed attempts, Ford finally claimed victory at Le Mans in 1966, and continued their winning streak in the GT40 through 1969. Beyond the GT40, the Mustang also participated in Le Mans; in 1967 a GT350 was raced by Claude Dubois, and in 1997 the Saleen/Allen RRR Speedlab team fielded two Saleen Mustangs to compete in the GT class. It won’t be until 2016 that Ford returns to Le Mans with the new GT.
While the GT40 and Mustang established its place in Le Mans history, the Donlavey No. 90 Torino is entered for exhibition purposes only. That doesn’t mean Junie Donlavey and her team won’t give it their best shot. Dick Hutcherson, one of three drivers for the Donlavey Torino, was no stranger to Le Mans when he arrived in France in a Winston Cup Series car in 1976. Ten years earlier, Hutcherson was one of two drivers in the Holman & Moody GT40 who took 3rd in the historic 1-2-3 Ford victory at Le Mans in 1966. If he did it in a Ford then, he can do it again, right?
NASCAR’s Dance With Le Mans: When A Ford Torino Ran The 1976 24 Hours Of Le Mans
Le Mans organizers maintained that the presence of two cars from NASCAR was to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the United States claiming its independence, and Franco-American relations during the American Revolutionary War. The truth is that the world is in the midst of a fuel crisis, leading to fewer race entries and viewer interest. While the Torino may not have been the fastest of its race, it had advantages over the other cars in the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans, straight lines and its drivers.
In addition to Dick Hutchinson, the Frenchman Marcel Mignot was chosen as the third driver, whose main profession was a driving instructor at the Circuit de la Sarthe; the team has no excuse for a lack of talent, but there are plenty of other reasons. The team has the right drivers and plenty of power, but the car lacks a few key things. The No. The 90 Torino was fitted with drum brakes where all other competing cars had modern disc brakes, not ideal for the immediate fast right turn at the end of the Mulsanne Straight. In addition to inferior brakes, the Torino had no mirrors, no windshield wipers, and a lack of taillights; all this was quickly added to the Torino before the race.
Despite minor changes, the McGriff Chargers and Donlavey Torino ran close to how they did back home in the Winston Cup Series. When race day came, Les Deux Monsters were ready to go up against their foreign adversaries, but would not come close to victory. On their second lap, the McGriff-owned Charger’s engine blew due to octane issues. Both NASCAR teams stripped their engines, expecting to run on at least 90-octane fuel, what they got was closer to 80-octane.
Lower octane isn’t a problem for the Torino, whose 351 can handle lower-grade octane. The Donlavey Torino marched on, and made it more than halfway through the race before transmission failure caused an early retirement. Although neither car finished, both were enthralled by French fans and paraded through the streets of nearby villages leading up to the race.
NASCAR recently announced that it will return to Le Mans in 2023, this time with a one-car entry. It will be 47 years since its first appearance at Le Mans, but NASCAR will be more than ready with Hendrick Motorsports preparing the Camaro ZL1.
Sources: shelbystar.com, motorsportmagazine.com
[ad_2]
Source link
