Dear Ultimatecarpage.com visitor,
One of the all time great racing series was the original Canadian-American Challenge Cup (Can-Am) held from 1966 to 1974. With very few limitations Can-Am saw some of the most unusual and powerful cars go head to head. The field was a mix of wealthy amateurs and many of the finest drivers of the day including F1 World Champions John Surtees, Denny Hulme, Jacky Stewart and Mario Andretti.
During the final years of the Can-Am Cup it suffered from the oil crisis and the dominant Porsches fielded by Team Penske. Most works team had withdrawn but the Anglo-American Shadow continued to fight against the odds and a much bigger budget. Their perseverance paid off in 1974 when the all new Shadow DN4 won four of the five races. The exceptionally low racer was designed by Tony Southgate and included many parts from the company's Formula 1 cars. The most important ingredient was a big block Chevrolet V8 engine that produced a staggering 800 bhp. After many strange designs, like this Shadow Mk1, Shadow had finally fielded a conventional car and it brought the desired results. Today we explore all aspects of the last Can-Am champion with a detailed report and a 18-shot gallery.
The ultra-low theme of the Shadow was pioneered in 1972 by this Lola T310. The rationale was that the low and wide body would generate a lot of downforce without the penalty of drag. The design was quite a departure from the short and narrow T260 used the year before and the car was completed for driver David Hobbs to make a real impact. It was Lola's final Can-Am car. We caught up with the ex-Hobbs car at the 2007 and 2008 Monterey Historic Races. In 2008 American racing icon Bobby Rahal piloted the white Lola to victory in the Can-Am race. Our article also includes pictures of a second car described by its owner as "number two of one produced."
Enjoy the links:
1972 Lola T310 Chevrolet - Images, Specifications and Information
1974 Shadow DN4 Chevrolet - Images, Specifications and Information
Regards,
Wouter Melissen