Chapparal Fan Club

[superfast]

For all fans of the "Sucker Car". From dominating Can-Am to dominating GT4, the 2J has to be one of the coolest and most interesting cars of all time. If you agree, and want to be a part of this club, just post it!

 

[High-Test]

Well, the Brabham Alfa Romeo fan car was also a sucker, but It was banned by the FIA after Niki Lauda and his teammate crushed their opponents, only got one race.

 

[superfast]

That's cool, but the 2J was the one which really dominated Can-Am.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

That's cool, but the 2J was the one which really dominated Can-Am.

Nope.

Can-Am was dominated from 1967 to 1970 (the year of Bruce McLaren's death) by one make, and one make only - McLaren.

From 1967, to 1970, McLaren only lost THREE TIMES, and two of those losses were caused by mechanical failure.

The 2J set a few TQ's and Best Lap of Race, but was plagued with mechanical woes and oftentimes wasn't significantly faster (if faster at all) than the McLaren M20.

In 1971, McLaren still took the championship, but was challenged throughout the series by the L&M sponsored Lola T260 driven by Jackie Stewart.

1972 and 1973 were Porsche years, as the turbo 917/10 and the twin turbo 917/30. These cars took six of nine races in 1972 (917/10), and all eight races in 1973 (917/30).

And in 1974, the last year of the Can Am, it was Shadow and their DN4 that stood atop the standings.

Here is Chaparral's Can Am win list.

Chaparral 2E - Laguna Seca 1966

That's it.

 

[VIPFREAK]

I'm partial to the Chaparral 2C

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Oh certainly. The classic Sebring winner, a great choice without a doubt, and one that actually has a winning pedigree.

Personally, though, my favorite Chaparral has always been the 2F. This car, in 1967, took the win at the BOAC 500km Brands Hatch round of the World Manufacturer's Championship during the most heated year of the Ferrari-Ford war.

 

[Emohawk]

I'm a fan of anything that circumvents restrictive rule structures in such an outragous way as the 2J did.
The fact that it looks like a gas turbine powered doorstop is just a bonus.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

The only "restrictive rule" that Jim Hall was trying to get around was the banning of tall, suspension member mounted wings.

The FIA had banned them because of the safety hazard they presented when they failed, and the frequency of their failing. Most teams - like McLaren - brought the wing back down to the deck of the car or even brought it into the bodywork.

Chaparral tried the sucker concept, and the car was quick, heavy, and unreliable.

And as a coda, in 1970 McLaren won nine out of ten races. The only other car in 1970 - the year of the 2J - to win a Can Am race was a 3.0L Porsche 908 Spyder.

 

[Emohawk]

Okay, I don't care if it works, it's crazy.
pictures and writeups:

http://www.photoessayist.com/canam/chaparral/chaparral.htm
http://www.mulsannescorner.com/chaparral2j.html

 

[superfast]

Alright, alright. Seeing as a lot of you guys like assorted Chapparals, I'm changing the club to the Chapparal Fan Club, so it will be about all kinds of Chapparal's, okay?