Vintage racing event at Road America and noticed a Cougar out on the track on a posted video.
I’ve been to Road America a number of times as it’s a great place for racing / spectating, and would like to attend this event next year as a spectator. I’m fortunate as I was able to attend the Ford Racing School in Charlotte a few years ago where I drove a 2021 Mach 1, and then a ride along with a Pro driver. This gave me a much better appreciation in the difficult of driving in a competitive manner.
Never knew that Ford shut down the Mercury TA program after the 67 season. Didn’t want the competition with the Mustang. I just thought the Mustang was a better(?) platform.
At the present time, I expect to have my ‘67 at Road America Aug 1, and have a ticket for the mixed car parade lap 11:40 - 12:00. First outing for it.
Ron
That looks like the Burien Lincoln-Mercury sponsored Trans-Am Cougar. The real deal and beautiful.
As for Ford pulling Mercury’s funding for the 1968 Trans-Am and the Mustang being a better platform…. I’ve quoted this many times, but as driver Peter Revson (who drove for both Ford and Mercury and in fact won more ‘67 TA races driving a Cougar than anyone) said in his book “Speed With Style”; “Although Lincoln-Mercury Division’s Cougar was essentially the same car as its sister the Mustang, put out by Ford Division, and both divisions were integral parts of the same company, it is important to understand that the rivalry between the two was - and is - intense. They are treated almost as separate companies, and it is not Chevrolet that the Ford people hate… it is Mercury.”
The Bud Moore Engineering Cougars were very successful and should have won the ‘67 TA championship (there was even suspicions of sabotage) resulting in boardroom maneuvering on Ford’s part in order to make sure the Cougars weren’t a factor for the 1968 season.
But was the Mustang a “Better” platform???
Mustangs are lighter. Otherwise you might struggle to get an object answer here 
What about Tiny Lund in 68-69? This was NASCAR GrandAm, but wasn’t Bud Moore also here?
Well the shorter wheel base HAS to be an advantage. Whenever I’m throwing Greeny around… ALL I can think is… HOW DID THEY DO that in THESE cars??? Blows my mind. Yes… I’m sure they were VERY competitive in NASCAR JR. series. Could never get any good info on that series. Other than stats, and SOME pics. WISH there was MORE coverage of that short lived series. Camaros, GTOs, Chevelles, etc…
IMHO and going by the racing results I don’t see how one can conclude that the Mustang platform was superior to the Cougar.
If you look at the 1967 Trans-Am race entry lists, you’ll notice 6, 8, 9 or more Mustangs, and usually only 2 Cougars. 3 factory Cougars at Sebring, plus an independent every once-in-a-while.
Bud Moore said they were kicking the Mustang’s ass and Ford wasn’t happy about it. Team Cougar driver Ed Leslie said his starter fell off at one race. He said something along the lines of how the hell does your starter fall off? He suspected there might have been some foul play.
Yes, regular production for the street Cougars were a little heavier than Mustangs, but all of the Trans-Am race car’s were under weight. The shops had dozens of ways to take weight out of the cars, some legal, most not like acid dipping.
After a race when the cars were weighed to make sure they reached the minimum requirement, there were all sorts of tricks the teams used. Bud was known to change the tires on his Cougars and put on tires that were filled with water, or have the driver leave his “helmet” in the seat, which was full of led weights.
All this to say that the weight disadvantage talk doesn’t really…. hold weight
As we all know, Bud took his Cougars to NASCAR and won the GT Championship in 1968 while the Shelby Mustangs, hobbled by flawed race engines that Ford built in-house and forced Shelby to use lost to the Penske Camaros.
In the ‘69 Trans-Am season Ford brought Bud back in but they had him build and campaign Mustangs instead. So in 1969 both Shelby and Bud Moore had factory teams but the Penske Camaros took their second championship.
For 1970 Shelby was out and Bud Moore was the only factory team campaigning the famous “school bus yellow” Mustangs in what many consider the pinnacle Trans-Am season of that era with Bud taking the championship.
Just imagine if Ford had allowed BME to build and race the Cougars in TA all those years.
There is plenty of info to be had out there on both series. For the NASCAR Grand Touring/Grand American series old Stock Car Racing magazines, Competition Press & Autoweek newspapers and original racing programs are jammed full of photos and racing statistics.
Phillip
If you haven’t already, check this car out Paul.
Always thought THAT was a cool story of that car. NEVER competitive from the start. But second go round with itwas tremendously better. I believe it MORE competitive than the ACTUAL TA!!! CRAZY. AND the TA was a Big Block Chevrolet powered. Don’t believe the GTO was. I might be wrong about that.
Amazing HOW many times you read Cougar. Had NO idea they were THAT competitive!!! VERY COOL
