Team Cobras running at Road America right now

[Historybuff]

Found this story on the net. There's pictures on other websites too. Wish they were CSX3000 cars but in the heat of battle, if you squint a little, you will think you're back in '65...hope some cheeseheads post some pics


Team Shelby to run in vintage race at Road America this weekend
By GREG MIGLIORE



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PHOTO GALLERY Carroll Shelby is racing again with Ford this weekend. But before you dust off your 1960s Le Mans memorabilia and start checking those frequent-flier miles, here's the context. Shelby's company, Shelby Automobiles, is fielding a team of four replica 427 Cobras, which will compete in a vintage-car race at Road America.

The 85-year-old icon's role is largely oversight, and for practical purposes, Ford is simply the event sponsor. But for racing fans, the mix of Shelby, Ford and competition is sure to stir nostalgia and excitement.

Here's the kicker: There are some potentially intriguing product implications for Shelby's Mustang business if it continues racing. This weekend in Wisconsin is simply a turn-back-the-clock vintage race. But ultimately, Shelby wants to race pony cars, with the idea that the lessons learned on the track could be applied to help build better cars.

"It was always good to go racing over the weekend, win the race and sell cars on Monday," said Gary Patterson, Shelby's chief test driver and vice president of operations.

Souping up Mustangs has always been big business for Shelby Automobiles, which outfitted 6500 cars last year. This year, the company has been busy with the 540-hp GT500KR, which makes up a significant chunk of the 3000 cars the company expects to do this year.

Not surprisingly, Ford is a bit more cautious in talking about future Shelby Mustangs and said there are no new plans beyond this weekend's race. Still, with an updated Mustang likely to be unveiled later this year, the car would provide an obvious canvas for Ford and Shelby to continue their longstanding relationship.

"We're always talking with Shelby about what's next," Ford spokesman Alan Hall said.

For enthusiasts who don't care to read the tea leaves and simply want to bask in the opportunity to see a Shelby team on the track again, the Road America race should be great. The four CSX4000 427 Cobras are reproductions in the style of the 1965 cars, though the brakes and suspensions received minor updates to accommodate modern racing. They range in horsepower from 550 hp to 750 hp and check in at roughly 2280 pounds.

Shelby considered running original Cobras, but they were deemed too valuable--in history and dollars--for competitive racing.

The event, called the Kohler International Challenge with Brian Redman, is one of the largest vintage gatherings in the nation. It starts July 17 with registration and testing and runs through July 20, which is race day.

This weekend is also the first time since 1969 that Ford and Shelby have collaborated on a race--though it's largely a marketing effort. Still, the road trip down memory lane should be a fun one, complete with exhaust fumes and competition.

Stay tuned for what's next. As Carroll Shelby put it in a statement released by his company: "My goal is to return us to professional racing, and this is just the beginning."