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Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 16:53
by zahistorics
Ray Emond sent me this. A picture is worth a thousand words:
ray.jpg

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 17:05
by Firenza GT
I'll put my foot in it again, Hi-Fi you should direct the hsitorics guys running the show to this site as this in essence is where they can get some direction as to where they should be going.

Here's about 420 horses power froma 302 and this car or rather the other two ran 1 min 22,5 and 1 min 22,9 around Killarney qualifying for the 1973 Cape Three hour on a track that was narrower and bumpier.

Cars ran full interior, all their trimmings and a further guid as to where Historics should steer is that these Dealer Team cars could easily have reverted back to road cars.

Alternatively seeing the performance of these guys as in this image we should uphold these okes as hero's. I have still to see any replica, converted Can Am or anything coupe circle any track with just one wheel in the air never mind two like this. That will explain how "out of rule" tyhe modern classics are as they go round as if on rails. I was fortunate in later years to see the great Paddy O'Sullivan drive this very same restored car exactly like this at Zwartkops.

Don't get me wrong this is just my opinion and I can;t do better than the guys racing now. It's just that when I see this sort of image I respect these guys so much that it does'nt really matter if classics collapsed tommorow. This was an era that can never be again not the way it goes now where basic fundemental principles cannot be applied without what seems just short of lawyers sorting the present state of affairs out.

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 17:11
by ZA Perana
Amazing picture that....am sure Ray had some very interesting recollections from the days when he raced the car....

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 17:49
by zahistorics
Ray has interesting recollections of racing all three Can Ams! He's othe only driver who raced in all three.

Look at this bit of a photo I got from Dinky Brown. The same car (maroon car) in Zim when Dick Mawson owned it:
interior.jpg
Proper front passenger seat in place. Rear seat in place neatly punctured by roll cage. These cars even ran with the door cards in place. Better than some of todays Fine Cars!

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 17:54
by zahistorics
Just to prove that wheels in the air was business as usual:
Emond - Van Rooyen - Hesketh 1973 - from CAR Oct 1989 6.jpg

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 19:53
by Killarney Racer
I have a picture of Mortimer in identical pose in his Can-Am during a 9hr race. Will scan and post it just now.

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Sat 22 Mar 2008, 20:02
by ZA Perana
Killarney Racer wrote: I have a picture of Mortimer in identical pose in his Can-Am during a 9hr race. Will scan and post it just now.


That would be in the 1972 9 hour race, the car has two pipes below for brake cooling.... :D

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Mon 24 Mar 2008, 09:15
by CanAm302
When you see what really stiff springs and sway bars can do its no wonder older race cars with 'minimal' cages tended to twist the bodies!

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Mon 24 Mar 2008, 15:04
by zahistorics
Seth: Nice pic - Who is that, what race?

Re: Can Am Cornering

Posted: Mon 24 Mar 2008, 15:18
by Firenza GT
Geoff Mortimer at the wheel shared the car with Basil Van Rooyen. First time out November 1972 Kyalami 9 hour.

Hats off to the late Paddy O'Sullivan who came back with one of these orginals many years later and raced it exactly like this.

You got to Keep looking at these old images. Back to basics. Real cars, real drivers.