Tom Yeager/Bob Johnson/Walt Hane Group 2 Mustang notchback
© Wolfgang Kohrn - November 28th, 2011, last updated March 8th.2015

 


Information based on archive (article from John Matras) from Jim Kless (owner/driver of 2 Shelby notchbacks) 


Picture source: Clay Carpenter/ Virhistory.com/VIR400

Tom Yeager/Bob Johnson driving at the VIR 400

The History of Tom Yeagers Group 2 Mustang

Tom Yeager was an independent racer. The Mustang was sponsored by Kennedy Ford.

At the VIR 400 Tom Yeager and Bob Johnson as co-driver finished first in their class. Feistman/Norburn finished second 9 seconds behind in their Mustang. (Sportscar Graphic Oct./1966)

Bob Johnson and Tom Yeager co-drove at the Virginia International Raceway race.

At Riverside Raceway on Nov. 27th, 66, Tom Yeager participated as well, but did not finish under the first 10.(Autoweek Dec. 17/1966)



It was raced in the Daytona 1967 300 miles race by Walt Hane on February 3rd, 1967 and in the Daytona 24 hours race on the following day by Tom Yeager himself and Walt Hane. Two different engines were used. Hanes engine in the T/A race blew in lap 73 due to wrong spark plugs and another endurance engine was raced in the 24 hour race.
During the 24 hour race, the car fell almost apart. Fenders were hold with tape, an oil leak sealed with glue, a broken rear axles had to be repaired at the side of the track. 
Hane and Yeager finished second in class, 16th. overall. After disassembly of the engine post-race it was detected tha the crankshaft had splitted up in 2 pieces, but hold during the whole race, since the oil drop appeared quite early in the race.



The car was bought and restored by Wayne Conover of Conovers Cobra Ranch. When Wayne found it, it had an ugly paint and was lifted up in the rear with big shackles. But the engine had lots of Shelby parts, a remote oil cooler and many more racing parts. Easy to spot was the fuel cell in the back, a true genuine race car with Shelby gauges on the dash. 

After some research, Wayne found out whose car it was and called Tom for help and support.

The car is shown typically at the Mid-America Shelby meeting.

It is owned by Curtis Wheatley as of 2015.

 

 

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