In the right hands, even the most well-worn racing legend can feel newly alive. Our writer Jim Donnelly proved that again by winning at the 2025 Ken W. Purdy Awards with ‘Ford GT40: The Rocky Road to Greatness’, published in issue 11. It’s a riveting dive into Ford’s bruising path to Le Mans glory.
Published in our 2024 Le Mans special, Donnelly’s piece strips away the polished mythology surrounding the Ford GT40 and exposes the grit beneath: fragile prototypes, wind tunnel failures, and gearboxes exploding at speed. Central to the story is Roy Lunn — the engineer without whom the GT40’s victories at Daytona, Sebring, and finally Le Mans in ’66 would have remained a fantasy.
Credit where it’s due
In Donnelly’s telling, Lunn is the unsung architect behind Ford’s mid-engine missile, working in the shadows as Carroll Shelby and others grabbed headlines. “Everybody got credit for the (GT40 and Mark II) thing except for the people who actually did it,” the article quotes author Martyn Schorr — a sentiment Donnelly’s prose powerfully restores to the record.
IMPA
Presented annually by the International Motor Press Association (IMPA), the Ken W. Purdy Awards honor excellence in automotive journalism. Donnelly — a veteran editor and writer — previously won the Purdy Award in 2023, further cementing his place among the most honored voices in automotive journalism.
“I’m grateful for having the opportunity to create this kind of journalism,” Donnelly said. “To be recognized this way is truly wonderful. To be associated with the Purdy legacy is a high honor indeed.”
“Passion is alive”
As IMPA President Sam Fiorani said: “IMPA is pleased to report that passion for the automobile and its journalism is alive and well.” He added that “high-caliber writing, editing, and presentation is one constant that has not diminished.”
In an age of short attention spans, Donnelly’s work reminds us that some stories — especially those forged in oil, sweat, and obsession — deserve to be told with both beauty and truth.
Cool a female automotive journalist. Love it! Best greetings
A proper informative article written by a female journalist , that transports us in a time machine to a simpler time in motorsport. We want more Kayla!
This was great! Also learned that the writer is a total babe, sheesh. Look forward to more pieces by Kayla!
Thank you for the expert reportage Kayla, so reassuring to see that real journalism is still rewarded and reported. Can’t wait to read more of your work.
Nicely done… Keep up the good work.
Happy to see female journalism in auto-motor sport. Well written and informative. Looking forward to reading more from Kayla.
Wow, that is a nice report, great work Kayla and keep going to all the events, its nice to have a women so much into motoring….All the best from carpoint
A passionate article, about a passionate story of a passionate car.
Nice credits to Jim Donnelly.
More and longer please..
Very interesting article whilst proving at the same time being a petrolhead is not exclusively for men. Go Kayla !