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Can Am racing in the UK?


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#1 kartman24

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Posted 17 August 2013 - 09:45

It is a shame that there is no race for Can Am type cars at the Silverstone Classic, it is nice to see the earlier Mclarens out in the Masters race, I would much rather watch a grid of them than `Super touring cars`, I can see those any day on the M25!
Is there a Historic race meeting in the UK each year that has a grid of the Big Bangers?..........Martin

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#2 Thundersports

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Posted 17 August 2013 - 12:24

There isn't enough of them in Europe to form a half decent grid without being padded out with Group 6 cars etc.

#3 retriever

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Posted 17 August 2013 - 16:04

Back in the early 1970s there were races for these machines in the Interserie Series at Silverstone. Mclaren M8E, Mclaren M8F, Porsche 917 derivatives, BRM P167 plus Lola T70 and Ferrari 512 plus others appeared. Some did not start and the field depleted by non finishers. The crowd attendance was poor - had a grandstand virtually to ourselves at Woodcote - but if I remember correct the racing and the sound was fine. Howden Ganley impressed behind the wheel of the BRM.



#4 zoff2005

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 14:46

There are 3 McLaren M1B's entered at the Oulton Park Gold Cup meeting this coming week-end, running in the Guards Trophy for Sports Racing Cars. They include Chris Goodwin in his ex-works car (ex Amon, Ross de St Croix, Mike Spence), my own ex-Masten Gregory car and Chris Drake's. And we can run without silencers!
Marcus

#5 arttidesco

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Posted 18 August 2013 - 15:23

And we can run without silencers!
Marcus


:up:

#6 Stephen W

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 10:14

It is my understanding that John Foulston bought a lot of old Can-Am cars and then persuaded the HSCC to launch a series to cater for them - I think he sponsored it! He then sold on his collection at inflated prices to ensure a reasonable field.


Edited by Stephen W, 21 August 2013 - 10:15.


#7 Alan Cox

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 16:32

There isn't enough of them in Europe to form a half decent grid without being padded out with Group 6 cars etc.

Gone are the great days of the early Steigenberger series, which used to amass a reasonable number of group 7 cars, but even they included 2-litre cars, certainly later on if not from the outset (?)



#8 David McKinney

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 16:46

I think 2-litre cars were always admitted - they were just more noticeable in later years when people like John Burton and John Sheldon showed how competitive they could be against amateur-driven big cars

 

And yes, I'm generalising



#9 Supersox

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 17:08

It is my understanding that John Foulston bought a lot of old Can-Am cars and then persuaded the HSCC to launch a series to cater for them - I think he sponsored it! He then sold on his collection at inflated prices to ensure a reasonable field.

No, I was there-indeed on the HSCC committee- that was not what happened.



#10 Belmondo

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 17:13

Yes I think both the HSCC Historic GT series and the Supersports series admitted the 2-litre cars.

 

Foulston had the two M8s, an M1C, Lola T260 and T530 that I can think of. Possibly others.

 

Best period for the big-engined cars was '87 onwards, for a few years.



#11 Thundersports

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Posted 21 August 2013 - 20:40

Thundersports was an early stomping ground for mainly the single seat Can-am and then the Steinberger series in the 90s which ironically excluded the single seat Can-am. As late as 1991 the Berkeley team enterered "Stingbrace" in an Interserie race driving a March 827.



#12 Gregor Marshall

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Posted 22 August 2013 - 09:33

Don't forget the Super Sport races in the early '80s (917s against T70s, etc) and then the HSCC Atlantic Computer Races in the early '80s too, which was what John Foulston and the HSCC pushed.  There were some great fields but the reliability wasn't as good as it is now.



#13 Belmondo

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Posted 22 August 2013 - 13:12

It is my understanding that John Foulston bought a lot of old Can-Am cars and then persuaded the HSCC to launch a series to cater for them - I think he sponsored it! He then sold on his collection at inflated prices to ensure a reasonable field.

Atlantic Computers did sponsor the HSCC series. But I don't actually remember any of Foulston's CanAm cars being sold while he was alive. I could be wrong. Most of his collection seemed to be there up to his death, and perhaps for a while after. Willie Green raced the Foulston's Lotus 72 in 1988, so Mary Foulston must have hung on to some of the cars for a bit at least.

 

Gregor, I remember those Piper Supersports events fondly, but more for the endurance cars than the CanAms. I remember watching Richard Atwood's 917 beat the CanAms (David Franklin etc) with relative ease on the Silverstone GP circuit in '86.