The Roaring Season

This is an interesting one. This is probably the last car built for the old original Can-Am series. This is the Sting GW1, originally built by John Collins for Gary Wilson (thats where the GW1 designation comes from), who first raced it in the Mid-Ohio round of the 1974 Can-Am championship, the very last year for Can-Am. Mid-Ohio was the fourth of just five rounds held that year. The Sting also raced in the last ever Can-Am race, at Elkhart Lake. A shame really, all that effort, only to have the Can-Am killed off after it only raced twice. Its now owned by Scott Drnek, and of all the cars racing in the Sports Car group at PI, gets the prize for having the largest motor: 9 litres!

Lots of high quality kit was at PI, including this Porsche 936, driven by Alex Davison, grandson of Lex Davison.

Young Michael Lyons was driving the 8.8 litre March 717. Chris Chiles used to own this car, does he still own it or did Frank Lyons buy it? Note the front bodywork, its quite different to how the March 717s originally looked. I assumed its been massaged at a later stage? Chris Amon drove one of these cars in the Can-Am in 1970, but I don't think its this car.

McLaren M8F of Andrew Newall out of the UK. Looks a lot like the car raced for several years in the Supersport Cup by Charles Agg.

Little Renmax BN6 of Michael Gibson and the Elfin Traco of Peter Brennan.

How awesome is this! Magnificent Alfa T33SC12 of Joe Nastasi. The entry fee would have been worth it just to hear this car at speed!

1969 high-wing Lola T163 of Greg Mitchell. Scott Drnek, with the Sting GW1, also owns this car.

Elfin 400 of Bill Hemming

Another interesting Can-Am car. This is the the Lola T310, the last Can-Am challenger built by Lola. This car they designed for the 1972 season, and it was driven by David Hobbs. It was designed in a wind-tunnel, and was the largest car ever to appear in the Can-Am, with a wheelbase of 105.5". Unfortunately it didn't really achieve much, despite showing some good potential. But Lola were working their way out of the Can-Am. It missed the opening round, and was never really a match for the new Porsche 917/10K, or factory McLaren M20s, or even some of the faster M8F's, and normally aspirated 917/10s and Shadow etc. But still a very interesting car, and the end of the line for Lola in the Can-Am.

Lilo Zicron's Lola T160 takes a spin.

McLaren M6B driven by Bert Skidmore (awesome name for a race car driver!). This was one of three cars entered in this group by Toluca Lake Historics, the white Lola T160 pictured above being another.

This is the superb Elfin MS7 Repco, which first appeared in 1974, and was still winning races well into the 1980s.

This is one of the second generation Can-Am cars, essentially an F5000 with a sports car body draped over the top. This category came about in 1976 when the SCCA were trying to reinvent the glory days of the old original Can-Am, through F5000. Some good cars were built, including this Lola, but it fizzled out by the early 1980s.

Note to self - Add to bucket list

Group Nb and Nc Historic Touring Cars.