[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by Blacdout96

A scumbag? where'd you get your information from of what kind of person he is? have you ever met him? First off i wanna say about the smokey yunick thing. Smokey did some things ill give him credit for, but as far as I can see, all he did was read the rules carefully and find loopholes to get away with things. He was nothing but a mechanic. Now Shelby was a man that knew cars from a business standpoint ,as well as from behind the wheel. Take for example when the 67 Le Mans came, two GT40 mkIV's were given to Shelby, and two to Holman -Moody. Moody put their air ducts at the front of the nose to cool the brakes. Shelby said you'll warp the Rotor's that way. Shelby recirculated some of the hot air and tok the air atop of the nose, so the cooling affect wasent as shocking to the rotors when the brakes were applied. Eventually HM's theory failed, and took out 3 GT40's in the process in 1 wreck!!. Also Shelby said the engine covers should be hinged behind the driver so the wind doesnt catch it. HM said to hing it from the rear cause its easier to work on the engine. HM won that debate and the cars engine covers were fitted to the rear. Guess what, wind caught the no.2's engine cover, and blew it right off. Id get more into the story, but you chaps would benefit better by looking it up. In the end Shelby's no.1 car took the overall victory by 5 laps over the Ferrari 330 P4. Shelby is also to only American team to of ever won the FIA GT championship in 1965. Shelby's teams won the 66 and 67 Le Mans, and is the only All-American team to of won Le Mans in 67. As far as im concerned, you can look between the rules ,and build a car that can go for 500 miles, but for me, reliability is key. try making a NASCAR car last 24 hours. Shelby knew what he was doing. Not only that, but he also built a sucessful business, and also put his hand in a few auto companies ( Ford, Dodge) To each his own I guess, but from what I see, Shelby is the best mind in history.

Have you read "The Best Damn Garage In Town"? If not, I suggest you do. Not that it's a given 100% accurate- but even if it's 50% it's very impressive.

Smokey was MUCH more than a glorified mechanic. He did not have Shelby's business sense but he was much more of an inventor and innovator in my opinion.