Photos: The Dean Lester Collection - Part 1

[Steve Holmes]

John Surtees was the inaugural Can-Am Champion. He worked closely with Eric Broadley in 1966 to help develop the beautiful Lola T70, and of the seven heats included in the 6 Round 1966 Can-Am series, he won three times.

The Lola T70 was the best car in 1966. In addition to Surtees' three victories, Dan Gurney, Mark Donohue, and Parnelli Jones took a further three race wins aboard T70s. The lone race victory not scored by a Lola driver was that of Phil Hill, who guided his Chaparral 2E to the Heat 1 win at Laguna Seca.

Lola didn't have a factory race team, unlike rivals McLaren. Instead, they worked closely with their customers, who provided feedback that helped develop their designs and constantly improve the breed. But as history would show, the McLaren model was more effective.

Surtees was as close to being a Lola factory driver as it was possible to be. But he didn't have control over designs. And in 1967, when he returned to defend his crown, he was promptly swept aside as McLaren, now with their new M6A model, began what would be a five year domination of the series.

Unlike McLaren, Lola didn't replace the T70 with a new car for 1967. Rather, they just made improvements to the T70. But it was no match for McLaren, and Surtees took a single victory in the final Round at Las Vegas, but only after the McLarens had faltered.

In 1968, McLaren raised the bar further still with its impressive new M8A, a design based somewhat on that of the Lotus 49, in which the engine became a stressed member. The M8A was so good, McLaren essentially evolved it for years to come as the M8B, M8D, and M8F.

Lola, however, returned in 1968 with the T160, which was effectively an updated version of the old T70. Surtees was not happy, and by now the relationship had soured. He tried to purchase a new McLaren, but was unable to do so, so instead took a T160 and extensively rebuilt it. Such was the extent of the changes, Surtees didn't even call it a Lola, rather, the TS Chevrolet. One of its most prominent features was a tall, rear hub mounted aerofoil, as seen previously on the Chaparrals, although the Lola version wasn't driver adjustable. It was powered by one of the new aluminium big block Chevrolet engines, built by Harry Weslake.

Sadly, the TS Chevrolet was a failure. It made its first appearance in Round 2 of the series at Bridgehampton, where the team arrived early to get in some testing. In qualifying, Surtees was tenth fastest, some 4 seconds off Denny Hulme's pole time. It completed just 16 laps before it was sidelined with engine trouble. But much further development was required, and Surtees wasn't seen again until Round 5, at Riverside. Here he qualified eighth, and was 4 seconds off pole, but again failed to finish. And that was the end of his season. He turned up to the final Round at Las Vegas, but didn't have his car, having run out of enthusiasm, and blown too many engines apart. He couldn't see how his outdated Lola would beat the dominant McLarens.

This shot here captures the Lola at Riverside. Surtees was classified 24th.