Racemasters Ford GT40 MkIV #4 HO Slot Racing Cars

The Ford GT40 MKIV's victory was no accident. Ford made sure of that. It was specifically and painstakingly designed for endurance, speed, and to win. Each element of the MKIV was totally different from other GT40s, starting with its place of manufacture. Unlike its predecessors, the MKI-III cars which were built in Europe, the MKIV was constructed in the United States by a company called Kar Kraft. They built the all-new J series chassis and newly designed long, streamlined bodywork, making the MKIV the most radical and American variant of all the GT40s.

Other modifications were also made to the MKIV. A NASCAR-style, steel-tube roll cage was added as a direct result of beloved racer Ken Miles' tragic and ultimately fatal accident. Though significantly safer, this roll cage was incredibly heavy. Additionally, the car's driver, Dan Gurney, was 6' 4" - too tall to fit in the standard GT40. To accommodate him, the team built the car body around him, lowering the position of the driver's seat and creating a "bubble" shaped piece for the roof of the car, which would become known as the "Gurney Bubble" and would be applied to all MKIVs.

This particular MKIV, the red #1 on the J5 Chassis, was written off and thought to be the least likely to win, despite its skilled drivers, Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt. Gurney often complained about the car's weight, which was a massive 600 pounds heavier than their archrival, the Ferrari 330 P4. During practice at Le Mans in 1967, Gurney developed a strategy to preserve the brakes, which were highly stressed under the additional weight of the car. He backed completely off the throttle several hundred yards before the approach to the Mulsanne hairpin, a well-known high-crash zone, virtually coasting into the braking area. This technique, also adopted by his co-driver A.J. Foyt, saved the brakes but increased the car's recorded lap times.

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