Ford developed the GT40 to go after Ferrari at LeMans after a failed bid by Ford to purchase Ferrari. They arrived in 1964 and after two years of teething pains, Ford established a level of dominance at LeMans that would see them win four consecutive years - 1966 through 1969.

In 1966 Ford showed up at LeMans with 8 new GT40 Mk IIs. Cars 1-3 entered by Shelby Racing, cars 4-6 entered by Holman Moody Racing, and cars 7 and 8 entered by Alan Mann Racing.

The race played out every bit as well as Ford could have hoped: Cars 1, 2 and 5 were in the top 3 positions, with 1 and 2 on the same lap.

Unfortunately for Ken Miles in the #1 car, Ford Racing director Leo Beebe decided he wante a dead-heat photo finish with all three cars. This is where it gets confusing. LeMans had a rule that in the event of a tie, the car that started further back would be the winner (haivng gone a longer distance). In this case, Miles and Hulme, in the #1 started about 8m further ahead than team mates Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon in the #2 - a dead heat would give the win to them. Miles was told to let McLaren catch up for the photo finish. Miles knew what this meant, and for whatever reason he backed off and let McLaren cross the finish line slightly ahead, assuring the win to McLaren and Amon in the #2.

Unfortunately we never did learn the reasoning behind Miles' actions as he was killed two months later testing the GT40s would be successor, the Ford J car.