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Mark Donohue Shelby GT350R--why was Mark not hired by Shelby to be team driver?

Discussion in '1965-1970 Shelby Mustang GT350 & GT500' started by bitzman, Feb 21, 2012.

  1. Feb 21, 2012 #1
    bitzman

    bitzman Well-Known Member

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    I just found a picture on the net of the GT350 R-model Donohue drove

    http://www.legendarymotorcar.com/site/GT350R_White

    sponsored by Dockery Ford Morristown NJ and, aside from the car not being painted white (as I guess Shelby preferred), why was Donohue not selected to be a team driver by Shelby? Was there some fracas where he showed up the official team drivers? Did he modify the car too much? For those who don't know about Donohue he was a graduate engineer and thought to have originated many tricks (such as cooling the fuel in the pits before it went in the car so you could squeeze in an extra gallon) which gave the Camaro team he raced for later an "unfair advantage" (which is the title of a book about him).
     
    bitzman, Feb 21, 2012
    bitzman, Feb 21, 2012
    #1
  2. Feb 21, 2012 #2
    A-Snake

    A-Snake Well-Known Member

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    Wally, The car pictured and described in your link is 5R100. It was not the Donohue car. Donohue drove 5R105. Read the description again.
     
    A-Snake, Feb 21, 2012
    A-Snake, Feb 21, 2012
    #2
  3. Feb 22, 2012 #3
    66GT350PS

    66GT350PS Well-Known Member

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    +1The Donahue car was blue.
     
    66GT350PS, Feb 22, 2012
    66GT350PS, Feb 22, 2012
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  4. Feb 23, 2012 #4
    roddster

    roddster Well-Known Member

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    It is my understanding that Mark was so disappointed in NOT being choosen for a "factory ride" or factory backing that he had his car painted opposite of what the Shelby backed cars where. Hence, white stripes on blue rather than the usuall blues stripes on white. It was for only one race anyway.
     
    roddster, Feb 23, 2012
    roddster, Feb 23, 2012
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