2. Carroll Shelby wins the 24 Hours of Le Mans automobile race in 1959 driving an Aston Martin DBR1 and then retires from car racing to design and sell cars. Why?
From Quiz Ford v Ferrari
Answer:
He has a heart condition.
The film opens with an unforgettable introduction to automotive legend Carroll Shelby. We're at the halfway point of the 1959 instalment of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Shelby is driving his Aston Martin DBR1 along the Circuit de la Sarthe at night when he notices his fuel gauge is running on empty. He pulls into the pit to refuel when the petrol suddenly ignites, setting part of the car and Shelby's back ablaze. The pit crew put out the fire with blankets and extinguishers and just looks at Shelby expectantly. "Fill the tank!" Shelby yells. He has made significant gains in the last hour of the race, and has a decent shot at a win if he keeps it up. The pit crew all stare at the still smoldering Shelby like he's crazy. "Am I on fire?" he asks Eddie, the pit crew chief. "No, you're not on fire," Eddie replies. "Fill the damn tank," Shelby instructs. The men finish their work and Shelby speeds off. We begin to hear a ringing sound, as we see Shelby expertly maneuver through the gaps between and around the other cars. We hear an announcer say: "Aston Martin No. 5, driven by Carroll Shelby, has maintained his lead as we're nearing the final minutes of the race... The checkered flag is out. The crowd are on their feet... An American wins Le Mans!"
The ringing becomes louder, as we start to hear a man's voice calling Shelby's name. We cut to a doctor's office in the San Fernando Valley, where Shelby is sitting on an examination table with his eyes closed. "Carroll Shelby," Dr. Granger says, as Shelby opens his eyes. "This is something you can't ignore anymore." Shelby protests, insisting that he's been taking his pills. "An elevated heart rate, say 130 BPM, sustained even for a short period, you run a critical risk of cardiac arrest," Dr. Granger explains patiently. "Well, I'll race shorter format then," Shelby says, bargaining. "I could race NASCAR, Formula One." Dr. Granger shakes his head. "The valve is shot, Shelby. This is as serious as it gets. In my opinion, you're lucky to be sitting here today," he says. "Well, I feel real lucky," Shelby replies sarcastically. "Luckiest guy on Earth."
Shelby gets into his car, pops some pills, and cuts across several lanes of Ventura Boulevard and up a winding road. In a voiceover, Shelby begins to narrate: "There's a point at 7,000 RPM where everything fades... The machine becomes weightless - just disappears - and all that's left is a body moving through space and time. Seven thousand RPM. That's where you meet it. It asks you a question. The only question that matters: Who are you?"