History Can-Am: Raw Power

White Lola is Bobby Rahal at Monterey Historics 2008.

Black anodised details are Shadow.

gray Painted details are McLaren M6B.

Note to all............CanAm runs historics at Sears Point early June, Road America Brian Redman Challenge late July, Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca second week of August and maybe some at San Diego Naval Base early October EVERY YEAR. Check generalracing.com

 

The only Hemi powered car I can think of was the handsome Mecom Hussein I, but that was sort of pre-Can-Am. It raced in 1964/65, in the pro races and USRRC series that preceded the Can-Am.

 

Thank you, maybe that was what I was thinking.

 

I had that exact kind of bike back in the 80's it was a "Can-Am" 175

 

Skinner and Jobe (the Surfers) tired of touring with their fueler and just scraping by, so they retired it and crewed for John Cannon's Can-Am car for maybe two seasons.

 

I'll have to find mine - One of the surplus Shadow cars was bought by a friend, Steve Foster, in San Antonio back in the '80's. He raced it at vintage events (and a few quick street spurts) - it was terrifyingly fast even with well used componenets. Steve has much desert, circletrack and drag racing experience, but he said that car was the ultimate beast.

 

The McLeagle was a neat car; McLaren M6 modified by Dan Gurney's Eagle team.
The took a slightly different route to the bigger, more, engine of the other teams by trying to engineer weight out with titanium.
They ran a Gurney Weslake (Gurney Eagle) small block Ford that I think got up to about 370 cubes.
It now has a big block Chev in it; not sure if that happened during Gurney's time or after?

 

more

 

and more...

you can lose a day on this excellent website:

http://www.artemisimages.com/gallery.aspx?tabid=1&photomode=2&categoryid=36

 

the "Wee Scot" Jackie Stewart

 

Faster than F1?

I think there was one race run in the Can Am series that used the same track as the F1 cars from that year or the year before. I recall reading that the Can Am's were about 3 sec. a lap faster so they were actually the fastest road race cars at the time.

The high mounted wings used on Chapparals applied the downforce directly on the wheels and didn't affect the suspension. For comparison, the F1 "Wing Cars" from the late 70's - early 80's had 3000 lb spring rates to cope with the downforce generated. I'm sure there were safety issues with this and probably other problems but you have to wonder...

 

Looks aren't everything when it comes to welds.....I'm sure the Porsche welders knew what they were doing more than a bunch of internet welding "inspectors".
Porsches are known for their reliability....chassis and engine wise....
As great as the 917/30 was, the 917K was a much WILDER beast.....took a special DRIVER to tame it....

Great thread!!!

 

Can-Am and F1 both raced at Watkins Glen and Mosport back in the day. The Interserie, the European version of Can-Am (same cars, same rules) raced on several Grand Prix tracks as well. I did a quick check and at Watkins Glen in 1972, the pole time for the Can-Am race was set by Bruce McLaren in the McLaren M20 at 1:39.187. For the GP the same year, pole time was 1:40.48 by Jackie Stewart in the Tyrrell Ford.

Cheers,
Kurt O.

 

The Hussein was driven by A.J. Foyt.

The only other HEMI car I know of was the McKee Plymouth Special. It raced USRRC also. It has been restored.

Marty

 

I have a photo of this car on the wall in my bathroom.
And now here it is in this thread:



Cris

 

Sweet bathroom art dude!

 

Here's some newer pics, of a great example of what Can-Am was all about. The McLaren M20. How's that for a "Horn Section"? These are all from www.ultimatecarpage.com

 

Then we have the McLaren M8FP/ Chevrolet.

 

I'm inclined to think that the "unlimited" nature of the series may have led to its eventual demise. Cubic dollars and all that. I've seen(and heard) a couple of these beasts at the Waterford Historic Races years ago,and all I can say is...........

OK,I was actually speechless;just absorbed it all.

 

Elkhart Lake has a reunion every 5 years to celebrate the anniversary of the CanAm series. Try standing on the pit wall as 40(!) of those things go by at a buck-eighty. It's a religious experience....

 

Grew up going to Mid Ohio. Still have pics of me with those cars and drivers from early 70s.

 

Here are a couple of extracts from Wikipedia - there was a revival of Can Am in the late 1970's through mid 1980s and I remember watching cars such as the Frisbee and Lola T530 racing, although they were restricted to small block engines:

Decline and revival

1974 was the last year for the original Can-Am championship. Spiraling costs, a recession in North America following the oil crisis, and dwindling support and interest led to the series being cancelled and the last scheduled race of the 1974 season not being run. The Can-Am name still held enough drawing power to lead SCCA to introduce a revised Can-Am series in 1977 based on a closed-wheel version of the rules of the recently canceled Formula A/5000 series. This grew steadily in status, particularly during the USAC/CART wars of the late 70s and early 80s, and attracted some top road-racing teams and drivers and a range of vehicles including specials based on rebodied single seaters (particularly Lola F5000s) and also bespoke cars from constructors like March as well as smaller manufacturers. To broaden the appeal of the series a 2L class was introduced for the last several years - cars often being derived from F2/Formula Atlantic. The series peaked in the early 80s but as the CART Indycar series and IMSA's GTP championship grew in stature it faded away and was gone by 1986.
The name was once again revived in 1998, when the United States Road Racing Championship broke away from IMSA. Their top prototype class was named Can-Am, but the series would fold before the end of 1999 before being replaced by the Grand American Road Racing Championship. The Can-Am name would not be retained in the new series.

And here on the 917/30:

For 1972 the 917/10K with a turbo charged 900 horsepower 5 liter flat-12 was introduced. Prepared by Roger Penske and driven by Mark Donohue and George Follmer these cars won six of the nine races. In 1972 Porsche introduced an even more powerful car, the 917/30KL. Nicknamed the Turbopanzer this car was truly a monster. With 1100/1580 horsepower (820/1161 kW in race/qualifying spec) on tap from a 5.4 liter flat-12 and only weighing in at 1800 lb (816 kg) with better downforce this car won every race in the 1973 championship <sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">[1]</sup>. The Porsche dominance was such that engine rules were changed to try to reduce the dominance of one marque by enforcing a fuel-consumption rule for 1974. This kind of alteration of rules to promote equality is not unknown in other forms of American motorsport. In 1975, after the demise of the category for which the car had been created, Mark Donohue drove this car to a closed course world speed record of 221 mph (356 km/h) at the Talladega SuperspeedwayAlabama International Motor Speedway). It was capable of over 250 mph (402 km/h) on the straights.


Here is a Frisbee:

 

We were fortunate to run two cars in the Brian Redman Reunion, at Elkhart Lake in 2008. This was during Lola's 50th anniversary celebration, quite an experience. The only thing separating the front straight from pit lane is a concrete wall. Exwestracer tells it right, standing on the pit wall, the track right on the other side of it, is a treat. Not just the sight of the pack cresting the rise, but the sound of the field is amazing. If you ever get the chance to go don't pass it up!

Craig

 

I love that track and have been to the Brian Redman events and that is very true about the wall.

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Cubic Obscene Horse Power required Cubic Obscene Money!

Absolutely the coolest race cars EVER!!!

 

I actually crewed on one of those things while in college (summer job!), i recall that it was a McClaren M8C (?, is that right?) owned by Charlie Kemp. I think it was Bruce McClarens' 1yr old car that won the championship the year before.
You're right, thoroughly wicked pieces of work. Don't remember the year but do recall at Watkins Glen, i think, the Shadow right behind us in the grid and looking at those tires thinking they're right off a Western Auto little red wagon. I think that was the first time they raced it, i remember them having it at a couple other tracks and go thru warmups but something or other wasn't right and they'd bring it in.
If somebody has a pic of Charlies car, post it please. I haven't any pics from back then. I had some pics with a land camera and they've all faded and theres' no negatives with that type of camera. Thanks, oj

 

Thanks for all the pictures - sure brings memories of Mid Ohio, MIS and, Mosport. Some really impressive sounds and speed.
Allen

 

My dad use to wrench for a guy from long island, who ran in the can am series,among others things. I can remember the day clear as a bell, the first time I heard them start the engine up to break in the motor. Later we went to Bridgehampton for a couple of shake down laps. To see that car coming over the hill, with the front lifting up and dropping as he changed gears was amazing! I don't know how fast he was going, so asked my dad, and he said he was "honking". At the age of 7, even I knew that was really, really fast.

 

I got my start in racing working in the Trans-am series in the late 90"s.The first time I went to Laguna they had a Can-am reunion.I got to spend every spare moment at the corkscrew.The sheer sound is nothing I have experienced before or since...Dave

 

they should have banned the boost and kept the party going