[RallySnake]

Niles,

You are probably right about the handling of modern cars versus the older leaf spring cars running rock hard Goodyear Bluestreaks. Some people have referred to their handling as "scary".

However, there is the human factor. In so many sports, it's not always the best equipment that wins; it's more often the player who, "wants it the most". When Ken Miles was racing against Ferrari for the world championship, he was using every bit of traction, every bit of power and every inch of the track. "Teddy Treebagger" had big brass ones! Could you or I wring every last bit of performance out of our machines, lap after lap to run with him?

Remember too, that the early Cobra racecars suffered differential and transmission failures until they installed coolers on the cars. Our cars are not set up for the extreme punishment of long races. What Carroll and team accomplished in those days was largely due to very aggressive development of the cars.

Just look at Ken Miles Nassau Special with the 390 engine. Ken Miles built the powerful car to beat the Corvettes at Nassau. The first lap he was several hundred yards ahead of everyone else. But, the car blew up after a few laps. That's a pretty good picture of the capabilities of a big-engine, modern-suspension "fake" Cobra if it could be driven by one of the best.

Paul