Can-Am Racing History

The next year Team McLaren introduced a new model, the M6A, which dominated the season. It was faster than the Lolas and more reliable than the Chaparrals, and driver/owner/builder Bruce McLaren took home the big trophy. The M6A carried a 525-hp small-block Chevy bored and stroked to 359 cubic inches, but bigger things were lurking on the horizon.


There were some new contenders, drawn by the big purses that dwarfed even most F-1 races. Ferrari entered some reworked 330 P4 endurance racers just to see what the fuss was all about, and the Ford-powered, Holman-Moody Honker proved to be uncompetitive. Ray Caldwell even built a car with straight axles front and rear, but it didn't work out.


McLaren was the class of the field the next four years; the orange cars from New Zealand dominated the proceedings with relative ease. In 1968 the big-block Chevy became the powerplant of choice, packing over 620 hp into an all-aluminum ZL-1 engine. The Chaparrals were usually as quick as the McLarens, but not as developed and the automatic transaxles, for all their theoretical advantages, let them down. McLaren driver Dennis Hulme won the honors in 1968, but boss McLaren repeated in 1969.


Ferrari took a serious shot at the series, trying 6.2- and 6.9-liter V-12s packed into a 612P. Driven by Chris Amon, it was quick but underdeveloped. The Porsche entry, a revised 917 endurance racer with a 4.5-liter, 580-hp V-12 was more significant. With not enough power to threaten the Chevys, the 917PA was a test to see what Porsche racers would need in the future. They would be back, with a vengeance!


Unfortunately, McLaren was to lose his life the next year while testing a new McLaren Can-Am car. The 1970 champ was Hulme, who was partnered by Dan Gurney.