Check the bit of history in the ProjectCars2 news segment where they feature the Ferrari 330 vs. Ford Mk.IV (http://www.projectcarsgame.com/newspc2.html)
For Gurney, this was his 10th Le Mans, and he had learnt how to survive a 24 hour race from bitter experience. That experience, based on multiple failures to finish, would serve him well; those MK.IVs were heavy, 1,300kgs in race trim (almost double the weight of the P4s), and braking down the Mulsanne became a delicate act of lifting off the throttle and letting the engine suck some speed away before Gurney would then squeeze the ever-lengthening brake pedal. The MK.IV was fragile and difficult; it would chew its brakes if driven hard, and the engine could only survive the full race by being shifted 500-700rpm short of the 6,000 red line.
In the Ferrari pit, engineers were well aware of the fragility of the Fords. With the P4s running second and third, Ferrari driver Mike Parkes, trailing by four laps, strapped himself into the P4 late in the night and was given his final instructions. Leaving the pits with that V12 screaming, Ferrari’s crew knew what he was about to attempt was the last role of the dice. Parkes went like hell and soon came up on the leading Ford with Dan Gurney at the wheel. Gurney by then was in cruise mode, his gap enough to massage the frail Ford to victory. Parkes, running down the Mulsanne, sped right behind the Ford and began flashing his lights. Gurney shifted, expecting Parkes to overtake. Inches behind, Parkers followed Gurney and kept flashing. Gurney, annoyed, backed off even further. Parkes did the same.
For Gurney, this was his 10th Le Mans, and he had learnt how to survive a 24 hour race from bitter experience. That experience, based on multiple failures to finish, would serve him well; those MK.IVs were heavy, 1,300kgs in race trim (almost double the weight of the P4s), and braking down the Mulsanne became a delicate act of lifting off the throttle and letting the engine suck some speed away before Gurney would then squeeze the ever-lengthening brake pedal. The MK.IV was fragile and difficult; it would chew its brakes if driven hard, and the engine could only survive the full race by being shifted 500-700rpm short of the 6,000 red line.
In the Ferrari pit, engineers were well aware of the fragility of the Fords. With the P4s running second and third, Ferrari driver Mike Parkes, trailing by four laps, strapped himself into the P4 late in the night and was given his final instructions. Leaving the pits with that V12 screaming, Ferrari’s crew knew what he was about to attempt was the last role of the dice. Parkes went like hell and soon came up on the leading Ford with Dan Gurney at the wheel. Gurney by then was in cruise mode, his gap enough to massage the frail Ford to victory. Parkes, running down the Mulsanne, sped right behind the Ford and began flashing his lights. Gurney shifted, expecting Parkes to overtake. Inches behind, Parkers followed Gurney and kept flashing. Gurney, annoyed, backed off even further. Parkes did the same.