Photos: The Jerry Bendl Collection

[Steve Holmes]

The beginning of the end. I always find images from the Can-Am Championship from 1973 and 1974 just don't look right, because there are no factory McLaren's on the grid. From 1967, right through until the end of 1971, there were always two orange factory McLaren's at or near the front of the grid, in every race, and to see a Can-Am field without them just doesn't look right. They were part of the Can-Am scenery.

But by the same token, many Can-Am photos from 1972 also looked wrong, in that on only one occasion, at Watkins Glen, was the front row locked out by both McLaren's. In previous years, it was rare for pole position not to have been taken by a McLaren, but in 1972, the incredible Porsche 917/10K arrived, and the Can-Am would never be the same again.

The 917/10K was a combined effort between Porsche and Penske Racing, and Penske driver/developer/engineer Mark Donohue spent months and months in Germany, developing and fine-tuning the package, and commuting back home for his racing commitments.

The Porsche was the best car in the 1972 Can-Am. Mark Donohue should have been the 1972 Can-Am Champion. He stuck the car on pole at the opening round at Mosport, but finished second to Hulme after pitting with a sticking linkage that operated a valve in the inlet manifold. However, following Mosport, the team took the car testing at Road Atlanta, and during a high speed run, the entire rear body section lifted off the Porsche, which launched it into a series of cart-wheels, destroying the car and badly smashing Donohue's leg.

Donohue was out of action for several weeks while he recovered, so the team called on the services of George Follmer, who drove the spare car from Round 2, and winning the race. He also won Rounds 4 and 5, and was well on the way to winning the title. Donohue finally returned for Round 6 at Donnybrook, the team building another car, and he and Follmer locked out the front row, as they also did here at Edmonton, Round 7 of the '72 Championship. Donohue went on to win this race, and actually finished 3rd in the championship, behind Follmer and Hulme, despite missing four races.