| In 1971 the then Brands Hatch MD, John Webb, organised a race that pitted F1 Grand Prix drivers against their team managers in Ford Escort Mexicos. The event was a great success and this led to Ford loaning Webb twenty mechanically identical Mexicos in February 1973. After sponsorship had been obtained from Shell and Avon Tyres, the cars were known as the ShellSPORT Mexicos and ran on Avon cross-plys, which were inflated to 45psi in order to give progressive breakaway characteristics and very spectacular 'sideways' racing. They were used for pro-celebrity support races at the weekend and racing school duties during the week. They led a hard life, although only sixteen out of the twenty raced at any one time in order to allow time for damage repair. Modifications to the cars were carried out at Ford's AVO facility in Aveley and were limited to the fitting of Britax three-point harnesses on both the standard low-back front seats, Bilstein shock absorbers, roll cage, battery cut-off and four-spoke RS alloy wheels. The car modelled, XNO 272L, survived the front line for two years and was used at John and Angela Webb's wedding after which it became their runabout vehicle. Because of this, it survived in its original form and is the only ShellSPORT Mexico to do so. During its racing life it won only one race, at Brands Hatch on May 6th 1973. |
