That special edition included a tremendous chase between the #1 Ford Mk IV driven by winners A.J. Foyt-Dan Gurney and the Ferrari P4 driven by Ludovico Scarfiotti-Michael Parkes. Under the checkered flag, Foyt achieved a feat that remains unmatched to this day in motorsports history: winning less than two weeks apart the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the two oldest auto races in the world.

Another unique fact: now 82 years young, A.J. Foyt is part of a rare group of drivers who have won their one and only participation in the 24 Hours. A.J. Foyt: "When I came here in 1967, I debuted at Le Mans. Dan was very fast on road circuits, so I was very honored to have him as a teammate. But since I won, I didn't feel the need to return to compete in the 24 Hours. Today, I'm happy to come back to Le Mans, but I'm not nostalgic. The circuit has of course radically changed, great progress has been made, it's a magnifcent track and a beautiful region, and it's still Le Mans! Like Indianapolis, tradition is part of what makes Le Mans legendary. In the world there are other 24-hour races but they do not have such a sense of history. And so when I won here, it went all over world!"

Last Tuesday, a photo op on the track brought together the 1967 #1 Ford Mk IV and the 2017 Ford GTs."These days, the cars are faster, air-conditioned," continues A.J. Foyt. "It's so different with the computers monitoring everything that happens in the cars! But what hasn't changed from the past is the talent of the drivers."

In addition to Foyt, four-time winner at the Indianapolis 500, the Ford driver brigade at the 24 Hours of Le Mans counted, in 1966 and 1967, several experts on the Indianapolis oval, such as Jerry Grant, Mario Andretti, Mark Donohue, Lloyd Ruby and Roger McCluskey. The tradition carries on in 2017 with the presence of two former Indianapolis winners, none other than New Zealander Scott Dixon and Brazilian driver Tony Kanaan, winners in 2008 and 2013, respectively.

The involvement of Scott Dixon echoes Ford's first victory at Le Mans, in 1966, clinched by his fellow countrymen Chris Amon and Bruce McLaren. Third in LMGTE Pro in 2016 in his first participation, Scott Dixon admits, "If you think about the depth of the history of New Zealander drivers with Ford, it's a huge honor for me to be a part of the marque's current program." 

Winner in 2013 at the fastest edition of the Indianapolis 500 (an average of 300 km/h), Tony Kanaan is discovering Le Mans as the replacement for Le Mans native Sébastien Bourdais, injured during qualifying at the 2017 Indianapolis 500. Tony Kanaan: "Seb has been an enormous help and perfectly transparent, everything he has told me reflects the reality. I didn't call him at the hospital because I wanted to let him heal in peace, but he called me last Thursday. Seb is a great friend and I am very disappointed that he isn't with us this year. In 2016, he explained to me which turns were fine and which were tricky. The whole team misses him a lot."

While Scott Dixon is back to win, Tony Kanaan is very well aware of the challenges that face him in his first participation, even though he always has a great sense of humor. "My wife told me that ever since I found out I was going to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, I'm like our kids at Disneyland (he says laughing out loud, Ed.)! The neutralization procedures are different here, you have to limit your speed but don't group together like you do at Indianapolis. My favorite turn is Indianapolis, and I swear the name fits (laughs)! I am going to try and return the car to my teammates just as they left it, to put on a good show and enjoy the circuit."

After Ford's win at Silverstone and Ferrari's at Spa-Francorchamps in 2017, the 1967 rivals have arrived at Le Mans neck-and-neck this year. It has inspired a rather enigmatic thought by team owner Chip Ganassi: "Given where I was born, to beat Ferrari would melt my heart." We can't wait for Sunday at 3:00 p.m.!

 

PHOTO: As in 2016, Ford is entering in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans four GTs, and their racing numbers (66, 67, 68 and 69) are a nod to the marque's four wins, the first for an American manufacturer at Le Mans.