Porsche KILLED the Can-Am! Or did it? ...

Was the Porsche 917/30 really the "Can-Am Killer"? Did it really make 1500hp? Ficarra takes a deep dive on Porsche and Penske's participation in the greatest race series of all time, from the development of the mighty 917/10 to the dominance of the 917/30 Turbo Panzer.
Bonus home movie of the 1972 Can-Am at Mid-Ohio at the end!
Thanks to © Leopold Buchmaier via Gero Hoschek
Get some Ficarra Classic merch:
ficarraclassic...
Instagram: @ficarraclassic
#porsche #turbo #canam #917

[@Mr-G131]

42 minutes never went by so fast. your passion and enthusiasm is infectious. I hope you chose to do more of these even if the views don't roll in as they should. even if its just for you to keep record of the history for yourself that you then share with the world. Thanks so much for this history lesson.

[@FicarraClassic]

Thanks to everyone for the amazing comments and support! I am going to try and get you one history video a month among the other garage content which I will try to get out weekly. So happy you are enjoying these geeky dives into automotive history! Don't forget to like, subscribe and tell your friends!

[@Mongo63a]

First time seeing one of your videos. I liked it and your story telling is very enthusiastic. I loved watching CAN-AM when I was a kid and was disappointed when it died off.

[@DiDi902]

You, sir, are a captivating story teller. Your enthusiasm and knowledge is what sells the story each time. The production quality is also very very good. Relevant photos and videos are peppered in among shots of you telling the story and it’s a great balance. You say ‘once a month’ or ‘once a week’ and I hope you don’t stick to that schedule. Keep making entertaining and informed videos and your viewers will eat up every bit of them. Frequency be damned. Thanks for sharing your stories, we love them.

[@TheTotallyRealXiJinping]

I love you

[@drockprince9135]

Great video! Keep them coming!

[@Vampirebear13]

John, wouldn't Hurley Haywood be the man to ask about the 917 ???? If I remember correctly, he's the person who named the 917 The Flexible Flyer. TYVM for another excellent video. P.S. Do you know anything about Porsche building a 2000-plus horsepower quad turbo 16 cylinder 917 ?????

[@kevinmuldowney5560]

I was at Watkins Glenn for the 1973 CanAm race weekend. Donohue raced the 911 in the 6 hours on Saturday, actually met him in the pits on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I was 15 years old, he actually had time and spoke to me. Best memory was Sunday, beautiful sunny day. Donohue kept on stretching out his lead on the RC cola Porsche till it was the length of the entire straight. Accelerating towards our vantage point all you could hear was the turbos sucking in huge amounts of air then a big bang as he shifted gears just past us. I remember it like it was yesterday. Great video, Thank you

[@michaelh.9866]

I was at Mid-Ohio the years of the 917-10 & 917-30. Standing halfway down the long straight, about where the kink is, the noise was exquisite!

[@tomsmith5216]

I worked T&S at Can Am races one year. When those beasts were on the other side of the track and accelerated it made your stomach rumble. And they were beyond loud

[@edvin884]

I'm lucky to be a Porsche fan that works for a transport company responsible of transporting the Porsche museum cars. And what a joy that is... 😊😊

[@jessicakellenlee8475]

Another fantastic video! The best automotive storyteller on KZbin!

[@zairomolino4074]

True , an awesome storyteller. I saw tons of videos on those exact same car ,great video,but still as far as storytelling goes no one beats him

[@AlexWeiss94]

Agreed!!

[@DrsharpRothstein]

You are a great story teller. You bring excitement and life to these great machines and the people who gave them personality. . As a flight of fancy, what would a modern Can-Am look like? And how would a 917 compare if it was allowed back on the track? A story about the 917 k/81 would be worth watching.

[@ГеоргиЯнчовичин]

Alongside Ed and Tamarian

[@ГеоргиЯнчовичин]

Temerian

[@kyle381000]

My favorite story regarding the 917 happened at Mosport in 1973. The McLarens decided to abandon the series, leaving it fairly open for the Porsches. Mark Donohue was in the factory 917-30, and there were a few 917-10s, most notably Jody Scheckter. Donohue started on pole with Scheckter beside him. At the start, the two of them simply disappeared into the distance to the point where they caught some backmarkers towards the end of the 4th lap (on a 2.5 mile circuit). Donohue and Scheckter collided with something, and Donohue got the worst of it.

[@michaelcianci7944]

the old footage of the pits is beyond amazing

[@sergiomonteiro725]

Hi John. I am from Brasil, and I became interested in race cars when I was kid, in the late 60's. We didn't have much info here back then, other than an occasional newspaper or magazine article and/or photo. In 1972 I went to Interlagos race track to see Copa Brasil (Brazil'sd Coup), open to all kinds of sports cars. There was a 917/10 scheduled to race the day I went there, but it had engine problems and didn't show up... I had to settle for a dispute between a McLaren M6D and a 917K... :-) Anyway, your videos bring me back terrific memories, and fill the gaps on information on the cars and their history. Thanks a lot for that.

[@brinquedosdepaiefilho]

Não sabia que esses carros competiram aqui no Brasil! Que bacana!

[@johnsonsl944]

Always great content from John! You should do a podcast!

[@CarlosMendoza-ll9yk]

You and Ed are the best storytellers bar none, that is a gift. I really enjoy your stories as you have a deep knowledge of car racing history, I can only imagine the great time you had working for Canepa. Don't stop bringing these stories to us as we enjoy them as much as you do. Keep up the good work. By the way, I saw your video with the Jaguar and the 911s, great also.

[@ClinicalDecisionYikesYT]

Nah. Ed is a clown and a grifter.

[@TheInvisibleGiant6313]

I absolutely love listening to every single one of your stories. If you could ever come out with an audiobook or a podcast type thing that literally has every nerd out any bitty thing that you know about cars because the way you talk about them is amazing I would literally buy everything that you put out. Your stories and storytelling abilities are beyond and I thoroughly enjoy every bit then I'm able to find.

[@lucwerner]

John Ficarra's most epic stories: 1970 Daytona Porsche win, 1965 Ferrari win at Le Mans, the Whittington Brother's 1979 Le Mans win (all at VINWiki) and now this one about CanAm. Every single one of them MUST WATCH for gearheads. And John, what about some stories about the Chaparral cars?

[@FicarraClassic]

Chaparral is on the list!

[@lucwerner]

@@FicarraClassic YESSSSS!!!!!!

[@albondigas9549]

​@@FicarraClassic I have one of Milt Minters driving suits from that era. Its well used but nonetheless its pretty cool.

[@Doc_-_Savage_1]

The only bad thing about the Can-Am Championship was that it ended. And I was there at Mid-Ohio for the last REAL Can-Am race in 1974.

[@ITProjectManagerMan]

I was at Watkins Glen in both '72 & '73 and it was AMAZING to see those cars run. The excitement was CRAZY! I love the passion in all your stories, keep it up.

[@SpiceyFilipino]

This is simply a historical gift to racing R&D fanatics. No other way of putting it. A million thanks, John!! I share your enthusiasm

[@FamousEccles]

I could listen to you speak for hours, John - just wonderful 👍

[@randymaggetti856]

One of my favorite parts of a historic race weekend is the Cam am cars. McClaren, Shadow. Porche , Chappell. Amazing cars. Big block roar , massive tires. A gear head paradise.

[@jmaudsley6544]

More, more, more please. I'm not sure if I actually blinked during this show because it was so rivetingly interesting. Thank you so much John or as I now think of you Professor Ficarra. Can't wait for more telling from someone who instinctively knows and understands that Geek doesn't make you a bad person. Quite the reverse in fact.

[@ianhardin1148]

John your passion is infectious and I find myself scrambling to watch your videos as soon as I see a new one drop! Sitting here with this big, stupid grin on my face as I listen to the sage speed testimony you bestow upon us. LOL

[@zTheBigFishz]

The best automotive storyteller on YT. For instance, the Whittington video and the 917K vids are all time classics.

[@tommehling1547]

I love the passionate, and knowledgeable, storytelling.

[@TomF1970]

Great story yet again. The time flew by and wanting more.

[@TheEldonfitz]

Thank you for an amazing video on my all-time favorite race car. I have fond memories of Mid-Ohio in the 70s and, you are an excellent historian and storyteller.

[@rendendit]

Great stuff! I was a guest at a BMW car club holiday dinner a few years ago where the dinner speaker was a Big 3 engineer who, as a kid, saw a 917 race and was hooked. He knew he'd never be able to afford one, so he built his own! Had help from the factory with advice, plans, specs, etc., down to the last exacting Porsche detail. Keep the stories coming.

[@mountiansand4x4s5]

John, you're one of the best storytellers by far. I know I can walk into any one of your videos without absolutely no clue as to what the nitty gritty details of the subject matter is, and you perfectly guide me through the topic and make it enjoyable, entertaining, informative, easy to follow, and so on. It's a talent I can tell you have worked hard to master. So far, there has been nothing I dislike about your content. I like that nothing feels/is scripted or that there aren't a bunch of silly skits making things cringy. I am just happy to see you putting out content. Of my few suggestions is just to keep putting put content. I know it's very time-consuming, but even videos of you guys working in the shop and speeding up the work parts and then stopping a bit for content or explanations would be very enjoyable. Also, don't be afraid to retell some of your Vinwiki videos and provide more detail or walk around some of the cars featured in those stories. Do you still have the black Ferrari 308 that God loves so much? Don't be afraid to dive into your past car stories or to show us a current lineup of what's in your garage and/or more of Wing Nut Manor. Do you still have the Lambo you traded up for? I love the history lessons and being the history buff that you are I think a fun challenge would be to pick a past driver and a recent driver and to compare them a bit. For example: Ken Block died this year. We all know who he was and what genere of racing he helped influence and helped to change certain aspects/ interests into what they are today/ left his mark on the sport during his career. I do not know if rally is very important to you but what driver from the past that you consider important helped change a racing sport into something that we still know today/ or left such a significant mark on the sport?

[@bicyclist2]

Every time you said "That's a whole nother video", that's the stuff we want to know about. I remember reading about some of this in the 80's in car magazines. I'd really like to know more about the Shadow team. This is a great era of Porsche. Great content as usual. Thank you.

[@Mooselover1011]

Love love love listening to you speak about automotive history!

[@BRBNWolf]

Didn’t even notice the video was 40+ minutes long until I noticed my lunch was cold since I was paying attention and not eating. thanks Ficarra for the cold lunch 😂 Great work man!

[@sammckinley1058]

I watch mostly car oriented KZbin, and you’re probably THE most engaging storyteller, but 25 minutes is about my upper limit. There are many reasons why that is, but it is

[@christopherhuff4221]

I remember catch bits of this racing a child on Wide World of Sports and it drove my love of fast cars on canyon roads. Thanks for the history, keep them coming

[@rand007]

I remember this era well as a worker with SCCA at Road America. These Can Am cars were awesome, never to be equaled again.. but close..was the C Class cars at Lemans in the 80's.

[@johnmarsh2078]

I loved every minute .... brilliantly researched. As an English enthusiast of The can-Am series I used to have to rely on Motorsport magazine for news and views. It seems to me that the real reason Can-Am folded was the cost and availability of competitive machinery. Mclaren made production cars through Trojan and Lola would sell to anyone. The availability of Aluminium Big Block Chevvy engines was good after 1970 so it was a series you could enter competitively without spending a massive fortune. Porsche was different. It had "Friends of the factory" like Vasek Polak and Brumos. Also the 917s were much more expensive and needed very expert maintenance if they were to stay reliable. Can-Am became a private Porsche party and if you weren't invited you couldn't compete. That's what I thought but the McLaren M20 wasn't far behind and on slower tracks was probably a tad faster but reliability had suffered with ever larger bores and strokes. The Chevvy HATED turbocharging. I thought the second iteration Can-Am, based on F5000 was a great and competitive series with plenty of different production chassis to choose from and a plethora of great drivers.

[@adammercer6004]

So Porsche did kill it the og format of Can-Am then by pricing everyone out!!! XD

[@johnmarsh2078]

@@adammercer6004 That and the loss of interest in seeing non US engined cars winning everything causing lack od sponsorship .... yes. US enthusiasts like to see US engines and technology winning races. In 1988 Audi won the TransAM. The following year all cars had to have US engines.

[@Doc_-_Savage_1]

@@johnmarsh2078 It's our yard, just like Europeans (FIA) can't stand American drivers. But it was till a whole lot of fun. And BTW pilots fly airplanes, not cars. Cheers!

[@johnmarsh2078]

@@Doc_-_Savage_1 Looking through the post I didn't use the word "pilot", that would be French for racing driver, but let me enlighten you .... pilots fly AEROPLANES. Airplane iis a lazy incorrect spelling of an established English word. After all racING cars do not have airodynamic downforce ..... perhaps they do across the pond?

[@BD4V1S1]

Wow what a fantastic parade of engineering and I’m sure staggering experience for those participating and spectating! Love the historical content, gonna go find some Can-Am content to watch.

[@williamkidd5710]

Great content. Please keep them coming!

[@193322009]

This was a great historical program about the fantastic Porsche 917, etc. I raced a smaller Porsche at that time on the same tracks, in California, so I had a chance to see how fast these cars could go, especially with Mark driving. The only thing that could have made this video better would have been letting us hear the cars at the end, instead of the duck-sounding quack quack music. But, I still enjoyed this video immensely.

[@cirian75]

A very well done passionate video with lots at actual facts, no BS, also start selling that T-Shirt.

[@ibDirtyGlasses]

Love the overabundance of knowledge and passion Mr. Ficarra brings

[@dnkomos1]

Thanks for the most enriching technical history of the Porsche 9 ten, and 930.

[@michaelcurnow3524]

Great video as always. Would love to see a video about the 73 RSR.

[@speedweenie7394]

Dope. I really like these longer videos about historic racing. More please.

[@frederickhettesheimer2698]

Awesome video. As a child of the 70's I always wondered what ever happened to the CanAm series Now I know. I remember the cars from the AFX slot car tracks, a kid could race those exotic sports cars

[@ransomsgarage8311]

Great video! The vintage footage at the end got me reliving my childhood of building and racing 1/24 scale CamAm slot cars. Thank you

[@geoffreyblake2765]

What a great look-back ! My first race event was in 1962. Walking through Elkhart Lake on Sat night before the race I stumbled across a cowboy standing outside a local Texaco gas station at the back of his pickup trying to light up his cigarette. I picked out my Zippo and he said thanks. I asked him what they were doing and he said "we blew up our engine today, so we're pulling out my friend's motor from his truck and installing it in my Chaparral for tomorrow's race." That was at 10:30 and they hadn't starting installing the second motor yet ! Amazingly, Jim went on to come in first on Sunday. His first win of the CanAm Road America Five Hundred ! I was there with Carl Hass & his Lola team...what a surprise to see a guy operating like that blow away all those professional teams...but that's what made Can Am so great !

[@diegovianavillegas3297]

Here it goes almost one hour that passes as 5 minutes. Truly an absorbing video of a great topic, told by one of the most passionate and informed car storytellers. Mr Ficarra is a living encyclopedia.

[@ifitbangs]

The #1 thing I like about you, Mr. Ficarra is that you know how to tell a story, if you watch your buddy Ed's channel all too many of the story tellers on that channel have no idea how to tell a story or how to tell a GOOD story. I love hearing the stories about cheating, external situations that affect the racing, as well as just fun engineering modifications that are a product of necessity (ie the suspension mods made to the 917 due to the wheel width) Don't be afraid to make long videos or chop up videos into multiple parts if needed, as most of us are willing to watch a video from someone who knows how to tell a story.

[@rjnation5042]

Fantastic story teller John, just wanted to say, I'll watch whatever you put out, especially the 928 stuff, Rj in Oz

[@Automobili3XF]

John, you're the best! Always enjoy your stories!

[@bartallen5773]

I had the pleasure of seeing the 917-30 at the Mark Donohue Reunion at Road America in 2010, and it is even more amazing in person. At that event the original transporter was even present.

[@unknownname7731]

I watched Mark Donahue race the 917-30 coming out of the “cork screw” at Laguna Seca. It was a racing event I will never forget. He was just weaving through traffic, there was no competition. The Porsche was very quiet compared to the other cars and the acceleration was cartoon fast.

[@bobbycuesroadhouse2204]

Totally got my geek on, being from Ohio as a teenager and going to mid Ohio to watch the can am in this time period was epic

[@nate1511]

Jusy want to thank you for this wonderful video! ❤What a ride! You are a fantastic storyteller and I’ve never had 40 minutes fly by so fast😂

[@FicarraClassic]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@marzgrab]

Absolutely brilliant Motorsport storytelling! Thanks so much 👍 Would be awesome to hear about the 80s-90s GTP racing some time. Cheers 🍻

[@guywiththepixelatedface1260]

More of these race stories pls Mr. Ficarra! History! All of it! My dad... OK, this is gonna be a long story because I have no one to share it with that would appreciate it. Dad died. He didn't even make 70. Closest person I've ever been with. Told me about Chaparral racing when I was in high school. But this was pre internet, so his stories where from memory of what he read 30 year prior at the time. Maybe 25. More years than I was old at the time. The core was that they mounted a rear wing that connected to the unsprung part of a suspension. So the wing would be for down-force, not compressing the suspension. Now he got a lot of the details right and wrong which made it very hard to research in libraries at the time. He remembered the 2 engines thing. As he told it, 3L total cc was the rules, so 500cc for the vacuum engine, and 2.5L for the wheel driving engine. And he thought this was F1. Which led me to the BT46 of course, but it wasn't a split engine, nor was Chaparral connected with it. Only once I saw your stories could I make the connection. He was thinking of canam, though we're in south africa, there probably was articles in popular mechanics or other motoring mags here that covered that. He also thought Chaparral were 2 brothers with the last name Chaparral, which again made research impossible. But man, to just learn about all this, and actually put the puzzle together is so nice. I just want to call him, and tell him to watch these story videos, and that I found his story etc etc. To get to the cheesy part. He had a rear spoiler fitted to his E34 520i, and had a Chaparral sticker made up for either side. He later had a E34 540i without the spoiler, but that 520i will remain in my mind as the Chaparral car, though the spoiler did nothing, and if it did, it compressed the suspension....

[@olsonspeed]

CanAm was the GOAT racing series, thanks for the flashback to a land before rule books when monsters roamed the racetrack.

[@matthewbarr8717]

I was walking through the pits at Road America during the June Sprints with my family in the late 90. My Mom and Dad, my brother and my then future ex-wife were all there. It was my wife’s first time really at any race. Definitely the first time with my family. As they started up the Can-Am cars we all reveled in the noise and our eyes and noses ran from the heavy exhaust hanging in the air. It was great to get to see those cars out in the track and experience their rawness!

[@stanbrow]

They also had to have a space for an “FIA suitcase”. And I am not certain that 4 wheels were required in the spec. Really enjoyed this series.

[@stevefowler2112]

Mario Andretti said about the 917-30: "drivers always want more HP but the first time I drove the car, when I realized you could leave black marks all the way from one curve until the next, I knew it had enough HP".

[@garneauweld1100]

Thanks for putting it all together! I saw the /10 at the last Rennsport with Fulmer driving. He entered the paddock with a hot car and parked it in the middle of the pedestrian way and got out. I had a chance to speak with him. - Admittedly, I was aware of, but missed, Can-Am as I was engrossed in Formula A/F-5000 as a young kid. This is precisely why all this history is very important as it brings to light a radical, and fast advancing, period in motorsports history. Thank you again for a very enlightening and informative presentation. Priceless!

[@dreadpirateroberts3568]

Thank you so much. A real trip down memory lane. My dad took me to all the races in Edmonton from 1968-1973. They we awesome and everyone was so approachable back then. I still have autographs from Jackie Stewart, Dennis Hulme, Peter Reason and a couple of others. I remember standing right outside the Penske garage as they were swapping spark plugs and one of the mechanics just gave me a handful of them. Certainly not like F1 where everyone is so standoffish... it would be easier to get into Area 51. I remember Stewart and McLaren were such gentlemen, especially compared to todays F1 drivers. Fantastic.

[@gordongross9164]

Thank you so much for all the information about those very special cars of CanAm. I always knew the Porsches were faster than anything on the track but did not know why. I was at Mid-Ohio in 72 and 73. Wow! what great memories. I also stumbled into a rented garage in Westerville, Ohio, that was temporary home to the Shadow racing team. It was very cool to go into their shop and interact with them while they were prepping the car for Mid-Ohio. The footage at the end of your video is amazing. Thanks again.

[@tomasjones3755]

Got to see Can-Am at Riverside in '70, 71 & 72. The sound of the Porsche Flat-12 was like nothing else. Fun & crazy times.

[@kellycook5314]

Enjoyed your video ❤ I attended the 71,72 & 73 Can-Am @ Mosport. The most exciting races & cars I ever had the immense pleasure to watch !

[@s7centnickel915]

My dad & I always went to Mid Ohio, we sat in the keyhole most of the time, and the CanAm was definitely the highlight of the year. Mark Donahue was my favorite driver. I remember everything you talked about. Chapparels, UOP Shadow.

[@j.franklin4999]

Well done as usual. Cool to hear the history of the cars/people that I admired when I was a kid.

[@johnhrichak3451]

Excellent presentation sir. My sweetie and I were nearly run over by Bruce Canepa driving the monstrous 917-30 in the pits at Lime Rock during Rennsport #1, a noble way to meet our demise! Also saw some guy named Penske doing a few easy laps in it, I do not blame him. Liked and subbed. Thank you sir!

[@hockeymann88]

Dude, great stories around my favorite race car of all time. I came to be "aware" of race cars by watching the 917/10 Land M car when I was just a young boy. Still, to me, the most beautiful race car I've ever seen.

[@dwtrksvc]

These cars are awe inspiring standing still and to hear these wonderful/crazy stories on top of it is awesome. Awesome video!

[@stevepearce6689]

Whoosh !

[@tomaszstepinski-ustasiak9876]

long but great. no problem with this longer format when such a story is told!

[@007mradio]

Great video, really enjoyed all the details! It was a fascinating story with some great visuals! Retro racing video from Mid-Ohio was great, wish it had racing sounds if available. The funky music was period correct, I would say.

[@mikedrop4421]

Growing up in the 80's and 90's I was fascinated with Can-Am cars. I had so many toy car examples of famous cars. The Hess gas stations would sell a Hess Truck toy every year and I always got one and I loved my hauler with a Can-Am car on the back.

[@Ghia356]

Love your videos - keep them going!

[@bretthatfield2516]

I love Porsche history with my bud John Ficarra! Great stuff, John!

[@zTheBigFishz]

From "Unfair Advantage", the back and forth between the Penske boys and the Germans was pretty entertaining.

[@maverick1685]

John, Please continue this series. I really enjoy your Presentations - Thank you!

[@bruceherschberger1871]

Outstanding story telling! Everyone I've seen are but this one has a personal connection. I grew up in Wisconsin and went to the June Sprints and TransAm/CanAm at Road America every year in the 60's and 70's. So year after year the CanAm cars mostly were big thumping V8's and Mclaren dominating, but the excitement/anticipation ratcheted way up when Penske Porsche was coming. We were not dissapointed! Saturday morning was CanAm practice and we always sat in Turn 1 which comes after a long straightaway. We were accustomed to rate of acceleration (and sound) of the V8's so the sound of that boosted flat 12 was remarkable but it was discernably quicker coming towards 1 and braked later and then exploded going out of the turn. The whole crowd around us (and my dad and uncle) reacted with "whoa's & ooh's and there is a new king in town!". Its been 50 years but I remember it like it was yesterday. Amazing racecar. The only comparable car in that regard is the 1967 STP turbine car.

[@jeffpitzer8521]

I'm a car guy but not really a race fan. The way you tell the stories, your enthusiasm, all the details, the time lines, the how and the why make me wish I was a race fan. You make it so interesting, I will definitely be looking forward to more stories. ❤

[@SFwatcher]

When I was in 7th grade, my dad took me out of school and we went to Daytona speedway to see Donohue set the fastest lap in the 917.

[@djosbun]

A superb video! Racing needs another series like the old CanAm- no rules (except maybe minimum car weight).

[@bladeszx2]

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome historical race car video. Absolutely, the coolest I've seen yet. Thanks for creating it.

[@jeffreymanter471]

Absolutely the most insightful and informative vid I've ever seen not only on the 917 but also can-am

[@markdavis2475]

Another brilliant episode. Thanks 🙏 I first read about the 917 when I bought an old copy of "The Racing Porsche's" in the 1980's. I had the pleasure of meeting David Piper and getting up close to his 917. As you said, The Unfair Advantage " is an excellent read.

[@zacharyrampelberg8839]

One of my highlights of the year is watching the shadow cars at Road America during the Brian Redmon challenge. Can Am anything is seriously impressive and seeing them on the best track is ideal.

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

Going for my first time this year. Here's to hoping that they'll be there again

[@zacharyrampelberg8839]

@John Smith one or two shadow cars make their way up there every year. I'd be surprised if they weren't!

[@JohnSmith-mk5jt]

@@zacharyrampelberg8839 I sure hope so. I have already heard that one of the Penske Mclarens driven by Donahue is registered to show up, so Can-Am should have some good representation there this year.

[@stevepearce6689]

I am geeking out like totally. John these vids are just fantastic. My wife walks past my office and vaguely looks at you and the cars and she doesn't register anything while I am memorised. Steve Brisbane Australia

[@NickSchoess]

Thank you for this extremely nerdy and entertaining content ❤️

[@keulek]

Dear John, thank you very much for this entertaining lekture. Cant wait to see the next one! Road-Racing-Therapy Session right there! Cheers from Germany Marc

[@michaeldelaney7271]

Thanks for keeping the memory of the CanAm alive. Well done.

[@MrDDawson]

These were some of the most badass looking racers ever! I had the toy cars from it and all. Great video JF!

[@bdjm8595]

This was just a FABULOUS rendition of a wonderful slice of racing history, thanks so much for putting this together!!!

[@FiendRunner]

Definitely got my Geek on. Love your passion for this history. I would like to see more video footage in your vids, depending on what you can show under copyright. But I liked this a great deal.

[@hgtydjdjdgh67889]

Love the video John. I really enjoy stories like this; I'm 40 and I know so little about motor sports from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

[@silverignition1833]

I turned 16 in 1973 and went to the Can Am race at Mid Ohio. Thanks for this John. Love the content.

[@bryanhumphries1972]

Thanks John. Great watch upon my return home from One Lap of America.

[@stephenscisney7814]

Thank you for the video!!! I was 6 years old when the CanAm series started. I had all of the CanAm 1/64th scale slot cars. I finally got to see them in person at Long Beach in 2019! CanAm the best racing series ever!!

[@oldgreenbus]

I loved every minute!! Thanks for taking me back.. watched these races on tv w my bro n dad who was early Porsche fan.. had 356 B, 911S, 914, and my first car project was 356B.. Good Days!!

[@hughgonzalez8958]

What an enjoyable video and story. I had Porsches in the late 60’s into the 70’s and was a big fan of the racing Porsches in endurance and CANAM series. I was at the Road Atlanta race and watch Folmer blow out the McLarens. Including saw first hand when Denny Hume’s car nose lifted in the straightaway and flipped backwards. Thank you for the great details.

[@justacoupleofkids320]

This is my first viewing of your channel, I’ve heard your name mentioned by other vin wiki and Cannonball alumni, really enjoy your no nonsense approach to storytelling.

[@snap_oversteer]

Excellent video as usual, what surprised me that they ran with 'welded' diffs! Must've been hell of a beating on the drivetrain and suspension with 19 inch wide slicks skipping around at low speed.

[@independentcontractor1633]

Great video! I was at many Can Am races during this Era. It was magnificent!

[@kendobson9285]

Nicely done. I was waiting for the adjustable rear sway bar story. That story was gold when told by Woody. Take care