Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari, and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans

by A.J. Baime

Competition is the impetus for innovation. The fiercer the competition, the faster cars will go. There is in some men a need to achieve greatness. When matched with talent, this necessity can turn humans into demigods. A man who is willing to die at the wheel is always likely to beat a man in a faster car—if he can survive until the end of the race.

Shelby never claimed to be a technical genius. His strategy was to surround himself with talent and to inspire his men to achieve beyond what they believed they could.