Ken Miles

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Ken Miles
Kenneth Henry Miles.jpg
Ken Miles
Personal details
Born
Kenneth Henry Miles

(1918-11-01)1 November 1918
Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England
Died17 August 1966(1966-08-17) (aged 47)
Riverside International Raceway, California, U.S.
Resting placeHollywood Forever, Hollywood, California, U.S.
NationalityBritish
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/service British Army
Years of service1939–1945
RankStaff Sergeant
Ken Miles stepping into
Dolphin Mk 2., March 1961.

Kenneth Henry Miles (1 November 1918 – 17 August 1966) was a British sports car racing engineer and driver best known for his motorsport career in the US and with American teams on the international scene. He is an inductee to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

Life and career[]

Miles was born on 1 November 1918 in The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, then in Warwickshire, now in the city of Birmingham.[1] He was the son of Eric Miles and Clarice Jarvis.[2] After a failed attempt to run away to the United States,[3] Miles left school at the age of 15 to work as an apprentice at Wolseley Motors,[2] who sent him to a technical school to broaden his knowledge of vehicle construction.[3] He raced motorcycles before he served in the British Territorial Army in World War II[2] where he spent the next seven years working in machinery. Miles earned the rank of staff sergeant in 1942. He was stationed in a tank unit that took part in the Normandy landings in 1944.[1][2]

After the war, he raced Bugattis, Alfa Romeos, and Alvises with the Vintage Sports Car Club. He then turned to a Ford V8 Frazer-Nash.

In 1952 Miles moved from England to the US, and settled in Los Angeles, California as a service manager for Gough Industries, the Southern California MG distributor.[4][5][6] In 1953, he won 14 straight victories in SCCA racing in an MG-based special of his own design and construction.

For the 1955 season, he designed, constructed and campaigned a second special based on MG components that was known as the "Flying Shingle". It was very successful in the SCCA F modified class on the west coast. Miles raced the "Flying Shingle" at Palm Springs in late March, finishing first overall against veteran driver Cy Yedor, also in an MG Special, and novice driver, actor James Dean in a Porsche 356 Speedster. Miles was later disqualified on a technical infraction because his fenders were too wide, thus allowing Yedor and Dean to get 'bumped up' to first and second. During 1956, Miles raced John von Neumann's Porsche 550 Spyder at most of the Cal Club and SCCA events.[7]

For the 1957 season (in co-operation with Otto Zipper), Miles engineered the installation of a Porsche 550S engine and transmission in a 1956 Cooper chassis and body. It was the second successful race car to be known on the West Coast as "the Pooper", the first being an early 1950s Cooper chassis and body powered by a Porsche 356 power train that was built and campaigned by Pete Lovely of Tacoma, Washington. The resulting car dominated the F Modified class of SCCA on the west coast in the 1957 and 1958 seasons with Miles driving.

Due to his great skill and talent, both as a driver and mechanical engineer, Miles was a key member of the Shelby/Cobra race team in the early 1960s. Miles described himself this way:[8]

I am a mechanic. That has been the direction of my entire vocational life. Driving is a hobby, a relaxation for me, like golfing is to others. I should like to drive a Formula One machine, not for the grand prize, but just to see what it is like. I should think it would be jolly good fun!

With a very pronounced Brummie accent (from his hometown of Birmingham, renowned for car manufacturing) combined with a seemingly obscure and sardonic sense of humour, he was affectionately known by his American racing crew as "Teddy Teabag" (for his tea drinking) or "Sidebite" (as he talked out of the side of his mouth). He played a key role in the development and success of the racing versions of the Shelby Cobra 289 in SCCA, USRRC and FIA sports car racing between 1962 and 1965 as well as the Daytona Coupe and 427 versions of the Cobra and the Ford GT (GT40).

He became the chief test driver of Shelby-American in 1963.[6]

Miles had a "reputation for courtesy on the track" and was sometimes called the "Stirling Moss of the West Coast".[9] While a member of the AC-Cobra Ford Team, Miles entered a Lotus 23 in the 1964 Player's 200 at Mosport.

GT40 Mk II rear

In 1965, he shared a Ford GT Mk.II with Bruce McLaren at the 24 Hours of Le Mans but retired with gearbox trouble. Earlier in the year, also with McLaren, he had finished second at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

The next year he won the 24 Hours of Daytona, sharing the Ford GT Mk.II with Lloyd Ruby, and then won the 12 Hours of Sebring. Several months later, sharing the drive with Denny Hulme, Miles was leading the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, but Ford executive Leo Beebe, desiring a publicity photo of three of their cars crossing the finish line together, instructed Carroll Shelby to order him to slow down, which Shelby agreed to. Accordingly, the next car from Ford driven by Bruce McLaren/Chris Amon and the third-place car from Ford drew up, and they cruised to the line together.[10] The French race officials, after initially agreeing to Ford's dead-heat "photo-finish", reneged during the final hour of the race. McLaren's #2 car crossed the finish line just ahead and was declared the winner.[11][12] Miles was denied the unique achievement of winning Sebring, Daytona, and Le Mans in the same year.

Death[]

The Ford J-car was intended to be the successor to the Ford GT40 Mk.II and, despite reliability problems, showed potential in the springtime Le Mans trials. After the death of Walt Hansgen in a J-car Ford while testing at Le Mans in April, the decision was made to shelve the J-car and focus on the proven Mk IIs, and little development was done for the rest of the 1966 World Sports Car Championship season. Finally, in August 1966, Shelby American resumed testing and development work with Miles serving as primary test driver. The J-car featured a breadvan-shaped rear section that experimented with Kammback aerodynamic theories, as well as an untested honeycomb panel design that was supposed to both lighten and stiffen the car, but the design remained unproved with high-speed prototype sports cars.

After almost a day of testing at Riverside International Raceway in the brutally hot Southern California desert summer weather, Miles approached the end of the track's 1-mile (1.6 km), downhill back straight at top speed (200-plus mph) when the car suddenly looped, flipped, crashed and caught fire. The car broke into pieces and ejected Miles, killing him instantly. As a result, the aerodynamics of the J-car were greatly modified to correct the rear-end lift generated at race speeds. Ford executives, under pressure after the second of two fatal accidents in the program in five months, also ordered a NASCAR-style steel tube rollover cage to be installed in future versions of the car.[13] The significantly revised J-car, renamed the Ford Mk IV, won the only two races in which it was entered: the 1967 Sebring (Fla.) 12 Hours, and the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans.

1967 Ford GT40 Mk IV, which was developed from the J-car. This particular car, J-4, won the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring

Miles is interred at the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

Awards and honours[]

Miles was posthumously inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2001.[14]

Racing record[]

USAC Road Racing Championship results[]

Season Series Position Team Car
1961 USAC Road Racing Championship[15] 1st Crandall Industries Incorporated Porsche 718 RS 61

Formula One World Championship results[]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 WDC Points
1961 Louise Bryden-Brown Lotus 18 Climax Straight-4 MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER ITA USA
DNA 		NC 0
Source:[16]

24 Hours of Le Mans results[]

Year Class No Tyres Car Team Co-Drivers Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1955 S1.5 41 MG EX182
MG L4 1489cc 		United Kingdom MG Cars Ltd. United Kingdom John Lockett 249 12th 5th
1965 P+5.0 1 G Ford GT Mk II
Ford 427 V8/90° OHV 6981cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. New Zealand Bruce McLaren 45 DNF
Gearbox
1966 P+5.0 1 G Ford GT Mk II
Ford 427 V8/90° OHV 6982cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. New Zealand Denny Hulme 360 2nd 2nd
Source:[17]
Source:<

24 Hours of Daytona results[]

Year Class No Tyres Car Team Co-Drivers Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1966 P+2.0 98 G Ford GT Mk II
Ford 427 V8/90° OHV 7000cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. United States Lloyd Ruby 678 1st 1st[18]
Source:[17]

12 Hours of Sebring results[]

Year Class No Tyres Car Team Co-Drivers Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1957 S1.5 45 Porsche 550 RS
Porsche F4 2v DOHC 1498cc 		United States J. Kunstle United States 184 9th 2nd
1958 S1.5 45 Porsche 550 RS
Porsche F4 2v DOHC 1498cc 		United States United States 59 DNF
Clutch
1959 S1.5 35 Porsche 718 RSK
Porsche 1498cc 		United States United States 173 8th 3rd
GT1.6 42 Sunbeam Alpine
Sunbeam L4 1592cc 		United Kingdom Rootes Group United States 25 DNF
Engine
GT+4.0 12 G AC Cobra
Ford V8/90° 2v OHV 4727cc 		United States Ed Hugus United States Phil Hill
United States 		192 11th 1st
GT+4.0 16 G AC Cobra
Ford V8/90° 2v OHV 4727cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. United States
United States Dave MacDonald
United States Fireball Roberts 		56 DNF
Steering Arm
P3+0 1 G AC Cobra
Ford V8/90° 2v OHV 7000cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. United States John Morton 81 DNF
Blown Engine
P+5.0 98 G Ford GT40
Ford 289 V8/90° 2v UHV 4727cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. New Zealand Bruce McLaren 192 2nd 1st
1966 P+5.0 1 G Ford GT40
Ford A V8 OHV 7040cc 		United States Shelby American Inc. United States Lloyd Ruby 228 1st 1st
Source:[17]

Personal life[]

Ken Miles was married to Mollie and had a son, Peter Miles (b. September 28, 1950). He was also a close friend of Carroll Shelby. Peter was almost 16 when he witnessed his father's death[19] in the prototype J-car crash in 1966. A few months after Ken's death, Peter went to work for Ken's friend Dick Troutman at the Troutman and Barnes custom car shop in Culver City, California. Peter stayed at the workshop for four years. In 1986, Peter joined Precision Performance Inc. (PPI), starting as a fabricator and then a mechanic before becoming the crew chief. Peter was the crew chief for Ivan Stewart when Stewart won the 1991 Nissan 400 in Nevada.[20] In a 2019 interview with Le Mans, Peter revealed that the last time he went to Le Mans was in 1965 with his father Ken, and he has not returned since.[21]

Peter is currently an executive administrator of a vintage car collection belonging to William E. Connor II, believed to be valued at over $80 million, which included a Ferrari 250 GTO, considered by respected Ferrari historian Marcel Massini as the best example of all 36 built.[22][23][24]

In popular culture[]

Miles is portrayed by Christian Bale in the 2019 film Ford v Ferrari (released under the title Le Mans '66 in some parts of Europe).[25] Miles' wife Mollie and his son Peter are portrayed by Caitriona Balfe and Noah Jupe, respectively.[26][27]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Crow, James T. (14 November 2019). "Ken Miles: An Appreciation". Road & Track. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Ken Miles: Biography". Motor Sport. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Drummond, Meghan (15 November 2019). "Who Was Ken Miles". CJ Pony Parts. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  4. ^ Crow, James T. (14 November 2019). "Ken Miles Was an Unsung Racing Hero". Road & Track. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  5. ^ Palmer, Gayle (18 August 1966). "Famed Race Driver Ken Miles Dies in Flaming Crash at Riverside". News-Pilot. San Pedro, California. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Miles, Veteran Race Car Driver, Dies in Crash". The Herald-News. Passaic, New Jersey. Associated Press. 18 August 1966. p. 39 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Raskin, Lee (2005). James Dean: At Speed. Phoenix, Ariz.: David Bull. p. 70. ISBN 978-1893618497.
  8. ^ Baime, A.J. Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans, p. 214 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010).
  9. ^ Canadian Racing Drivers Association (1964). "Biographical Sketches of Drivers". Player's 200 Media Kit.
  10. ^ "McLaren, Amon Win at LeMans". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Associated Press. 20 June 1966. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Clarke 1997, p.13: Road & Track Sept 1966
  12. ^ "Watch the story of the controversy behind the Ford GT40's photo finish at Le Mans in 1966". Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  13. ^ "1967 FORD GT40 MK IV J-7". Shelby American Collection. shelbyamericancollection. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  14. ^ Ken Miles at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
  15. ^ "USAC Road Racing Championship – Championships". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  16. ^ "Ken Miles: Grands Prix not started". Stats F1. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Complete Archive of Ken Miles" (p. 2 p. 3 p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 7 p. 8 p. 9). Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Fords Take Top 3 Places at Daytona; Andretti's Ferrari Winds up Fourth". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ Rowles, Dustin (16 November 2019). "'Ford v. Ferrari': What Happened to Ken Miles' Son, Peter?". Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  20. ^ "MOTOR RACING : Miles Has Taken His Own Route to Father's Sport". Los Angeles Times. 6 June 1991. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  21. ^ ""Le Mans 66" ("Ford v Ferrari") – Peter Miles talks about his father, Ken Miles". lemans.org (in French). Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  22. ^ "Gentlemen, start your engines". The Argonaut Newsweekly. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  23. ^ "Marcel Massini, Ferrari Historian". Forbes. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  24. ^ "250 GTO s/n 4293GT". www.barchetta.cc. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  25. ^ "James Mangold to Direct Ford vs. Ferrari Film as 'Logan' Follow-Up". variety.com. Retrieved 5 February 2018.
  26. ^ "'Outlander' Star Caitriona Balfe, 'Quiet Place' Breakout Noah Jupe Join Ford vs. Ferrari Movie". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  27. ^ "'Ford v. Ferrari' Trailer: Matt Damon, Christian Bale Team Up to Design Race Car". hollywoodreporter.com. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.

External links[]

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