History Can-Am: Raw Power

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Being a Kiwi , it's Mclaren without a doubt.

McLaren was what CanAm should've been all about, they were basically "high tech hot rods" built by a relatively small team of innovators, not car manufacturer built factory racers [ Porsche ]
You need to understand NZ traditions, we have something called the "O/E" [ overseas experience ] where we all get the urge to travel to Europe and America in our teens or early 20's
Both Bruce and Denny were quite young men during the CanAm years [ McLaren was only 32 when he died in 1970 ] They were both having one of the greatest O/E adventures that could be had for any young man. To achieve what they did was incredible.

Many young kiwi mechanics ended up knocking on McLarens' door looking for employment when they were on their O/E.
When these guys returned to New Zealand, they bought a wealth of knowledge [ & memories ] back with then, plus sometimes some souvenirs off McLaren race cars.

Unfortunately CanAm was never raced in our country, so I've never witnessed them racing in "true anger", [ I was too young then anyway ]

I did have the privilege [ or honour! ] of having a McLaren CanAm car in my garage for a few weeks [ The works 1972 M8F of Denny Hulmes ]
The car was an amazing piece of engineering even though it needed a full restoration [ It is now back in the States where it belongs ]
For those that witnessed the CanAm era, treasure those memories [ they'll never be seen again ]

here's a few pic's of the Hulme car

 

917 Overseas Evolution

 

I am very glad to have stumbled across this thread, I can pretty much guarantee that Can-Am is directly linked to my obsession to cars in general, racecars and Sports Prototype racecars specifically.

In 1972, I was 3, my dad was doing some work with a family friend Len Coates, he was a motorsports writer and was doing some PR work with a couple of drivers and companies involoved in motorsports. At the time he was working with L&M, sponsor of the Penske 917's.
My dad took me to Mosport, just outside of Toronto, I'm not sure if it was his choice or not. We were in the tower at Mosport, I had my face pressed up against the glass watching the support races while dad was schmoozing and doing whatever it was that he was doing. From what dad says, they got the Can-Am cars lined up for the start, off they went for the parade lap and when they came around for the start, the tower shook and I screamed like a banshee, not a scared, backing away from the glass in fear scream, but a this is the coolest thing in the world, I need to be down there scream!
Now, the story goes that a gentleman came over to see if I was OK offered me a softdrink and I barely even noticed him as I was fixated on the action on the track. I wish I had taken the softdrink offered to me by Paul Newman!

 

Thanks for this thread bump. It's Friday and I needed this stimulation and enjoyed going through this entire thread this morning (in "work").

I was lucky to have seen every Can-Am race held at Watkins Glen and two at Mosport. As others have also stated, it burned an indelible mark in my brain.

 

There are usually some CanAm cars racing at the Coronado Speed Festival held on the Naval Air Station, North Island Coronado in the San Diego Bay. This happens to be taking place tomorrow and Sunday - don't miss it if you are anywhere near the area. Linkee....

www.coronadospeedfest.com

 

I posted a series of photos that I took at the 1969 Texas CanAm race, which include two rare photos of the Chaparral 2H "Roadstoop" that Tom Dutton crashed before the race. They are on tamsoldracecarsite.net

 

This is the next book I want to read. If I ever finish reading Smokey's book.

 

Heard some great stories about this era just recently from George Follmer who was right in the thick of Can-Am. He also raced F-1, Cup, Indycar, Le Mans, Trans Am and more series. He has a book coming out in the next couple of months: Follmer-American Wheel Man. Check it out at GeorgeFollmerMotorsports.com. He is a nice guy too.

 

I worked on a 2 Liter car, towards the end of that period.

Sure was fun beating up on some of
the full time teams, with our junk.

 

I loved that era. Those were racecars with hair on 'em.
Loved 'em all - Ferraris, McLarens, Lolas... anyone remember The Honker?
A purple thing, Holman & Moody built it - Andretti raced it.... once.
Gawd - those were the days, man.
Formula Libre... run what ya bring.

 

I would have never though a German constructor would produce such shoddy appearing welds, particularly Porsche! Those welds look like some mig weld repairs I have seen on shrimp boats done at sea in the rain by semi drunk Cajuns!

 

truly an incredible race series.

 

that's one of the things that's interesting in the Donohue book, at the time, Porsche's race program comes across pretty crappy

 

My dad took me and my friend Mike to every Can Am race at Laguna Seca between 66 and 72. Some great years of racing. Nothing in my life has sounded better than these cars dropping down the corkscrew coming up through the gears under full throttle. That big block sound just echoed through the valley. Great racing memories. I still have several of the event programs stashed away. Around 67 they joined the Trans Am series with Can Am week ends, Man what a pair of races. Awesome

 

Let me know when you're done with Smokey's. I'll swap with ya for awhile!

 

The Porsche 917 was an aluminum space frame chassis, they had a tire valve in the chassis and would pressurize with air and note any loss in pressure was a crack somewhere in the frame. Later in the program they wouldn't let the drivers see the gauge readings. The 917 or the 935 were not the safest cars.


Ago

 

Ask Brian Redman about his experience driving Vasek Polak's 917...WOW!

 

modern sportcars looking so god damn boring compared to this