[Bruce Robles]

In the U.S. in those days the SCCA was the sanctioning body for road racing. In 1963 through 1966 or 1967, 260 cu.in and 289 cu. in. Cobras ran in A-Production class. In Europe, the FIA calls Production based cars GT cars. Ford GT 40's Ferrari 250LM etc. were Prototype's or GT Prototype in FIA jargon
and in the States they were called Sports Racing Cars. If they ran in a SCCA regional or national non-professional race the class was C-Modified (for some reason that escapes me now). The Cobra Roadsters were no match for the Lotus 30 and other Sports Racing cars in the Professional events such as the USRRC race's, which was in fact the predicessor to the CAN-AM series.
Shelby built the Cooper Cobras or King Cobras to win over all in the Sports Racing class. They didn't race these cars in Europe only in North America. Bob McDonald, Bob Holbert, Parnelli Jones, Ed Leslie, Bob Bondurant and others drove King Cobras in 1963 to many wins. Mario Andretti was not involved with Shelby until 1966 with the Ford GT MKII and in '67 with the MKIV's