Canadian American Racing Series....
Canadian American Racing Series....
Probably after Trans Am racing the greatest race series in America, excluding the likes of yearly events like Daytona and Indy.
I have quite an interest in the Can Am series, look there were no rules apart from the fact that cars needed to have four wheels, engines were unlimited as was virtually eveything else, at one stage there was even a turbine car...
The cars themselves were called group 7 cars and basically the only stipulations were that the wheels had to be covered and there had to be 2 seats. Of course this anything goes policy lead to some epic monsters, cars pushing out over 1000 bhp and some 1500 bhp in qualifiying trim. Spectators flocked to the tracks in droves and with good commercial backing the series soon became immesely popular..
With this popularity and coverage the series attracted soem big names, the like of Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Phil Hill, Mark Donhoue, John Surtees, Dan Gurney and every Ford fans greatest driver Parnelli Jones
Manfucturers involved in the series included McLaren, Lola(dominated the series for a while with cars like the T70), Porsche, Chapparal(unqiue cars with huge wings). Most of the McLarens and Lolas ran V8s, some pushing out in the region of 800 kW but all were put in the shade but a car called the Turbopaner- Porsche 917/30 which in quali trim had 1500 bhp..
Every year a few of these mighty Can Am race cars come to Killarney and hearing those V8's is nothing short of awesome but perhaps this year it was more special, as I knew more about them and could appreciated the history behind the cars..
Some pics to follow.
I have quite an interest in the Can Am series, look there were no rules apart from the fact that cars needed to have four wheels, engines were unlimited as was virtually eveything else, at one stage there was even a turbine car...
The cars themselves were called group 7 cars and basically the only stipulations were that the wheels had to be covered and there had to be 2 seats. Of course this anything goes policy lead to some epic monsters, cars pushing out over 1000 bhp and some 1500 bhp in qualifiying trim. Spectators flocked to the tracks in droves and with good commercial backing the series soon became immesely popular..
With this popularity and coverage the series attracted soem big names, the like of Bruce McLaren, Denny Hulme, Phil Hill, Mark Donhoue, John Surtees, Dan Gurney and every Ford fans greatest driver Parnelli Jones
Manfucturers involved in the series included McLaren, Lola(dominated the series for a while with cars like the T70), Porsche, Chapparal(unqiue cars with huge wings). Most of the McLarens and Lolas ran V8s, some pushing out in the region of 800 kW but all were put in the shade but a car called the Turbopaner- Porsche 917/30 which in quali trim had 1500 bhp..
Every year a few of these mighty Can Am race cars come to Killarney and hearing those V8's is nothing short of awesome but perhaps this year it was more special, as I knew more about them and could appreciated the history behind the cars..
Some pics to follow.
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Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
Some pics
Alfa GTV 3.0
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
And some more
Alfa GTV 3.0
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
Jody Sheckter also raced Can Am cars in the states (i think Porsche), Pam (his ex wife) tells quite an amazing story of how Jody stopped in Pitlane while practising alone at Daytona and called Pam over (only wearing t - shirt and hot pants!), as she bent over he told her to quickly get into the cockpit...as she got in (not knowing his intention) he grab her and blasted out of pitlane!! Apparently he did 2 or 3 laps flat out!... Pam (who was not wearing a helmet) didn't speak to him for a few days after that!!!!!!!!!!!!
RACECAR spelt backwards spells RACECAR.....
Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
Ha, Ha! Can you imagine that? No wonder they're no longer together!
CanAm racing goes way back before the legend Bruce Mclaren came on the scene, but as ZA pointed out, a very intereting series, possibly that not many outsiders of the USA know too much about. A lot of GP drivers drove in some of the races. Jim Clark in a Lotus 19, Jackie Stewart even did a series, as did Chris Amon in various Ferraris, George Eaton in a BRM, but the big name before Bruce Mclaren and Denny Hulme was John Surtees who drove his own Lola T70's.
At the time of Surtees, Mclaren was developing a Cooper sports car in which he put in a monster Oldsmobile motor. He called this The Zerex Special.
I've dug about in my archive.......
CanAm racing goes way back before the legend Bruce Mclaren came on the scene, but as ZA pointed out, a very intereting series, possibly that not many outsiders of the USA know too much about. A lot of GP drivers drove in some of the races. Jim Clark in a Lotus 19, Jackie Stewart even did a series, as did Chris Amon in various Ferraris, George Eaton in a BRM, but the big name before Bruce Mclaren and Denny Hulme was John Surtees who drove his own Lola T70's.
At the time of Surtees, Mclaren was developing a Cooper sports car in which he put in a monster Oldsmobile motor. He called this The Zerex Special.
I've dug about in my archive.......
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Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
Jim Hall deserves a special mention for his wonderful Chaparral cars that always pushed the limits.
There were some rules. Chaparral grew wings - new rule no wings, no movable air aids.
So we got the Chaparral fan car - much head scratching - ah the fan goes round and round - that's a moveable air aid - banned.
There were some rules. Chaparral grew wings - new rule no wings, no movable air aids.
So we got the Chaparral fan car - much head scratching - ah the fan goes round and round - that's a moveable air aid - banned.
John - www.perana.org - Perana DVD
Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
Forgot to mention the Can Am Ferraris, the main problem Ferrari had with Can Am was that it was laregly dictated by BHP and handling was less important than outright power.
Have a MOTORSPORT magazine with some fantastic pictures of the Can Am series as part of a 40 year anniversary feature.
Its amazing that a great series like Can Am had laregly been forgotten today..
Have a MOTORSPORT magazine with some fantastic pictures of the Can Am series as part of a 40 year anniversary feature.
Its amazing that a great series like Can Am had laregly been forgotten today..
Alfa GTV 3.0
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
Ford Capri Perana V8
Chevy Lumina Supercharged
Wait not for tomorrow to do what can be done today, live each day for one knows not what the next day may hold.
- zahistorics
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Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
If we had Can Am today the budgets would be scary - I think more was spent on Can Am than F1 in those days, and certainly the spiralling costs is what killed it in the end.
I think Can Am is well remembered in the US and Canada where it was based - too well for a researcher like me - makes it really hard to find stuff on Firenza Can Ams
I think Can Am is well remembered in the US and Canada where it was based - too well for a researcher like me - makes it really hard to find stuff on Firenza Can Ams
John - www.perana.org - Perana DVD
Re: Canadian American Racing Series....
The great Jim Hall. Here was a guy who started designing for the CanAm series and spread himself further into International sports cars. As you rightly said John, the authorities pulled the plug on him in both field of the sport regarding high wings and that was that.
As you were saying to Jacques, the amount of money being spent on the CanAm series would have killed it off.
Other well-known drivers were Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and Roger Penske. Penske ran his own sports car team for years using Lola T70 MKIII B's, sponsored by Sunoco and so many other cars. He still is involved today with Indy cars.
I have dug a little further.............
As you were saying to Jacques, the amount of money being spent on the CanAm series would have killed it off.
Other well-known drivers were Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and Roger Penske. Penske ran his own sports car team for years using Lola T70 MKIII B's, sponsored by Sunoco and so many other cars. He still is involved today with Indy cars.
I have dug a little further.............
- zahistorics
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