- Son of Sports Car Great Ken Miles Returns to Site of Historic 1966 Win
- Ken Miles Secured Key Endurance Victories for Featured Marque Ford
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (July 10, 2026) – Peter Miles, son of the late sports car racing ace Ken Miles, has been named Grand Marshal for the 12th running of the Historic SportsCar Racing (HSR) Classic Daytona 24 Hour Presented by Mission Foods, set to run November 11 – 15, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway (DIS).
Fittingly, Ford is the featured marque for the five-day Daytona meeting that celebrates multiple generations and levels of sports car racing. Not only is Ford one of the most prevalent manufacturers in motorsports from grassroots to the very top level, Ken Miles was closely associated with the iconic automaker as the key development driver for Carroll Shelby and Shelby American. He is credited with spearheading Ford’s historic overall victory in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, as portrayed in the award-winning 2019 motion picture Ford vs. Ferrari that starred Christian Bale as Miles.
However, Miles and his co-driver Denis Hulme famously finished second at Le Mans in 1966 to the sister Ford GT40 Mk II driven by Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon when Ford attempted and failed to stage a photo finish with its cars crossing the line side-by-side. Two months later, 15-year-old Peter Miles was present at Riverside International Raceway when his father was killed while testing a prototype version of the “J-car,” Ford’s future endurance racing challenger that in modified form as the Ford GT Mk IV would claim a repeat victory at Le Mans in the hands of Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt in June 1967.
“I’m very proud and excited to be offered the opportunity to be part of the HSR Classic Daytona Classic 24 Hour,” said Peter Miles. “It’s an honor that I very much appreciate, not only for my father and for me, but also for Ford. My father’s name was well-known in the 1960s, but that had progressively faded until the Ford vs. Ferrari movie came out. A lot of things have happened that helped put him back into the spotlight since then, and I’m grateful for all Ford has done in that regard.”
A skilled mechanic, Ken Miles came to prominence by winning a series of west coast sports car races in the 1950s in a car he designed and built himself. He was named Shelby American’s chief test driver in 1963 and, prior to his involvement in the Ford GT program, was instrumental in the development of the Shelby Cobra 289 and 427 racing cars and the Shelby Daytona coupe.
Earlier in 1966 before his heartbreak at Le Mans, Miles and Lloyd Ruby co-drove Shelby-prepared Ford GT Mk II cars to overall victories in the Daytona 24 Hours (pictured below and bottom) and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ford has claimed four overall wins in the Daytona 24 Hours along with many class wins – most recently in 2025, when Christopher Mies, Frédéric Vervisch and Dennis Olsen took Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) PRO honors in the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3.
The 60th anniversary of Ford’s successful 1966 sports car racing season that netted overall victories at Daytona, Sebring, and Le Mans and the International Manufacturers Championship will be celebrated at the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour. Another major milestone for Ford in 2026 is the 125th anniversary of Henry Ford driving his homebuilt “Sweepstakes” special to an important victory at Grosse Pointe Raceway in 1901 that led to the foundation of the Ford Motor Company.
Today, the Ford Racing sports car racing pyramid offers a clear ladder for drivers to climb from track-day racers to the world stage. At the base is the Mustang Dark Horse R, which anchors the entry-level, one-make Mustang Challenge and Cup series. The next step up is the customer-focused Mustang GT4, competing in global sports car series. At the pinnacle is the factory-backed Mustang GT3, built to battle the world’s elite at legendary endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Daytona.
While Peter Miles never followed in Ken’s footsteps by becoming a racing driver, he spent much of his professional life in the automotive or motorsports industry, starting with a 15-year stint with Troutman & Barnes, the renowned builder of competition and custom cars. He later joined Cal Wells and his Precision Preparation Inc. for a 15-year tenure where he served as a mechanic, engineer, and crew chief for Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart and Toyota trucks in the SCORE off-road racing championship.
“I love motorsport but must admit I have a special penchant for vintage racing,” said Miles. “I have a great deal of respect for the people who dedicate themselves to the challenge of making cars as reliable as they are fast for 24-hour endurance races. Many of the cars are also simply beautiful, and I have worked for a gentleman taking care of his private car collection for vintage racing. I’m looking forward to taking in the sights and sounds at Daytona in November.”
“We are privileged to have Peter join us as the Grand Marshal for the HSR Daytona Classic 24 Hour,” stated HSR President John Doonan. “Ken Miles is a hero to many who grew up as sports car racing enthusiasts, and he has gained a new generation of fans in recent years as awareness has grown about his accomplishments as an engineer and a driver. I’m sure it will be very emotional for Peter to return to Daytona International Speedway, on the 60th anniversary of one of his father’s greatest victories.
“The excitement surrounding Ford vs. Ferrari contributed to the recent growth of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and sports car racing around the world, and Historic SportsCar Racing is enjoying a similar golden period.”
For the HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods provisional event schedule, upcoming competitor entries and additional information, please visit the official HSR Event Page at www.HSRRace.com.
About Ford Racing: Ford Racing, based in Dearborn Michigan, is responsible for all global race programs as well as all Ford Racing road programs such as Mustang GTD and Ford Raptor. Official Ford Racing involvement includes Mustang competition with NASCAR, IMSA, FIA World Endurance Championship, SRO, ADAC Motorsport, Australian Supercars Championship, Formula Drift and NHRA as well as our one-make Mustang Dark Horse R series in the US and Australia. Ford Racing also dominates off-road racing in series such as Ultra4, SCORE-International, FIA Rally-Raid, Finke Desert Race in Australia and Rebelle Rally. Ford Racing will return to the top tier of endurance racing with our WEC Hypercar program in 2027 while competing in Formula 1 with Red Bull Ford Powertrains beginning in 2026. Ford Racing maintains a constantly evolving fleet of electric performance demonstrators to showcase the limits of electrification technology with events such as the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and Goodwood Festival of Speed. In addition, the organization oversees the development of Ford’s racing engines. For more information regarding Ford racing’s activities, please visit FordRacing.com or follow @FordRacing on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the racing cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter X at @HSR_race and Instagram @HistoricSportscarRacing.
