13 replies to this topic

[CVAndrw]

Whilst perusing pictures of the gorgeous W196 streamliner on that thread, I remembered another car I’ve trying to find for years. Anyone remember something called a “Schkee”?

In the late seventies, after the demise of the original Can-Am, the SCCA tried to revive the series by rewriting the rules around what would be essentially full-fendered versions of the current F5000 cars. I went to the first race of the new series, at Laguna Seca, and watched an extremely ratty assortment of rebodied Lola T330s get annilihated by the one car that had been built from scratch around the new rules by Bob McKee (perhaps in partnership with Tim Schenken?). I don’t remember the driver- it most definitely wasn’t Brian Redman, Al Unser or Mario Andretti- but I was astonished by this outlandish looking but spectacular flourescent red, closed top, single seat thing with fully enclosed rear tires. It looked like nothing I’d ever seen before, but in the ensuing decades, with various attempts to popularize Group C sportscars and now the ALMS, I’ve thought of it numerous times as a beautiful, eminently logical and extremely efficient racecar that soon lacked a series to race in. The new Can-Am expired through lack of interest shortly thereafter, and I’ve never heard of the Schkee again. Has anyone else, or did I dream the whole thing?

[Eric McLoughlin]

If you can recall a more accurate date for when you saw the Schkee racing, I will look through my Motor Sports and see if it gets a mention.

[Keir]

Formula Atlantic driver Tom Klausler, drove the car from pole position at the opening round of the revised Can-Am series at Mosport, Canada, 1977.
The series was dominated by rebodied Lolas, who started the season by getting airborne and dropping drivers like Brian Redman on their heads.
The series was also the swan song for Chris Amon, who battled briefly with the pretty but slow Wolf-Dallara and the "big time" debut of a young Canadian by the name of Gilles Villeneuve.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Keir]

Sorry gang,
That was St. Jovite, Canada. 1977.
Tom Klausler won that day, giving the Schkee it's only victory. Patrick Tambay and his Haas Lola won the rest of the races.

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"I Was Born Ready"

[Falcadore]

That was the series IIRC that was dominated by Ozzies? Alan Jones and Geoff Brabham winning titles? Sorry brief burst of patriotism almost over

"Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free...."

[Ray Bell]

Please forgive him, he is so young and the words were changed to desex the song. That didn't alter what was correct:
'Australia's sons let us rejoice....'

I don't think Brabham was there that early, though I might be proved wrong. I was getting tapes through that year from Jones, who was driving the Team VDS car, was he not?

[Falcadore]

That's the first time I think I've ever been called young on the web (for those who're familiar with the denizens of IRCnet #f1 and Atlas's chat channel #atlasf1)

Just found a list of Can-Am champs both first series and second series

1966 John Surtees (Lola)
1967 Bruce McLaren (McLaren)
1968 Denny Hulme (McLaren)
1969 Bruce McLaren (McLaren)
1970 Denny Hulme (McLaren)
1971 Peter Revson (McLaren)
1972 George Follmer (Porsche)
1973 Mark Donohue (Porsche)
1974 Jackie Oliver (Shadow)

1977 Patrick Tambay (Lola)
1978 Alan Jones (Lola)
1979 Jacky Ickx (Lola)
1980 Patrick Tambay (Lola)
1981 Geoff Brabham (Lola)
1982 Al Unser Jr (Galles)
1983 Jacques Villeneuve Sr (Frisbee)
1984 Michael Roe (VDS)
1985 Rick Miaskiewicz (Frisbee)
1986 Horst Kroll (Frisbee)

[CVAndrw]

Tom Klausler. Thank you very much. It must have ultimately broken that day at Laguna; trust me, it was making those bastardized Lolas look pretty stupid until it did.

Now if I could only find a photo- dayglo red; no sponsorship; fast as hell and very efficient. And Klausler seemed to have no trouble whatsoever placing the front tires precisely, judging by his speed through the Corkscrew.

[Hyacinth]

CVAndrw:
Sorry, I don't have a scanner so I can't post it. But if you can find a copy of Tom Schultz's book "Road America - Four Decades of Racing" you"ll find a small color photo of the Schulz and Klausler Schkees on page 74. Great looking cars!

[Barry Lake]

Tom Schultz's book has been updated (1999) and is now called "Road America - Five Decades of Racing at Elkhart Lake".
I bought mine in the last few weeks from Amazon.com. About $US26 including postage.

[Graham Clayton]

Rather than starting a totally new thread, I thought I would post a picture of a totally enclosed car - the 1987 Group C ROC-Chevron B36 sports car



Source: http://www.dlg.speed.../autos/4698.php

Maybe other NF members could post pictures of other totally enclosed cars?

Looking at the ROC-Chevron, it doesn't look like there is a removable panel for the front wheels. How where the front wheels changed?

[Teapot]

Rather than starting a totally new thread, I thought I would post a picture of a totally enclosed car - the 1987 Group C ROC-Chevron B36 sports car



Source: http://www.dlg.speed.../autos/4698.php

Maybe other NF members could post pictures of other totally enclosed cars?

Looking at the ROC-Chevron, it doesn't look like there is a removable panel for the front wheels. How where the front wheels changed?

The British Thundersports series produced its fair share of fully enclosed cars in the mid 80's:

Royale Rp37

Royale Rp42

Shrike P15

...and so did Can-Am, in its second iteration:

Bazeley Mk III

Invader 002

Bobsy (interestingly enough, I've just learnt that Bobsy has a story going back to the 60's... link )

[Bloggsworth]

Whole page of Schkees here.

[arttidesco]

If the Schkees count then Craig Mitchells Lola T88/90 probably does too,



also running in the same Sports 2000 1 driver Duratec class at Castle Combe a couple of years ago was the RP42 with non period rear wing of Mike Johns.