Can-Am and F5000

Mesa · 05-30-08, 12:10 PM

I'm headed out the door for the Golden Gate Bridge all pumped up. I get to go to the Wine Country Classic, first time in decades that I've had this weekend "off". The entry list Welcome to the Wine Country Classic includes a big field of Can Am and F5000 cars. Along with 75-85 F1 cars these are my favorites. Today being Frday I expect less crowds and better picture opportunities. If anyone is interested I'll mail some pics out later.

Two Shadow Can-ams and at least one Shadow F5000 .... ooooh - aahhhhh

I just finished reading "Can Am Challenger" by Peter Bryant (The Ti22 and Shadow Can-am designer) Great read, great stories. I recommend it highly.

dfreeman95 · 05-30-08, 12:46 PM

Don't forget a very large field of vintage Trans Am cars as well. 40 of these screaming small blocks taking the green is something to behold! Click Racing will likely have his MkI GT40 there as well even if it is not racing.

I will be there as a spectator on sunday. Normally we would be running the T/A car and maybe the Cobra but there was an "incident" last year at Monterey. So we will be sitting this year out. It will be nice to have the time to take a closer look at the cars though.

Mesa, pm me with your info if you will be there on Sunday. We can hook up for a beer. Love to talk with you about the SLC.

Chris P. · 05-30-08, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesa

... If anyone is interested I'll mail some pics out later...

Excuse me, IF? Listen buddy, no pictures and we'll have Ron kick you off the site!

Have fun!

Howard Jones · 05-30-08, 03:42 PM

I'm gonna drive my 40 up on Saturday morning. It will be in the Cobra corral. I'm gonna wander around all day. I'm keep a eye open for ya if youre gonna be there. I'd like to talk SLC with ya. I've got it too!

You too Freeman!

Brian Hamilton · 05-30-08, 05:26 PM

My uncle, Roland Johnson, is there helping some people with their race cars. If anyone sees him, tell him you know me. I don't know if any of you will know him though. LOL I just called him and he said he's there right this second putting a car on Pre-Grid. Sux that I live in Texas...

Eric Johnson · 05-30-08, 07:24 PM

Pictures. Yes !!!

Mesa · 05-31-08, 12:10 AM

Back home after a great day, no crowds, lots of pics. May take me a few days to post much. Looks like the second Shadow Can-am and the F5000 Shadow didnt show. Poo. But the one that was there appeared to be kicking butt !

Freeman and Howard - It would be great to hook up, but the girl wants to put in an all day bike ride tomorrow (how do I get roped into these things?!) and to tell the truth I got an excellent fill today, so I'm good. Sorry I won't be back this weekend, you boys have a good time and talk a bunch of SLC smack jack!

On an SLC note - I don't know if any of you guys followed a Canadian guy's efforts at installing a BMW V12 into an Ultima. This guy used it to try and claim the worlds best/fastest street car competition a few years back. The day that competition ended he parked the Ultima and has gone vintage, he now runs the Jerobee Mclaren BBC. I didnt know who he was when - we started talking about Jerobees (of all things), we later realised we had emailed back and forth on his V12 project years ago. Anyway, he is familiar with the SLC and was very interested to know I have one on the way, he had nothing but good things to say about the specs on the car. Another interesting note - he said the chassis on the Ultima was "a piece of crap","nowhere near stiff enough".

Rob

Mesa · 05-31-08, 12:23 AM

I commented to the F5000 guys that most all of the Can-Ams were all taken apart and being worked on yet the 5000s were all in one piece and ready to race. Thier retort? "And we look better too"

Mesa · 05-31-08, 12:30 AM

The blue Can-am car above was the one Paul Newman drove in the movie "Winning"

Mesa · 05-31-08, 12:36 AM

This blue one is a Lola T400, I think.
I don't know why some of the thumbnails don't load, yet if you click on them the full view does ......?

Mesa · 05-31-08, 12:49 AM

My Shadow pics didnt come out so hot because the car was in the, uh ....... shadows.

Jac Mac · 06-01-08, 04:38 PM

I assume rules were the reason Jay was not running his own *SBC* 'Giant Killer' early McLaren Can Am?

dfreeman95 · 06-02-08, 02:00 AM

Here are a few pics that I took. Had to only spend a few hours as my 10mo old would not sleep he was so interested in everything going on.

Mesa · 06-02-08, 01:11 PM

Jac,
Jay did not say why he was running the BBC instead of the SBC. He did offer this advice -"Keep the rotating (engine/drivetrain) mass at a minimum and keep the engine as low as possible in the chassis". He commented on how in the BBC car the handling was really "slow" compared to the SBC car.

Brian Hamilton · 06-02-08, 02:41 PM

Ya'll didn't see my Uncle out there huh? Here's who he was there with...

A.C. DiAugustine driving a Genie Mk 10 - Finished 4th
Norm Cowdrey driving a Wedge McKee - Finished 11th

Norm also owns a Ford GT according to my Uncle.

Hope ya'll had a great time!! Maybe one of these days I'll get myself out there.

Russ Noble · 06-02-08, 03:17 PM

The M6B that Jay had out here was also running late model IRL type corners, hubs, uprights, brakes etc. What's the story behind that?

I'm all for racecars being an evolving species but I'm sure some of the traditionalist competitors and race organisers would tend to look down their noses at that and exclude it from many historic events. Or are there plenty of 'real' race meetings (as opposed to historic ones or track days) where it can race anyway?

Seems a strange thing to do....

Mesa · 06-02-08, 03:47 PM

Brian,
If the "wedge" car was the blue "Paul Newman" car then I may have talked to your uncle (gotta pic?).

Russ,
I only saw the BBC car I don't think Jay had the SBC car there. Where did you see it was at this meet? The brakes on the BBC were definately old school type (and he said they were not up to snuff). I agree it's kind of odd to allow a car with modern brakes into a vintage event.

The ''go cart - tiny tire'' Shadow was to have been there but it didnt show, major bummer that was!

Jac Mac · 06-02-08, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ Noble

The M6B that Jay had out here was also running late model IRL type corners, hubs, uprights, brakes etc. What's the story behind that?

Seems a strange thing to do....

Not sure what Jay's reasons were but there is a bit of 'discussion' going on in regard to using later components in some of these cars from a safety point of view. Jack Ondrack had written an article in the 'Victory Lane' magazine in regard to this & used Jay's car as an example.[I think it was an issue published around Xmas 2007]. Its one of those issues that will probably never go away or get resolved as each person has their own agenda or personal circumstance for making changes etc.

Mesa-- Its a 'very' Small block!