PITY STATISTICS NEVER TELL the whole story. Take the 1970 Can-Am, for instance. In the second year of the expanded schedule, more drivers raced for and won more prize and accessory money than ever before-a cool $885,900 (approx £354,000). Race attendance was up--fractionally, mind you-but up nevertheless, to a total exceeding 370,000. And the average starting, field was 27 cars. So far so good. The finishing rate was better than 54percent, after
738 laps aggregating 1933.13 of the most competitive miles in America. And no less than five drivers of international rank were on hand for every event. That the series had little trouble attracting names was evident when six members of the then current Formula One circus qualified among the top10 at the Laguna Seca race.
Regrettably, statistics never deal in the spectacular either-show biz, if you must-and it was patently obvious that, save for one or two occasions, little was offered the paying public but Team McLaren streaking to the checkered flag unopposed. This was what rankled the beleaguered Can-Am promoters most. Take the competitive aspect out of motor racing and what is left for the fans? It is all right to have brass bands, movie stars, and aerial acrobatics but, unless you are Tony Hulman with 50 years of Indy tradition behind you, you will go broke promoting a series of processions.
Sufficient funds to mount a competitive, season-long entry successfully eluded the likes of Robin Herd (March) and Peter Bryant (Autocoast). But the weight of other commitments took its toll as well. BRM lost considerable face over the poor support offered George Eaton and the Castrol P154; Ferrari's Group Five and Formula One engine-build requirements meant no car for Mario Andretti, and accounted for the non-entry of Herbert Muller and Ecurie Filipinetti; and Porsche went after Le Mans and the Championship of Makes with such a vengeance that Siffert was left out.
When Jackie Stewart debuted Jim Hall's revolutionary 2J Chaparral at Watkins Glen, little did he know what a storm would be unleashed by a car that would see but one sixth place finish, a non-start, and two retirements!
Granted, after the Glen it took the pole position in each of the three events it entered, but it was never a real threat on race day. Nevertheless, the protests were not long in coming. On behalf of McLaren Racing, team manager Teddy Mayer approached the SCCA for a ruling on the eligibility of the suction system, referring to the relevant section of Appendix J which prohibits movable aerodynamic devices. In reply the SCCA, in essence, advised that the Can-Am Supplementary Rules superseded those of the FlA. But things did not end there. It was obvious that the Can-Am sanctioning bodies would have to take a stand, and the final two events brought the matter to a head more or less as expected.
After giving the Donnybrooke race a miss, Vic Elford returned with Hall's 2J Chaparral to Laguna Seca, October 18 and, after a relatively slow start, succeeded in breaking the 60 second figure by 0.6seconds. The best that Hulme could manage was 1.2seconds in arrears with the new all aluminium 465cu in Chevy, courtesy of the Reynolds people.
Most drivers improved on Saturday, but no one was about to better Elford who ended the day at 58.80 seconds. The fat was in the fire. That the car non-started due to the breakage of a con rod during the Sunday morning warm-up affected the basic issue not a bit-at least as far as Team McLaren was concerned. Hulme led the race from flag to flag, but not without concerted opposition from Jackie Oliver in Bryant's Ti22 Mark Two. The gap between them at the end was a scant 1.2seconds and the crowd was well pleased, despite what Hulme may have said afterwards about being able to keep BRM's number two at bay. Denny snatched his second Can-Am crown but was most vociferous in his condemnation of the 'ground effects' principle.
The picture did not change much for the running of the 13th Los Angeles Times Grand Pm at Riverside on November 1. In the weeks previous, Elford had stated that his margin at Riverside would be in the order of two seconds. The lithe Londoner is not customarily given to rash predictions and, pulling out all the stops, was as good as his word, winding up the first day of time trials with a 1m 32.49s to Hulme's 1m 34.69s- almost three mph quicker. There was little to be done and over seven seconds separated the top 10. Neither Elford nor Hulme improved on Saturday, but what interested everyone most was the press conference called by Chaparral Cars after the day's qualifying. Speaking for the company, chief vehicle engineer Don Gates accused the series regulars of not abiding by the spirit of Can-Am competition which was created, he recalled, to foster a brand of racing unfettered by formalistic rules and regulations. He reminded those present that the 2J had received the full blessing of the SCCA and that similar suction devices could be installed for $3 to 4000 on any existing Can-Am chassis. He hedged, however, on how the 2J would stack up if the relevant section of Appendix J were the operative provision.
Come race time and despair hit the Chaparral camp when Elford fell from his pole position to sixth on the opening lap. The JLO fan motor, which had been changed twice over the previous two days, failed to last, and after four more slow turns, the car was retired with Elford muttering to himself in somewhat colourful language. After undergoing a speedy engine change when his race power ran its bearings Sunday morning, Hulme led Oliver to the final flag of the year by 8.2seconds. This time it wasn't even close, and bore out what Oliver had said at Laguna Seca about his inability to stay with the McLaren on the fast bends.
Hulme's sixth victory of the year may have only iced the cake for McLaren Racing, but the fifth annual J-Wax Series ended in a cloud of doubt and uncertainty, despite being bolstered by some news for 1971 Stewart's announcement that he would run a works-backed Lola for Chicagoan Carl Haas, a reported two-car team from March Engineering, and by the rumour that JW Automotive, with Gulf sponsorship, would field yet. another two car team thus partly overcoming- one of the problems afflicting the series.
A NEW APPROACH FOR 1971 At a special meeting of Can-Am promoters held in Chicago on November 12, a new method of distributing prize money was agreed to in the hope of encouraging additional entries, particularly from across the sea. Out of each $75,000 race purse, $20,000 will be set aside and distributed to the fastest 10 qualifiers. The remainder will be paid out after each race in the customary manner. In addition, the points fund traditionally the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow-will be reduced from $200,000 to $75,000 and paid out only to the top three in the final standings. J-Wax will sponsor the point fund and what each promoter previously contributed to it will go toward the qualifying purse. In an attempt at easing the burden of travel costs, the promoters also realigned the 10-race. schedule to permit of a more even flow across the continent, with the most important change being the relocation of the Edmonton race to the end of September to commence the western swing at a saving of some 4000 miles travel.
But perhaps the most momentous decision affecting the series ever made was taken at the end of November, when the Sports Car Club of America and the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs announced that there would be no rule changes for the 1971 season. In doing this and, in effect, permitting the continued eligibility of cars like the 2J Chaparral, the decision made in November 1969 guaranteeing rule stability.
Though most had expected an outright ban on devices like the suction system originated by Jim Hall, we had anticipated some sort of compromise which would have permitted the retention of the ground effect system, but which would have forced the removal of the auxiliary power plant. As it stands, we will go out on a limb and endorse the decision, not unmindful of the fact that duplicating the Chaparral system will cost money, not because we would particularly like to see McLaren Racing get their come-uppance, and not especially for Jim Hall's reason that the series should remain a proving ground for radical new ideas. Really, our position is based on a motor racing platitude to finish. first, you first have to finish. When the Chaparral wins the 19 consecutive Can-Am races, we might admit we were wrong.
