It is with a heavy heart that I hit these keys tonight…not 24 hours after his passing. My condolences to his family and friends.
Mr. Shelby paid me the highest compliment when this picture was shot.
CarrollShelbyNAJA
I had just gotten my helmet off after winning the ’88 National Auto Journalists Assn Driving Championship in Vegas, when he laid his hand on my shoulder, and said with a grin, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen anyone handle a car like that!”
I checked to see if any other journalists could confirm what I
thought I just heard, and saw a few raised eyebrows, grins, and nods of approval from the group.
I then told him that it was easy when the car is set up like that…it was one of his GLHs.
We sat together at the awards ceremony that night, and I asked him something that bothered me ever since I laid miles of rubber outside Mid-Ohio with a borrowed 427 Cobra a few months earlier.
Up to that point the chatter at our table had been mostly about his professional racing career.
I waited till things got quiet and said, “Whad ya think of the 427 Cobra?” You could hear forks drop at the other tables as journalists scrambled for their notepads.
He turned, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “It was a BASTARD of a car. Go like hell in a straight line, but that’s about it. The small block was a much better car.”…my thoughts exactly.
I suppose that’s why today’s big-inch small blocks are such a sweet choice for our roadsters.
His choice of words describing that monster -- Go Like Hell – just happened to be the name of the car I drove to win the Rolex he gave me moments later on stage.
I will cherish his first words spoken to me…
forever.
…what a great life, huh?