Ken Miles qualified the new #98 Mk II on pole for the 1966 Daytona race. For the first time, the season opener in Florida became a 24 hour event, raising some very serious concerns about the durability of the new Ford racer. Miles, however, was entirely confident before the start of the race, and indeed the Shelby American team knew they and Ford had prepared their cars as thoroughly as possible.
Copiloted by veteran USAC driver Lloyd Ruby, the #98 car led the early hours in formation with the #95 and #96 cars driven by Donohue/Hansgen and McLaren/Amon.
From start to finish, Miles/Ruby only lost their lead briefly during the first two rounds of pit stops. The duo did their job superbly, resulting in a repeat of their Daytona victory exactly a year before. When the checkered flag fell, Gurney/Grant in the #97 car came across the line in second, with Donohue/Hansgen in #95 trailing in third.
Of course, success in racing doesn’t come easily, and so the cars went back to Shelby American in California for a rebuild prior to Sebring.