Not to show my considerable lack of knowledge or familiarity with Racing Down Under, but it obvious that it was literally a very different world than that of US F/A & F/5000 racing, even if there were various connections.

In the US, there were several factors that seemed to lead to the demise of F/5000, the withdrawal of USAC after its agreement with the SCCA to con-sanction the series ended in 1976 and USAC decided to not renew or adopt a similar program for a road racing series of its own. There were also concerns expressed by the promoters regarding the series, the lack of spectators buying tickets being among them as well as questions as to what next given the loss of USAC and any possible series sponsorship being a big question mark.

Within the SCCA, there was still a strong sense of yearning, a nostalgia, for the days of the old Can-Am, many thinking that the club should return to sports car racing and get away from the formula cars. The compromise was to clothe the F/5000 in sports-car-like bodywork, revive the Can-Am name. Many assumed that this would be the ticket to success, a success greatly needed by the SCCA since IMSA had largely usurped its position in professional sports car racing in the US with the Camel GT and other series, the Trans Am also being on life support at the moment.

Somewhere buried in my files is an interview I did with Cameron Argetsinger regarding this issue, he being the executive director (or some similar title) for SCCA pro racing at that time. The meeting held towards the end of of the 1976 season to discuss the future of the formula made it clear that the cost-benefit analyses for all involved was not one that favored the current direction in which things were headed. Turning the F/5000 machines into "Can-Am" cars seemed to be the best of the options that seemed available at the time. That change was both needed and desired by those involved carried the day. Argetsinger made it clear that it was not one or two things that "killed" F/5000 in the US, but rather a combination of factors and also that US racing overall -- with the possible exception of IMSA and maybe NASCAR Winston Cup -- was in something of the doldrums at that moment.

On a strictly person note, it was clear that US F/5000 was in serious trouble as early as the 1974 season. Although the 1975 seemed to go well, it merely flattered to deceive, the next season, 1976, showing all the signs of a series beginning to if not collapse, at least not long for this world. I thought that the introduction of qualifying heats during the 1973 season was a step in the wrong direction. Plus, the purse monies seemed not to be commensurate with the investments required to compete. In truth, the F/B/Atlantic races often tended to be better. To me, the series seemed to lose its way by some point in 1974 and definitely by 1975. As someone who really liked the F/5000 series from its inception, this was a bit dismaying. Wandering through the paddocks and observing as well as talking with various folks involved with the series did not boost my confidence in its long-term survival. I was not surprised with the series essentially folded and reincarnated itself as Can-Am in 1976. In truth, I just never seemed to take to the new Can-Am series, never really paying it all that much attention after the first season or so. I will admit to being surprised it lasted as long as it did, something I would never have imagined.

In some ways, what may have killed US F/5000 was the success of IMSA and the inability of the SCCA to find a countermeasure to the success of John Bishop's approach to racing, which was quite different than that of the SCCA: IMSA made money while the SCCA pro series struggled to minimize its losses.

At any rate, just some food for thought on this topic.