Shannons Club: XA Falcon GT-HO Phase IV: Was it destined to fail at Bathurst?

Image thanks to the Shannons Club

The story of the greatest XA Falcon GT-HO of them all, the journey which saw it never race in the event it was designed to win and why it would’ve stumbled if it did.

The Phase IV GT-HO was an evolution of Bathurst-winning stock refined to be more reliable and more durable while also handling and performing better. With the Phase IV, Ford had knocked it out of the park.

To win in endurance racing, however, sometimes the perfect car isn’t enough. Race day for the 1972 Hardie-Ferodo 500 saw tyres and brake pads undo the Phase III GT-HOs which were quickly returned to service to replace their younger siblings.

Heavy showers produced the first wet Bathurst 500, and left the Ford works team with a difficult tyre choice decision to make. The unique collection of conditions seen on that morning would also play havoc with the cars’ brake pads – a factor which came into play later in the race.

So the question is – if the Phase IVs had been able to race that day, would the result have been any different? Enjoy the story in XA Falcon GT-HO Phase IV: Was it destined to fail at Bathurst? at the Shannons Club.

Thanks to the Shannons Club