On-board, heart-in-mouth moment between Ford GT40 and a classic Ford Mustang at Spa-Francorchamps at the 2016 Spa Six Hours.
2m 15s. If you’re hum-ing and hah-ing about watching this lap of Spa-Francorchamps on-board a GTP-class Ford GT40, then firstly, what’s wrong with you, and secondly, those few seconds should get you hyped. It’s a proper heart-in-mouth, sphincter-shrivelling moment explained below by driver – and EVO Magazine contributing editor – Richard Meaden.
“The only heart-in-mouth moment came exiting Stavelot and heading towards the kinks before Blanchimont: watch the chap dicing with the Mustang who moves over on me as I charge between them! And I gave the move on the glorious – and ultra-valuable – Ferrari SWB at Blanchimont a bit of extra thought, too.”
Seriously, watch the video, if not for the subtle corrective locks required at most turns, the ferocious soundtrack of that Ford V8, and the 250kph+ speeds Meaden reaches on the run into Les Combes.
Bear in mind this is just one lap of Belgium’s most famous race circuit, albeit during qualifying for the 2016 Spa Six Hours (an event we covered ourselves a couple of years ago). The GT40 Meaden is driving, originally built by Brian Wingfield in the 1980s from an unnumbered chassis and stock 1965 parts, was fully restored in 2015 by GT40 specialist Paul Lanzante, and that includes the period-spec white and green Comstock Racing livery. Despite being fully stripped out for race action, incredibly the restoration even includes DVLA documentation, meaning the GT40 is road legal!
Teaming with 10-time Formula 1 Grand Prix winner Gerhard Berger and former Minardi F1 driver Paolo Barilla, Meaden could be forgiven for feeling confident ahead of the green flag. Unfortunately the GT40 couldn’t survive its second heart-in-mouth moment, as Berger was pitched off-track with suspension failure just 11 laps into the race.
