CanAm Races 1966 to 1973

This series, known as the “Can-Am”, the first and most impressive period lasted 9 seasons (1966-1974). It was the most famous Can-Am era. Group 7 sports racing cars were almost totally unrestricted and they were the quickest cars in the world at the time - quicker then F1 or sportscars running in the World Championship. Many top F1 drivers also raced in the Can-Am of those days.

Can Am Winners -- Pilot -- Car
1966 season -- John Surtees -- Lola T70 spyder
1967 season -- Bruce McLaren -- McLaren M6A
1968 season -- Denny Hulme -- McLaren M8A
1969 season -- Bruce McLaren -- McLaren M8B
1970 season -- Denny Hulme -- McLaren M8D
1971 season -- Peter Revson -- McLaren M8F
1972 season -- George Follmer -- Porsche 917/10K
1973 season -- Mark Donohue -- Porsche 917/30
1974 season -- Jackie Oliver -- Shadow DN4

Championship races
1966
1 round St. Jovite - Mont Tremblant 11.9.1966
2 round Bridgehampton 18.9.1966
3 round Mosport 25.9.1966
4 round Laguna Seca 16.10.1966
5 round Riverside 30.10.1966
6 round Las Vegas 13.11.1966

1967
1 round Road America 3.9.1967
2 round Bridgehampton 17.9.1967
3 round Mosport 23.9.1967
4 round Laguna Seca 15.10.1967
5 round Riverside 29.10.1967
6 round Las Vegas 9.11.1969

1968
1 round Road America 1.9.1968
2 round Bridgehampton 15.9.1968
3 round Edmonton 29.9.1968
4 round Laguna Seca 13.10.1968
5 round Riverside 27.10.1968
6 round Las Vegas 10.11.1968

1969
1 round Mosport 1.6.1969
2 round St. Jovite 15.6.1969
3 round Watkins Glen 13.7.1969
4 round Edmonton 27.7.1969
5 round Mid-Ohio 17.8.1969
6 round Road America 31.8.1969
7 round Bridgehampton 14.9.1969
8 round Michigan 28.9.1969
9 round Laguna Seca 12.10.1969
10 round Riverside 26.10.1969
11 round Texas

1970
1 round Mosport 14.6.1970
2 round St. Jovite 28.6.1970
3 round Watkins Glen 12.7.1970
4 round Edmonton 26.7.1970
5 round Mid-Ohio 23.8.1970
6 round Road America 30.8.1970
7 round Road Atlanta 13.9.1970
8 round Donnybroke - Brainerd 27.9.1970
9 round Laguna Seca 18.10.1970
10 round Riverside 1.11.1970

1971
1 round Mosport 13.6.1971
2 round St. Jovite 27.6.1971
3 round Road Atlanta 11.7.1971
4 round Watkins Glen 25.7.1971
5 round Mid-Ohio 22.8.1971
6 round Road America 29.8.1971
7 round Donnybroke - Brainerd 12.9.1971
8 round Edmonton 26.9.1971
9 round Laguna Seca 17.10.1971
10 round Riverside 31.10.1971

1972
1 round Mosport 11.6.1972 2 round Road Atlanta 9.7.1972
3 round Watkins Glen 23.7.1972
4 round Mid-Ohio 6.8.1972
5 round Road America 26.8.1973
6 round Donnybroke - Brainerd 17.9.1972
7 round Edmonton 1/10.1972
8 round Laguna Seca 15.10.1972
9 round Riverside 29.10.1972

1973
1 round Mosport 10.6.1973
2 round Road Atlanta 8.7.1973
3 round Watkins Glen 22.7.1973
4 round Mid-Ohio 12.8.1973
5 round Road America 26.8.1973
6 round Edmonton 16.9.1973
7 round Laguna Seca 14.10.1973
8 round Riverside 28.10.1973

1974
1 round Mosport 16.6.1974
2 round Road Atlanta 7.7.1974
3 round Watkins Glen 14.7.1974
4 round Mid-Ohio 11.8.1974
5 round Road America 25.8.1974

USRRC Races 1963 to 1965

Season -- Driver -- GT Makes
1963 -- Bob Holbert -- AC Cobra
1964 -- Jim Hall -- Shelby American
1965 -- George Follmer -- Shelby American
1966 -- Chuck Parsons -- Not applicable
1967 -- Mark Donohue -- Not applicable
1968 -- Mark Donohue -- Not applicable

USRRC Augusta
1.3.1964
USRRC Pensacola
26.5.1963 -- 5.4.1964 -- 11.4.1965
USRRC Riverside
26.4.1964 -- 2.5.1965
USRRC Laguna Seca
9.6.1963 -- 3.5.1964 -- 9.5.1965
USRRC Bridgehampton
23.5.1965 -- 4
USRRC Watkins Glen
30.6.1963 -- 28.6.1964 -- 27.6.1965
USRRC Kent
21.7.1963 -- 10.5.1964 -- 1.8.1965
USRRC Greenwood
19.7.1964
USRRC Meadowdale
9.8.1964
USRRC Continental Divide
18.8.1963 -- 15.8.1965
Road America 500 Miles
8.9.1963 -- 13.9.1964 -- 5.9.1965
USRRC Mid-Ohio
22.9.1963 -- 30.8.1964 -- 29.8.1965

CanAm - Definitions

Can-Am Championship

The Can-Am championship, which full name was originally "Canadian-American Challenge Cup", was established in 1966. There were two separate periods in its history. The first period was from 1966 to 1974. It was the most famous Can-Am era. Eligible group 7 sports racing cars were almost totally unrestricted and they were the quickest cars in the world at the time - quicker than F1 or sportscars running in the World Championship.

Many top F1 drivers took part in the Can-Am of those days. It was the best-feed series. The first title went to John Surtees with a Lola. But then became a McLaren era. Works team with Denny Hulme and its founder Bruce McLaren was almost unbeatable and won most of the races between 1967 and 1971. But, before 1970 season Bruce was killed testing of his new Can-Am car. The new McLaren management lost their interest about Can-Am after dominance of Porsche-Turbo in 1972. Soon after, Can-Am began slowly to lose its importance and interest of public. This situation came into crisis in 1974 when the series ended after only five races and the winner Oliver with Shadow wasn't accepted by the FIA.

The new era of Can-Am was 1977-1986. This modern era admitted also single-seater cars but only up to 5 liter engines were allowed. So classic Can-Am cars were handicapped against much lighter re-bodied F5000.

An attempt to bring Can-Am back was seen in 1998 when the new SCCA sanctioned USRRC created its own championship almost identical to IMSA. Usual WSC sportscars were renamed to Can-Am but that had really nothing to do with the 'true' Can-Am championship. USRRC series disappeared after only two years of its existence.

1966 to 1974 and 1977 to 1986

Mission of this Blog

This Blog focus on the first era, covering both the USRRC and the CanAm, up to the end of the 1974 season. This was the time when the real "sacred monsters" raced. A small representation of that era and belonging to my 1/43 collection is displayed in here.

USRRC - Definitions

USRRC - United States Road Racing Championship

The United States Road Racing Championship (USRRC) was created by the Sports Car Club of America in 1962. It was the first SCCA series for professional racing drivers. For its first three seasons, the series featured both open-topped sports cars and GT cars. Shelby American and Porsche dominated the Over- and Under-2 Liter classes, respectively. The USRRC ran from 1963 until 1968 when it was abandoned in favor of the more successful Can-Am series, which was also run by the SCCA.

From 1963 to 1965 USRRC had some separate GT races that were counted to USRRC Manufacturer Championship. Some of these GT races were run together with main USRRC events but drivers running to Manufacturers Championship couldn't score points.

In 1998 was reintroduced "to make sports car racing in United States more popular". It was nothing else than almost a copy of IMSA/PSCR.