The fuel tanks could hold up to 440 liters of fuel in total. Consumption was 75-97 l/100 km, which corresponds to a value of 3.1 to 2.4 mpg.

UOP Shadow was working on a twin turbo package in 1973 that would have had about the same horse power,but the rules on fuel capacity became the issue that hindered further development... Was a great show of (run what you brung, and you had better brung a lot) racing . Rules KILLED unlimited racing!!!!!

A very interesting book!

The 917/30 was so dominant, there was no need for intercoolers. Even the updated 917/10s, of which one had won the year before, had no chance. But that was not the end of the story. Intercooler was installed for the speed record attempt at Talladega. 35 years ago, Mark Donohue set a world speed record on the Talladega oval that would last 11 years. Motorcycle Adventure - Win a motorcycle tour through Austria with your buddy - Enter now! The success story of Mark Donohue, Roger Penske and Porsche had reached its absolute peak two years earlier. In 1973, the 917/30 entered by Roger Penske and driven by Mark Donohue dominated the CanAm series. The 917/30 was the last evolution of the successful 917, which famously won at Le Mans in '70 and '71 before being booted out there by a change in regulations. In the CanAm, which was the most important sports car series overseas at the time, the 917 was represented only sporadically until 71. This was to change in '72, when the 917/10 was developed for the first time as a car for the CanAm adventure. With resounding success: the new racers won six of the nine rounds of the season against the McLaren cars, which were used to winning. With George Follmer, who stood in for Donohue when the latter had to take a break due to an accident at Road Atlanta, the champion also drove a product from Weissach. For 1973 Porsche went one better, they developed the 917/30, according to long-time race director Peter Falk probably the best race car ever to leave Weissach, despite the 956/962. Equipped with a 5.4 ltr. 12-cylinder turbo engine, the car produced 1100 hp, and that with an unladen weight of 800 kg. However, these many horses also have a lot of thirst, so the tanks held 400 ltr. With the 917/30 Mark Donohue won six of eight races to the CanAm 1973 and became superior champion. Thereupon for 1974 the fuel was limited on the part of CanAm to a value, which was not attainable for Porsche, thus one withdrew. Penske and Donohue remained together in 74, but the popular driver moved more and more to the other side of the pit wall and became team manager at Penske. He only raced sporadically. It wasn't until Roger Penske decided to move to Formula 1 that Donohue himself returned to the cockpit. The results remained 75 sobering, but the two had something else in mind, namely the world speed record for closed race tracks. The project was initially planned as a private venture by Roger Penske and Mark Donohue. The 1973 winning car was still in Penske's hands. But during the first tests at Daytona, two engines broke down. The engine was not designed for continuous full load on ovals. So they turned to the testing department in Weissach. Mark Donohue himself convinced the Porsche technicians that the world record, then held by A.J. Foyt (350.53 km/h in the Coyote Ford Indy Car, also set in Talladega in 1974), could be achieved with the Porsche 917/30. Porsche agreed, paid for the work and tests to the tune of DM 35,000-50,000, but also supported the project with parts and, above all, brainpower. The official record attempt should take place in the framework of the Talladega 500 - NASCAR race in August 1975. Talladega is still today the largest oval, which is also used for racing, 2.66 km measures a round. After the problems with the oil supply had been solved to some extent, the engine was further tested on dynos with the requirement to run for at least two minutes under full load. However, this never succeeded, approx.1.45 min was the highest value according to Prof. Flegl. The whole exhaust system was already white-hot. But with this it was also clear that one could drive a maximum of two rounds in Talladega at a stretch under full load to reach the record. On August 9, 1975, the time had come. The first attempt failed for almost expected reasons. Some oil ignited on the hot exhaust and immediately set the rear of the 917/30 on fire. Donohue drove into the pit lane with the engine off and braked at a fire extinguisher. The damage was contained, however, the leak was sealed and a new attempt was made, although Mark Donohue was not happy about it. As the Indy winner in '72, he was certainly not a scaredy cat, but the sky was very dark, it was drizzling on and off, and he didn't like the idea of being caught in a downpour at more than 350 mph. Besides, the handling of the car on the oval was not very good. He still went for another attempt for a planned four laps, but came back in after the third. But it was enough with 355.78 km/h average speed the world record was achieved. The top speed on the back straight of the tri-oval was 382 km/h, four kilometers less than the theoretical maximum. 1230 hp drove the 917/30 and Mark Donohue to the record run. It was the last major appearance of a 917 (apart from the Kremer replica in 1981) on the race track and unfortunately also the last successful one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m2HShYyPjN2VnKM

So did I. I grew up in Cincinnati and attended Mid Ohio races with my father. Also loved the Trans Am series.

This is a really nice sponsorship-name. King of cool. Winner.

The frame was made of aluminum tubing. There were a few 917-10 frames with magnesium frames, most were aluminum. 917-30's are all aluminum.

Half a century now and still as lovable <3

When then 16 cylinder engine was ready for testing, the 12 cylinder had already undergone some further development and got turbocharged for the Can Am series. The 16 cylinder could not keep up. Klaus Bischof from the the Porsche Museum promised to get it running again!

Peter Mayer Unbelievable! What is the title of the DVD? Can-Am Thunder: The Mighty Machines of the Series?

@@DickHertz247 speed odyssey

I unfortunately do not know. I googled so much to find the music's source - impossible. But I found it worth being reloaded.

I was hoping to get any info on the original film or tv show that the footage came from - thanks for your help and for posting the awesome footage!

I was at that race as well. The race format was two heats. Donohue blew the motor near the end of the first heat. The crew made a historic change of engines during the intermission and Donohue came back in the 2nd heat and won from the back of the grid. I was also at the final race at Riverside. He simply decimated the field and that was the end of the 917-30 in the Can-Am series.

Terrance Dail I have a B&W photo I took of Mark and Roger leaning over the car looking at the motor just before they pulled it. I watched most of the engine change. As you say, incredible how dominant the 917-30 was, and yes it ended the Can-Am.

I was also at that race at Laguna. Fantastic. I have a photo of that day and race with Mark driving the cool down lap on the wall of my garage. Cheers

Unlimited NO RULES racing the CAN-AM ! That's why people came to the races.... NO RULES.

Excess was barely adequate!! Those were the only RULES. Bring that series back, and the people will show up

To be fair, they'd had a year running 917/10s by then as well. Just imagine if they'd made more than one of them & there was some close racing... This runs occasionally still, ran at the Goodwood Festival this year.

Way before safety was really considered. Those cars were super fast, even compared to today.