The 2F, alongside its Can-Am sibling the 2E, had a heavy influence in dictating the direction of Formula One car design in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The importance and role of aerodynamics in motorsports was not particularly well understood in the 1960s; privateer Michael Mayer attempted what was the first implementation of an airfoil at the 1956 1000 km of Nürburgring with his Porsche 550.

[3] The 2C's rear wickerbill was adjustable by a third pedal within the driver's cockpit, and with that the 2C became the first racing car in the world to feature active aerodynamics.

Introduced for the 1966 season of the WSC, the 2D was oft stricken with mechanical issues, with a single win coming at the 1966 1000 km of Nürburgring.

The concept car's semi-monocoque piqued his interest, and thus began his relationship with Frank Winchell, the Monza GT's designer.

Winchell was simultaneously running a program in his department at General Motors to develop a mid-engined Chevrolet Corvette, featuring an automatic transaxle.

Hall further courted GM when their research and development department requested to use his track, Rattlesnake Raceway, for testing after Ralph Nader published his book Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile in 1965, which alleged that the American automobile industry was ignoring safety features when designing cars.

The relationship never extended to a full on factory-backed effort, with GM engineer Jim Musser saying "We stayed in the background because we weren't meant to be racing at the time.

[10] The 2F did not carry over the 2E's aluminum tube-frame chassis, with Hall and Sharp instead opting to continue with the fiberglass semi-monocoque, and General Motors supplied Chaparral with Chevrolet's "Porcupine" 427 big-block V8 engine, and a 3-speed automatic transaxle.

The 427-aluminum block was fitted with Weber 58IDM carburetors that allowed it to produce 392 kW (533 PS; 526 hp) at 6,000 rpm, far more power than the 427s found in production versions.

The positioning of the radiators on the side also meant that a roof-mounted intake was no longer needed, with cold air flowing straight to the engine.

Phil Hill led the early stages of the race, the 2F's downforce and power playing in Chaparral's favor on Daytona's steep banks.

Hill's stint did not last long, when he came into turn six he ran over debris of segments of where the track had disintegrated, despite resurfacing attempts prior to the race.

Ickx's prowess in wet weather conditions[18][19] was on full display as rain began and continued to fall on race day, quickly taking the lead at the start, with fellow Belgian Willy Mairesse in his Ferrari 412 P close behind.

Ickx and Mairesse both commanded a significant lead over the rest of the field, and Spence pitted on the seventeenth lap for fuel and to swap seats with Hill.

Hill and Sharp were careful not to push the car too hard, with Le Mans approaching they could not afford to damage or destroy a chassis.

The regulations stipulated that only two persons could work on a car while it was in the pits, and Hall predicted a full transmission replacement, necessitated by the way the 2F was designed, would take two to three hours with the available manpower.

This created a dire situation within the Ferrari pit crew, Stewart, who was leading, was also due in for a fuel and driver change but there were not enough people to service both cars simultaneously.

Hawkins was serviced first, and as a result Amon lost significant amounts of time as well as the lead to Spence, to Mauro Forghieri's displeasure.

Shortly before the fifth hour, Spence made his last pit stop for fuel and changed seats with Hill, re-emerging almost twenty seconds ahead of Amon's Ferrari.

Amon would later pit right before the end for a quick refuel and to switch places with Stewart, allowing Hill to take the checkered flag.

[25][26][27][28] A move by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile to outlaw cars with displacements of 7 L (427 cu in) in 1968 meant that the 2F was no longer eligible for racing in the World Sportscar Championship, with Chaparral turning their efforts to the Can-Am series.

The several Formula One drivers that participated in the 1967 World Sportscar Championship witnessed the performance and pace of the 2F, despite its mechanical troubles, increasing the interest in the implementation of aerodynamic features such as rear airfoils that the 2E had initiated.

Jochen Rindt was one of the most vehement opponents of the wings, opposing them both on safety grounds and on the principle that they did not belong on Formula One cars.

Rindt had a large shunt at the 1969 Spanish Grand Prix due to the failure of his high rear wing, suffering cuts and broken bones within his face.

Rindt then raced in a car that was voluntarily devoid of all wing-like devices for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix, where he would suffer a fatal crash during practice in his Lotus 72.