NTCC-built Shelby Mustang begins week-long race
Four tires, five speeds, two blue Le Mans stripes running down its length and one removable steering wheel – there’s no doubt about it, the 1965 Shelby Panamericana is ready to roll.
The Shelby Mustang was bought by Dallas lawyer Rob Miller off Craigslist a couple of years ago for $800 and rebuilt by students in the Carroll Shelby Automotive Program at Northeast Texas Community College. The car will be put to the test at the La Carrera Panamericana race in Mexico Friday, Oct. 16-Thursday, Oct. 22.
Anyone can follow along with the car’s progress thanks to a GPS tracker inside the car which is linked to the following website http://65shelby.trailer-alarms.com/ The car’s location will be updated every 10 minutes.
The La Carrera Panamericana is a 2,000 mile race from the southern tip of Mexico near Guatemala up into the mountains near Mexico City. The race takes seven days to complete and some sections will have the Mustang topping out at 140 miles per hour on closed Mexican highways. The longest race day is nine hours and the shortest is six hours.
Mr. Miller’s friend, Wilbert Grinsven, originally suggested the two compete in the race, however, health concerns have kept Mr. Grinsven from being able to go. Will Horne has been chosen as navigator, a serendipitous choice considering he completed the NTCC Carroll Shelby Automotive Program.
“He was one of those guys who did really, really well under pressure and that’s what you need in a navigator – someone who never loses focus,” Mr. Miller said. “He stays on task and gets it done.
“I’m really disappointed that Wilbert can’t make the race since it was his idea,” he added. “He’s been such a big part of this, but I’m excited that Will is going to be in the navigator seat. It’s a great opportunity for a graduate of the program.”
Mr. Horne, 23, is working in the Dallas Metroplex for Sam Pack’s Five-Star Ford doing mechanic work. Mr. Pack is also a racer and supports Mr. Horne’s racing vacation.
“I prefer driving cars, but working on them is fun, too. Luckily, Mr. Pack also races, so he understands,” Mr. Horne said, laughing. “He’s OK with helping a kid chase his dreams.”
Admitting to being “pretty nervous,” Mr. Horne said he has been looking into racing for quite some time.
“Being a co-pilot is pretty cool,” he said. “I am eternally grateful (to Mr. Miller).”
Mr. Miller and Mr. Horne said they’re ready to race and can’t wait to get out on the open road.
“We haven’t even left for the race and I already have this big feeling of satisfaction,” Mr. Miller said. “NTCC has been very supportive of this effort. It’s already a really satisfying feeling.
“There are quicker and more efficient ways of building a racecar, but no more rewarding way than the way we did it. Over 120 kids have worked on this car,” he added. “It’s worth it – the experience these students have gained will help them over the course of their professional lives.”
La Carrera Panamericana was originally raced in the early 1950s and is considered one of the most famous and dangerous events in auto racing history, alongside the 24 hours of Le Mans Race in France and the Dakar Rally, which formed as a race from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal in Africa, but has been moved to South America due to security concerns in West Africa.
Each of these races has attracted the world’s greatest drivers. In 1955, the La Carrera Panamerica was canceled because of safety concerns, but was revived in 1988. Ever since, it has offered the lure of danger and victory to drivers the world over.
Certain sections of the race will be speed sections, where the highways are closed and racers can accelerate up to 140 miles per hour, then other sections are known as transit areas and racers will be driving alongside the public obeying posted traffic speeds. The race will begin at sea level and top out at 10,000 feet.
The race can accommodate 100 cars, and this year, more than 80 have signed up to race through the heart of Mexico. An estimated two million spectators will cheer racers on at different spots along the race route. Each night, drivers will stop to rest in cities such as Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Morelia, Zacatecas and Durango.
“We will be driving all day and doing repairs at night,” he said. “Mitch Gray built a vintage car hauler for us because that is how racers had to haul their cars to the track in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. It’s a good way to showcase the car and bring attention to the Shelby program. The car is very period correct.”
Mr. Miller said it’s a dream come true to finally see the finish line and he gives a lot of the credit for that to NTCC racing advisor Tony Whitworth.
By Tori Lyle, news@campcountynow.com -
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