Looking Back: Can-Am

  • Thread starter JohnBM01
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JohnBM01

JohnBM01

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When it comes to sportscar racing, I normally hear of Can-Am. Can-Am was perhaps as glorious as the American Le Mans is today. Now I will admit. I don't know much about Can-Am. So if you happen to recall Can-Am or some classic races, come on down to this thread and educate us new schoolers to sportscar racing of then, especially in Can-Am. So reply as you wish.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.geocities.com/canamlagunaseca/canam/index.html
 
Can-Am was bigger and more glorious then ALMS is today. The cars were faster then F1 cars of the day. The events had huge fan turnout as well.

Some pretty wild cars for certain.
 
Can-Am fields were full of some seriously hairy-arsed cars. Open rules, primitive tire technology, rudimentary aerodynamics and huge engines make for cars the likes of which we'll probably never see again. The '72-73 Porsche 917.10 roadster made slightly over 1,000 hp! I have nothing but respect and admiration for the men who drove those monsters.

It was way before my time. Too bad; it was supposed to be some of the best sports car racing ever.


M
 

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In addition to Can-Am, the Trans-Am racing for production-based cars provided some amazing fender-to-doorhandle racing. Everybody says American cars don't handle, but the original Trans-Am racing from the '60s and early '70s proves them very very wrong.
 
Dang, I never knew that those cars were that fast, you sure they can beat a current f1 car?
 
No, Can-Am cars of the 70's could not keep up with a current F1 car, but they were faster then F1 cars being driven during that period.

M-Spec - The big HP beast was the 73' Porsche 917/30. The 917/10 was the Penske 72' car, and was the car used by the "privateer" teams in 73'. The 917/30 also set closed circuit speed record that stood for a number of years. The record was at Talledaga set in 1975 at an average of 221 mph. The car apparently was tested at 1500 bhp on the dyno.

The Trans Am cars were pretty good cars in those days, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them particularly good handling cars.
 

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