JACKIE STEWART'S CAN-AM RUN.

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

Detroit. The original Can-Am Series is still legendary to this day. From 1966 to 1974 it established itself as the premier - and richest - road racing series in the world. It had the fastest racing cars - when F1 cars ran on the same tracks the Can-Am cars were proven to be faster - and the "unlimited" road racing series attracted some of the best drivers in the world as well. There was one big problem with the series, however, and that is that after the inaugural 1966 season,Team McLaren utterly dominated the series year-in and year-out. Bruce McLaren's namesake team had the best designed and prepared cars, and they were, in turn, the fastest machines by far. And with Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme - two of the finest drivers in the world - McLaren was the team to beat at every race they entered.

But challengers were always present. Jim Hall's magnificent, bleeding-edge Chaparrals were technical wonders, complete with heavy - and direct - factory involvement from Chevrolet Engineering and GM Styling (now Design). In 1966, Phil Hill and Jim Hall dominated the Laguna Seca Can-Am in their high-winged Chaparral 2Es. And the ultra-radical ground-effects machine - the Chaparral 2J - with its on-board snowmobile engines designed to suck the machine to the ground in the corners on its GE Lexan skirts, was breathtakingly fast, when it worked, which unfortunately wasn't often. Jackie Stewart debuted the 2J for Hall at Watkins Glen in 1970, but the car - which was completely designed and engineered by Chevrolet engineers and jointly developed with Hall - wasn't ready. The potential was frightening to everyone, however, and later in the season the car was as much as two sec. a lap quicker than the McLarens. 

John Surtees was the first Can-Am Champion in 1966 with his red Lola T70 Mk.2 Chevrolet. And Dan Gurney was another challenger. He delivered a win in the first season at Bridgehampton, New York, in his beautiful All American Racers Lola T70 Mk.2 Ford in 1966. Gurney would return to help Team McLaren for the start of the 1970 season after Bruce McLaren was tragically killed in a testing accident at Goodwood two weeks before the season was to start. He promptly won the first two races of the 1970 Can-Am season for McLaren. There were many others - Shadow, for instance - but this week I am going to focus on Jackie Stewart and Carl Haas.

Stewart liked his return experience in Can-Am with Hall - Jackie ran some one-off drives on his own in 1966 - and agreed to drive Carl Haas Racing's brand-new Lola T260 Chevrolet for the 1971 Can-Am season. Haas brought sponsorship from L&M cigarettes, so he could afford to offer Stewart the kind of compensation he was looking for, and a deal was struck. The Eric Broadley-designed Lola T260 with its snub-nose and relatively short wheelbase was radical in its own right. The machine proved to be a wicked handful, but with Stewart at the wheel, the Lola gave Team McLaren fits for most of the season. In past seasons, Team McLaren may have been able to measure their pace and turn it up when they needed to. The 1971 season would be different.

Stewart served notice at the Can-Am opener at Mosport in June by putting the Lola T260 - powered by a 494 cu. in. Chevrolet and adorned with No. 1 and resplendent in its striking L&M livery - on the pole with a 1:17.300. Hulme was second in his No. 5 McLaren M8F Chevrolet with a 1:18 flat, and his teammate Peter Revson was third with a 1:18.100 in the No. 7 McLaren M8F Chevrolet. The race proved to be a McLaren walk, however, as Hulme and Revson ran 1-2, with Stewart encountering gearbox problems with his new machine. 

The second round came quickly at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant - St. Jovite, two weeks later. Hulme grabbed the pole in qualifying ahead of Stewart, who was followed by Revson. But this race would be different, as Stewart broke through for the win, followed by Hulme and Revson. There was no "measured pace" racing any longer in the Can-Am for McLaren. Stewart had changed the dynamic in the series and it was on.

Revson and Hulme would run 1-2 at Road Atlanta, while Stewart encountered rear damper issues. He did set the fastest race lap, however. Stewart would start from the pole at Watkins Glen, followed by Revson and Hulme, with David Hobbs starting from the fourth position in his No. 8 McLaren M8D Chevrolet. Stewart lost a drive shaft in the race, as Revson and Hulme delivered another McLaren 1-2. Jo Siffert finished third in his No. 20 Porsche 917/10 and Mario Andretti finished fourth in his factory-supported No. 50 Ferrari 712 M.

Stewart would qualify third behind Hulme and Revson at the Mid-Ohio Can-Am round, but he would come through for his second win of the season ahead of Jo Siffert's No. 20 Porsche 917/10. It was clear that the torrid pace set by Stewart contributed to both McLarens having driveshaft issues. At the Can-Am's "home" circuit - Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - Revson would win ahead of Jo Siffert again, with Vic Elford (No. 29 McLaren M8E Chevrolet) finishing third. Hulme suffered a blown engine, while Stewart was hit with overheating. The McLaren Team turned up the wick at Donnybrooke, in Minnesota, with Revson and Hulme on the front row in their McLaren M8F Chevrolets three seconds a lap clear of the rest of the field, including Stewart in third. Revson and Hulme would register another McLaren 1-2 in the race, as Stewart would fade to sixth.

At the Molson Can-Am Edmonton, Revson, Hulme and Stewart were 1-2-3 on the grid, very close together in times. Hulme would come through for another win, with Stewart one sec. behind in second position. Jackie Oliver (No. 101 Shadow Mk II Chevrolet) finished third. For the last two races of the Can-Am season, the Carl A. Haas Racing Team was desperate to get Stewart another win. Stewart complained all season that he didn't have enough down-force on the front of the car, so the team showed up at Laguna Seca with a huge front wing protruding out from the front of the No. 1 Lola T260 Chevrolet. It was dubbed - not affectionately - the "cow catcher" (see photos below). Revson and Hulme were on the front row in qualifying, with Hobbs and Stewart in the second row. Revson, Stewart and Hulme ran 1-2-3 in the race. An interesting fourth place went to Brian Redman in the No. 38 Syd Taylor Racing BRM P167 Chevrolet.

The last race of the 1971 Can-Am season took place at Riverside International Raceway, on October 29th. Hulme and Revson were on the front row in qualifying, with Stewart and George Follmer (No. 2 Roy Woods Racing McLaren M8D Chevrolet) in the second row. Hulme and Revson finished the season with another 1-2, while Stewart retired with a blown engine. Revson was the 1971 Can-Am Champion. Hulme finished second in the championship standings, with Stewart third.

The 1971 Can-Am season will always be remembered for Jackie Stewart's brilliance at the wheel as he willed his evil-handling Lola around North America's greatest race tracks in pursuit of toppling the McLaren juggernaut. 

I know I will never forget it.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Pete Lyons photo)
Jackie Stewart put on a masterful driving display in the No. 1 Carl A. Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet throughout the 1971 Can-Am season.

(Pete Lyons photo)
Stewart at Road Atlanta, July 1971.

Denny Hulme and Jackie Stewart at Mid-Ohio, August, 1971.

(Pete Lyons photo)
The pace lap for the Mid-Ohio Can-Am: Revson (No. 7 McLaren M8F Chevrolet), Hulme (No. 5 McLaren M8F Chevrolet), Stewart (No. 1 Carl A. Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet), Siffert (No. 20 STP Porsche Audi Porsche 917/10).

Jackie Stewart hammers his No. 1 Lola T260 Chevrolet up the main straight at Road America.

(Pete Lyons photo)
Peter Revson (No. 7 GULF McLaren M8F Chevrolet) on his way to the win at Road America, and the 1971 Can-Am Championship.

(Pete Lyons photo)
The massive front wing on Jackie Stewart's No. 1 Carl A. Haas Racing L&M Lola T260 Chevrolet appeared at the final two rounds of the 1971 Can-Am season,  Laguna Seca and Riverside.

(Pete Lyons photo)
Another view of the "cow catcher" front wing.


Jo Siffert ran exceptionally well in his Porsche 917/10. This is his car in the pit lane at Watkins Glen, July 1971.


(Pete Lyons photo)
Jackie Stewart made the 1971 Can-Am season memorable for racing enthusiasts across North America. Here he is in the pit lane at Mid-Ohio, August 1971.CORRECTION: Above photo by Terry Capps