07/16/2022
Kirk Sinn wrote earlier on Ken Miles post
Bob Negstad â Senior Project Engineer, Ford Motor Company: âAt Le Mans, I was the guy that Jacque Passino sent over to Ken Miles to tell him to back off and let the other guys catch up. Ken got tears in his eyes and said: âNo, this is my only opportunity to do this and I canât do that and I wonât do that.â
During the next pit stop, Kenâs co-driver was told to slow down and let the others catch up and Denny did as he was told. It was during this time that Passino sent John Cowley down to the scorerâs and timerâs tower and told them that we had miscredited a lap on Kenâs car and to take a lap away from that car.
When the car came in for its final stop, Ken got back into the car and refused to participate in the prescribed finish. Thatâs why he laid back when the three cars crossed the finish line. Ken was a lap ahead at the finish, thatâs true, thatâs absolutely, totally, true. He was a lap ahead and Passino and Cowley went down and took the lap away. They absolutely stole that race from Ken and itâs about time that the truth is told, Kenâs memory deserves that.â
When I showed this quotation to Carroll Smith and asked for his opinion, he told me âBob Negstad is one of the most truthful people that I have ever known.â Bob died shortly after this interview was conducted and many of us feel that it was a dying declaration to see justice finally done for his good friend, Ken Miles.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009147767109