{"id":492429,"date":"2012-07-01T03:01:41","date_gmt":"2012-07-01T10:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportscardigest.com\/\/?p=26259"},"modified":"2024-10-31T13:50:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T13:50:55","slug":"carroll-shelby-1923-2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/carroll-shelby-1923-2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Carroll Shelby (1923\u20132012)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In a world where the value of words is often diminished by over-use and misapplication, there is absolutely no doubt that the word \u201cicon\u201d applies to Carroll Shelby, who passed away on May 10. The charismatic Texan may be known primarily as the chicken farmer who created the Cobra, but he was originally a first-rank racing driver in his own right, being named Sports Illustrated\u2019s Driver of the Year in 1956 and \u201957, finishing 4th in a Maserati 250F shared with Masten Gregory at the 1958 Italian Grand Prix, teaming with Roy Salvadori to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Aston Martin in 1959 and claiming USAC\u2019s Road Racing National Championship the following year.<\/p>\n

Forced to give up driving by heart troubles, Shelby created the Cobra in 1962 by mating Ford\u2019s new small-block V8 engine to an English AC chassis, then developed it into a World Manufacturers Championship winner by \u201965. Taking over Ford\u2019s underachieving Le Mans program, he produced victories in \u201966 and \u201967, the latter a spectacular all-American celebration. His Ford team also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in \u201965 and \u201966, and the 12 Hours of Sebring in \u201966 and \u201967. He was a founding partner of Dan Gurney\u2019s All American Racers, and his Shelby American team won the Trans-Am championship for Ford in \u201966 and \u201967 as well. He also served as Goodyear\u2019s racing tire distributor for the Western U.S.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n