WELCOME TO
CAN -AM
From 1966 to 1974, the Canadian American Challenge Cup, better known as Can-Am, dominated the North American road racing scene, bringing the most famous drivers in the world with the fastest cars to compete against North America's best.
These Group 7 sportscars operated under a formula libra set of regulations, with few restrictions on the engine size or bodywork. Cam-Am cars became some of the first racers to carry aerodynamic dynamic devices as the series continued to spawn incredible technological advancements, thanks largely to Jim Hall with his increasingly outlandish collection of Chaparrals.
The 1967 Mosport Can-Am would play host to one of the most staggering results in the Can-Am championship.
At the Canadian Grand Prix, Jim Clark captured the pole position with a lap time of 1:22.4 in his Lotus-Ford F1 car.
A month later, at the Mosport Can-Am, Denny Hulme would take pole position with a lap time of 1:20.8, his McLaren M6A Chevrolet besting Clarke's lap by 1.6 seconds. Producing up to 1500 hp in qualifying trim, these Can-Am cars were considered, by many, to be the fastest road racing cars on the planet.
Largely forgotten by the general public, this is the story of four drivers and the series that brought so much imagination and competition to North American motorsports.
Welcome to Can-Am.
Welcome to Can-Am | Long Trailer
Welcome to Can-Am | Short Trailer
DRIVERS
DENNY HULME
Born in Motueka on the South Island of New Zealand, Denny Hulme is the first and only Formula 1 World Champion from the small Pacific Island nation. Nicknamed The Bear due to his gruff nature, he was a versatile driver who found both success and longevity in racing, competing in touring cars and trucks through the 1980s. He lost his life at the 1992 Bathurst 1000, suffering a heart attack while travelling down the Conrod Straight, becoming the first World Champion to die of natural causes.
Penske Racing
MARK DONOHUE
Born in Haddon Township, New Jersey, Mark Donohue earned two nicknames during his career: Captain Nice and Dark Monohue. The primary test and development driver for the 917-10. Donohue used an evolution of this car, the 917-30, to set a world closed-course speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway with an average speed of 221.120 mph. He died in Graz, Austria, following a Friday practice crash three days after setting the Talladega record. The accident also claimed the life of marshal Manfred Schaller. He won his one and only Cam Am Championship in 1973.
McLaren Racing
BRUCE MCLAREN
The modern McLaren racing team still carries his name. Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Bruce McLaren is the first of a surprising number of drivers from the small South Pacific nation to reach the world's pinnacle racing series. He partnered with countryman Chris Amon to win the infamous 1966 Le Mans 24-hour race in a Ford GT-40 ahead of Ken Miles and Denny Hulme. In 1969, the McLaren Can-Am team won all 11 races, and Bruce claimed his second Can-Am trophy. On the 2nd of June 1970, Bruce McLaren lost his life while testing at Goodwood, crashing into an abandoned marshal post that had been scheduled for demolition.
PETER REVSON
Born in New York City, Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson was the son of Revlon Cosmetics co-founder Martin Revson. Briefly entering his own team in the 1964 World Champion, Revson would later find success with McLaren, winning two races in the 1973 F1 season. He won his first and only major racing championship with McLaren, taking home the 1971 Can-Am Challenge Cup with five victories. He would lose his life at Barbecue Bend after heavy crash at the Kyalami circuit, in the lead up to the 1974 South African Grand Prix.
CIRCUITS
Canada
Mosport International Raceway
Bowmanville, Ontario
Now known as Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, this permanent road course, 75 kilometers east of Toronto, is one of the few road courses in the world to maintain its original layout. It has hosted more Can-Am races than any other circuit.
United States
Stardust International Raceway
Operating for only six year. The Stardust Raceway was the creation of a Nevada corporation headed by the primary owner of the Desert Inn and Stardust Hotel & Casinos. Used a promotional tool for their casinos, the land the circuit sat on is now a housing development.
United States
Bridgehampton
Race Circuit
Sag Harbour, New York
Opening in 1957 and located at the end of Long Island, Bridgehampton saw limited racing after Can-Am moved the Road Atlanta. Denny Hulme still holds the fastest time around the circuit, set during the final Can-Am event at the circuit, in 1969.
United States
Laguna Seca
Raceway
Monterey, California
The Corkscrew. The legendary turn 8 complex that defines this circuit. Still hosting top level motorsports, it is an icon of American road racing, motorcycle racing, and the Can-Am Challenge Cup.
United States
Riverside
International Raceway
Riverside, California
Long forgotten in the eyes of the general public, Riverside was a formidable circuit. Fast, flowing and unforgiving, the circuit has seen its share of history, including Richard Childress' first NASCAR win, with the #3 car being driven on that day by Ricky Rudd.
Canada
Mont-Tremblant
St-Jovite
Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
Located approximately 130 km north of Montreal, this circuit, now known as the Circuit Mont-Tremblant, played host to the first ever Can-Am race, on September 11, 1966. The last major series to visit the circuit was the Champ Car World Series, a race won by Robert Doornbos on July 1, 2007.
United States
Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Like Laguna Seca, Road America is one of the oldest and most iconic road racing venues in the world. It hosted Can-Am racing from 1967 to 1974 and, like Mosport, maintains its original configuration to this day.
Canada
Edmonton, Alberta
This long-forgotten venue, also known as Speedway Park, hosted a handful of Can-Am races before being closed in 1982.
Mark Donohue's 1973 lap record remained unchallenged to the end.
United States
Watkins Glen, New York
A staple of international motorsports in America, the Watkins Glen track joined the Can-Am series in 1969, two years before the addition of The Boot section to the circuit, currently used by IMSA and IndyCar.
United States
Lexington, Ohio
Opening in 1962, this circuit in rural Ohio hosted the original Can-Am series from 1969 to 1974. In 1971, Jackie Stewart took the second of his two career Cam-Am victories at the Mid-Ohio circuit in a Lola T260 Chevrolet.
United States
Donnybrooke
Speedway
Brainerd, Minnesota
Still in operation today, but now known as the Brainerd International Raceway, this circuit hosted three Can-Am races from 1970 to 1972. When it opened in July 1968, there were no safety barriers, runoff areas, grandstands or even restrooms.
United States
Road
Atlanta
Hall County, Georgia
The inagural race at the circuit was the 1970 Can-Am race won by Tony Dean in his Porche 908. The track was extremely popular amongst fans, and was incredibily successful for the American drivers of the series, with George Follmer picking up three wins at the circuit.