The Canadian-American Challenge Cup from 1966 to 1974 is about the biggest, baddest and mightiest sports cars in motor racing history. Mechanical leviathans which only the worlds finest and perhaps terminally brave could truly tame.

World champions like John Surtees, Denny Hulme, Jack Brabham, Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart all competed whilst Bruce McLaren leaded a host of other Formula One and Indy Car drivers. They all boosted their bank balances by racing in the Can-Am. The then richest racing series in the world.

From 1966 to 1972 it was the big American V8 that ruled. Ferrari and other makes tried to compete against these big and thirsty low down torque engines but could not beat them. Only when Porsche arrived with their flat 12 twin turbo engines did the big V8 fade. They did not however give up that easily and many were turbocharged to take the power base from 800bhp to some 1300bhp. These cars could reach speeds of over 200 mph (360 kmph)

In 1972 the big budget Porsche 917/10's arrived and with 5 liter twin turbo engines boosted power to the 1400 bhp level. This effectively killed off the Can-Am Series which by then was feeling the effects of a new regime in professional grand prix organization. Added to this was the fact of the first oil crises in 1973 put paid to big thirsty engines. (It also put paid to the Trans-Am Series).

The rules for Can-Am were loose almost to the point of non-existence – the result the series became a hot house for fertile minds of car designers and engineers. This resulted in some extra-ordinary technical innovations. Engine turbo charging, four wheel drive, automatic transmission, active suspension, suction and some bizarre aerodynamic solutions as race engineers tried to push the envelope through 200 mph on road-race circuits. Just about every new formula one innovation of the late sixties early seventies came from the Can-Am Series.

Michael Campagne's McLaren M8F.

This McLaren was built initially with on 8.5 liter 800 bhp for the Can-Am Series in the USA. By 1973 it had been given twin turbo's which boosted the power band to 1300 bhp. This was still not enough to beat the factory Porsche 917/10 with its blown 1400 bhp motor.

None but the brave could race these cars competatively. The Campagne McLaren was imported to Europe by the Belgium VDS racing team for Teddy Pilette to drive in the European Inter-series from 1970-1975. It is this same car that Michael Campagne will be racing at Zwartkops on the 29th January 2011.

The twin turbo engine has been replaced by a more modest 8 liter Chev V8 producing about 750 bhp. As recalled by Denny Halime who won two Can-Am titles for McLaren. "In the end it was not about the horsepower...it was the torque you needed to steer the cars into and out of the corners...6000 revs was all you needed...and of course to keep your foot on the pedal...the harder and longer to held it down...well the faster you went...that was the problem you had to be real brave to keep your foot on the pedal." "None but the brave", Denny Hulme (former world F1 Champion) summed it all up in my mind, the greatest formula ever invented in racing."

See you at Zwartkops!

Tickets will be available on the day at the gate for: R150 per Adult, R70 per Student.

OR

Save up to R40 and buy from Computicket: R110 per Adult, R60 per Student. Children under 12 for free.

More details on website: www.zwartkops.co.za

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