Feb 17, 1963 at the Daytona Continental FIA race. This was the first international race for the Cobra Roadster 289. Carroll Shelby
brought three Cobras to Daytona and selected Dave MacDonald, Dan Gurney & Skip Hudson to do battle with the mighty Ferrari's.
Hudson #97 drove Cobra CSX2014, Gurney #98 was in CSX2002 and MacDonald #99 drove CSX2026. Photo Peter Luongo
Pace lap shows Skip Hudson & Dave MacDonald in rows 6 & 7 in Cobra Roadsters. Paul Goldsmith representing the NASCAR
breed starts from row 1 in a Pontiac Tempest (Goldsmith lasted just 3 laps before retiring). Gurney is not pictured due to a last minute
engine change that caused him to enter the race two laps after the start. Photo Flip Schulke
Lap 5 and Dave MacDonald powers Cobra Roadster CSX2026 past the Roberts / Cannon Ferrari 250 GTO. Photo Dave Friedman
Lap 20 and MacDonald still running strong in 2nd. Hard to tell but Cobras of MacDonald & Gurney were red. Photo Dave Friedman
Billy Krause driving Mickey Thompson's Corvette Stingray leads the Ferrari of David Piper on the high bank. Photo Tam McFarland
Lap 35 and Dan Gurney glancing back at Dick Thompson in the Stingray & Chuck Cassel in the Porsche 356. Photo Dave Friedman
Skip Hudson in the #97 Cobra Roadster trying to chase down Pedro Rodriguez in his Ferrari 250 GTO. Photo Dave Friedman
Lap 42 and Billy Krause is forced out of the race with right front axle issues.
Next out is Dan Gurney as he's forced to retire his Cobra on lap 49 with ignition problems. Photo Dave Friedman
Roger Penske watches as the pit crew adds fuel and new tires to his Ferrari. Photo Heffelfinger
Lap 50 and Dick Thompson has his Corvette Stingray hard on the tail of Mario Bianchi's Abarth-Simca 1300. Bianchi would pull to
the side of the course before completing the next lap. Photo Dave Friedman
Swedish star Joakim Bonnier jumps back in his Porsche 356B Carrera Abarth and heads back out running 5th OA, Photo Heffelfinger
Late in the race MacDonald has his Cobra flat out and running 3rd as he continues lapping slower traffic. Photo Dave Friedman
On lap 54, the flywheel in Hudson's Cobra's completely disintergrated and Skip was done. (His leg was badly hurt and prevented him
from running as MacDonald's teammate in the 3/23/63 12hrs of Sebring. He was replaced by Fireball Roberts). With Hudson and
Gurney now out of the race, only MacDonald was left to carry the Cobra flag.
And MacDonald did Shelby American proud piloting Cobra Roadster CSX2026 to a 1st in GT & 4th OA finish. Photo Alice Bixler
Mexican superstar Pedro Rodruiguez scores a huge win in his Ferrari 250 GTO as he finishes 1st overall in the 1963 FIA Daytona
Continental 3 HR Enduro. Photo Alice Bixler
News articles recapping the 1963 Daytona Continental 3 HR Enduro
In '63 the mighty Cobra Roadster knocked Ferrari off its perch and wound up winning the 1963 USRRC Championship!
2011 Shelby Hauler with Dave's image on the side. Hauler transports Shelby vehicles to auto shows around the country
The MacDonald family at the Pomona Fairgrounds for the Shelby-Ford-Cobra 50yr Anniversary Reunion in 2012
.jpg)