<< Prev Page 2 of 2 Further refined, the DN6 was wheeled out again for the 1976 season. Unfortunately, Shadow had lost the backing from UOP and was forced to run the F5000 program on a race by race basis with entries depending on securing sufficient backing. Although fragile, the Dodge-powered Shadow proved very quick. Jackie Oliver was retained, and he led at Mosport until getting delayed by a back-marker. He lead again at Watkins Glen but was then forced to retire due to a cracked sump.
All the pieces finally fell into place at Road America where Oliver scored Shadow's first F5000 victory, despite starting from 14th on the grid. It was also the first time in well over a year that a Chevrolet-engined Lola did not win in the American F5000 championship. Two more second place finishes meant that Oliver ended the year in an impressive third in the 1976 championship.
Just when the team seemed to hit their stride in F5000, the championship was cancelled at the end of the 1976 season. F5000 was replaced by a new Can-Am championship for five-litre engined single seaters, fitted with all-enveloping bodywork. One of the DN6s was modified to comply with the new Can-Am regulations. It was raced a couple of times by Alan Jones and Jean-Pierre Jarier but ultimately Nicholls decided to focus all his attention and, probably more importantly, all of the team's resources on the F1 program.
With a victory and a couple of podium finishes, the two-season Shadow F5000 program was remarkably successful, especially considering the tight grip held on the American Championship by the Chevrolet engined Lolas. << Prev Page 2 of 2
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Further refined, the DN6 was wheeled out again for the 1976 season. Unfortunately, Shadow had lost the backing from UOP and was forced to run the F5000 program on a race by race basis with entries depending on securing sufficient backing. Although fragile, the Dodge-powered Shadow proved very quick. Jackie Oliver was retained, and he led at Mosport until getting delayed by a back-marker. He lead again at Watkins Glen but was then forced to retire due to a cracked sump.