The Can-Am Series 1966-1974

Let’s talk about the Canadian-American Challenge Cup better known as the Can-AM Series.

Can-Am was for group 7 sports car with limited rule which led to some of the most wild over powered race cars to ever be built!

 

I PM'ed Ryan this just a little while ago. Right up there with the wild worms!

 

I was going to post this video, when I logged back in at lunch (now).

 

Can Am cars are my favorite series. Being a Ford man I don't have much to root for here though. Watching the video's, I was not a where that FE's were run in this class. I am a where of the all-aluminum 494 Boss 429's that were used. Very rare today!

 

Was racing with this March 717 at Silverstone last year, cornering speed is really impressive for a 1970 car.

 

The Alan Mann Ford Can-Am car was for sale last year.

 

There is NOTHING like the sound and vibrations and echoes of a 1970's BBC Can Am car blasting around the Road America track at Elkhart Lake Wi. I was blessed to have attended several of the races there in the 1970's . The trick was to be right next to the fence on the exit from a slow turn. The shear pounding that would happen as the car accelerated out of the turn was unbelievable. There was also the multiplier effect of the sound bouncing off the hills, bluffs and treelines at that portion of the track.......priceless.

 

This BRM was at Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb a couple of years ago. Think it’s a Reynolds block and Chevy heads.

 

I'd guess that having the center of gravity roughly chin level as you sit on the ground, extreme light weight, plus the best suspension and tires they had all contribute!
https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/spec/3461/March-717-Chevrolet.html
EDIT: let's not forget aero that was constantly requiring new rules.

 

Tim, That looks like Mario Andretti's Honker. My friend in Seattle found it and restored it. Unfortunately I have not talked to Tom in years.

 

A complete run down of all years from Sports Car Digest-

https://sportscardigest.com/can-am-...ctured in small quantities or as single units.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1967

 

The most insane racing series ever regarding power to weight ratio. Got to see them at Watkins Glen. Read the book called Chevrolet Racing? It describes how GM paid for and performed almost all the R&D on the Chapparals. Both engines and automatic transmissions were sealed. If taken apart by anyone other them GM the deal was over.

 

I believe the the clutch pedal on the Chapparals was replaced with a pedal that controlled the angle of the wing.

 

Don't remember about the clutch peddle, been too long. I had a UOP Shadow T shirt for years.

 

The guy who hillclimbs this McLaren, drives it on the road occasionally, there’s a pic somewhere of it in traffic on the motorway!

 

love the old CAN AM s the sound of that screamin engine along with the gearbox whine is music. like the ultimate go cart !

 

I was lucky to buy this Moon tyre gauge that did some time on the UOP Shadow team.

It was on a local auction site, previously owned by the late Colin Berryman, an NZ racing mechanic who spent some time in the US working for the UOP team.

It's cool to have a tangible link to the Can Am series, and to one of the many Kiwis who headed overseas to follow their racing dreams .

 

As much as I love the sound of a 12 cylinder car NOTHING sounds as good as a BB V8.

 

It must have been galling to be upstaged by those guys from New Zealand in their McLarens and then to get blown out of the park by those Germans in their Porsches!
I guess the series fizzled out due to the Overseas guys being just too good and progressive.
Let the shitfight begin.

 

Well that's what you get for banning Jim Hall a couple of years earlier...

 

There were several factors that caused the series to fold, but perhaps the biggest was Simoniz the series sponsor pulling out.

The Porsches didn't have the power to keep up so they thew turbos at it which only worked at full throttle so the started playing with fuel mapping and outspending the result was driving the cost of running in the series sky high.