Proxy racing is a great way to enter an event and watch from a distance as your car competes against others on a variety of different circuits. Its even more fun hosting an event. The Autodrome hosted the first race of the first two years of the CPR (Canadian Proxy Race). This year we took a break as the race evolved into the CanAm with tracks in the USA and Canada. Luckily now that all moving and health issues are past the CanAm will return to the 'drome's new digs in Cornwall Ont.

Another proxy I have enjoyed following is the VRAA ( Vintage Race Across America ) which over the past 5 or 6 years has evolved into a Formula 1 event (of specific vintage) with cars built to a tight specification. Sometime late this year or early next the Autodrome will host this event also.

I have never entered cars in these events, as I maintain a certain neutrality as track host, but a Montreal racing chum, Evil Stewy, has convinced me to enter a VRAA car this year. Alas I could not resist, for the era of cars is the 1.5 liter Formula 1 racers of the early through mid sixties. Now I tend to sometimes look for something quirky and what could be more so than the Ferguson P99. Not often raced, far ahead of its time, behind the times (front engine) in other aspects and a one hit wonder. Banned as well. Perfect choice!


Started out with a Dave Jones fiberglass shell from Blackpool England and a BWA wire chassis kit meant for a Porsche 911 project (now delayed.) Also had a great spec sheet from the VSRN site.


Dremelled out the body opennings and pinned the chassis to my construction board over the spec sheet.


All motors must be the slower BWA FF can ( about 14000rpm ) The driver is Fly with a head from the parts bin and the steering wheel comes from an Airfix kit. Now you may notice that sticking all this together would require a master in the art of solder. I alas am not and so the nomes in the "skunk works" located next to the track devised an ingenious system of JB weld glueing for metal and clear silcone for plastic parts. Unique, strong and tidy enough.


Now you have to give the inventive Scot credit. Four wheel drive was cool. ABS was way cool but the complexity of the system in real life had to be amazing. Reproduce that in 1/32 scale..mmmmm.nope...I'm not that talented. So I started out with Airfix springs and shocks from the parts bin and big fat paper clips which I bent and shaped. Later I added lower A arms, also Airfix left overs.


The car, bits and pieces, actually started to look good and everything is quite sturdy.


Love a nice Rob Walker blue colour. Tan overalls for the driver were a bit dark so I lightened them up.


Now I was trying to keep things simple, hence sturdy. Rear wheel drive, not four etc. but wanted a bit of detail. Read somewhere that a British lad had cut apart his wife's tea strainer to get mesh. This was brilliant so now now my wife will never find hers and the Ferguson has a a lovely grill.


So tub and chassis bits look like this, some decals from the sheets at hand, silver paint and wheel inserts. I changed the wheels to another BWA set with a narrower rib, that I have used on vintage cars. It also narrowed the track to scale on the spec sheet from the 50mm allowed by rules. The inserts are BWA Jag D type "borrowed" from another car, as Al is trying to recast more and send me a couple of pair. This may take time.


Hope never to see the car like this in a race but here is a peek from under, all assembled. Simple mounting post with one screw, while all else rests on the chassis. Pinion is BWA 9 tooth and crown is 27 tooth slot.it. Pick up shoe is TSRF with slot.it braid. Axles are slot.it.


Looks good pulling out of the pits. Front tires are Scalextric Cooper and rears are urethane I cast from rears of said Cooper. Yes I know front and rear should be same size but for the race these are legal and look great.


Nostalgia tints my vision. Turned out rather well don't ya think. Hope she is fast enough. Test runs have been good.

And now for some real history from the Ultimate Car web page. Thank you.

All wheel drive systems had become a popular option for vehicles venturing out into rough terrain when at the end of the 1950s Harry Ferguson felt that his new system was so efficient that it could also be used on racing tracks. There had been similar attempts in the past, but the system proved difficult to implement and the additional drivetrain often soaked up a lot of the engine's performance. To prove his point he did not just join a local racing series, but he immediately went all out by having a Formula 1 car designed. He did so at a time when the sport was going through some fundamental changes and it was very difficult for a new team to keep up.

Harry Ferguson was determined to make it a success and hired former Jaguar and Aston Martin employees as technical directors. When the project started, Cooper was still in the process of convincing the rest of the world that the mid-engined layout was really a step forward. Ferguson's engineers must have figured that the four wheel drive system would eliminate most of the new layout's advantages and that a 50:50 weight balance was going to be key, so they chose for a conventional front engined layout. There was nothing extraordinary about the tubular spaceframe chassis drafted up either. To compensate for the additional weight of the more complex drivetrain, many of the non-load bearing parts were made from very lightweight exotic materials.

As the project was nearing completion the announcement of changing the maximum displacement from 2.5 to 1.5 litre was a major disappointment. All of a sudden efficiency was even more important and the future of the project looked dim. It also did not help that the British manufacturers were reluctant to accept or just ignored these rule changes, so there was no suitable engine available for the 1961 season. As a stop-gap the British teams were forced to use a modified version of the old four cylinder Climax engine, whereas Ferrari was miles ahead with their powerful V6 engines. Ferguson carried on and the car was completed in time for the British Grand Prix at Aintree.

In the months building up to the introduction, Ferguson's PR machine had done a very good job and the Ferguson P99 was prominently featured in many automotive magazines. Of course the main point of interest was the four wheel drive system. It consisted of a transferbox bolted directly to the five speed gearbox. The engine was installed at an angle to make room for the driveshaft to the front differential. The rear driveshaft was installed on the left side of the chassis and the driving position was slightly off-centre to the right. Similar to the weight balance, the torque was virtually evenly divided between the front and rear wheels. Thanks to very smart packaging the completed car was very low and looked quite the part.

For the British Grand Prix the car was handed to Rob Walker, who entered it livered in his familiar colours for Jack Fairman. He struggled with the car, even though the wet conditions were in its favour, throughout the race and was eventually relieved from his duties by Stirling Moss. In Moss' hands the Ferguson started to show its real class as the talented British racer piloted it up the leaderbord. Unfortunately the car was disqualified for receiving a push-start earlier in the race. Impressed by the P99, Moss spent a lot of time that summer adopting a new driving style, better suited to the four wheel drive car. He showcased the car's true potential at the non-Championship race at Oulton Park, where he scored a victory in damp conditions.

After that Grand Prix win, the car was modified for Tasman and Indy racing, but never proved to be as successful as it had been in Moss' hands. A few years later it was quite successfully used in hillclimb racing in Great Britain, where the four wheel drive system put it at a real advantage. Since then the very last front-engined Grand Prix car has been restored to its original Formula 1 condition and has been driven again by Stirling Moss on several occasions. Four wheel drive would never prove to be the winning formula in Grand Prix racing, but it has become the norm in top level rallying and has also proven to be quite successful in touring cars.


And also a big thank you to the Stirling Moss web page for this outstanding photo.

Let's hope my little creation has a successful run.

This weekend is a great weekend for motor racing, LeMans and of course the return of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal! The Canadian race has long been a favourite of drivers, teams and fans. It is one of the most watched Grand Prix televised. A dispute between the little greedy golim known as Bernie and organizers, another shady bunch, led to the loss of the race last year. But they are back with a big infussion of tax dollars and new promoters and Bernie realizing he needs a North American presence. In-fact the Canadian race, since its inception in 1967, has only not run three times. Last year, 1987 and 1975 due to sponsorship issues.



1967 was Canada's Centennial year and so we were granted a Grand Prix to celebrate. It was a time of innocence and great hope for Canada as a nation and motor sport in our country. So allow me with great thanks and credit to photos courtesy of Fred Young and www.deepthrottle.com to take us back to that first Canadian Grand Prix.



Brabaham


Hulme


Mclaren


Clark


Amon's Ferrari


the old pits


"The Canadian Grand Prix is a strong fixture on the World Championship circuit in Montreal, Quebec. The first race of this event was a far cry from today’s style of races and the cosmopolitan environs of the French Canadian city. That first Canadian Grand Prix took place on one of the most famed yet isolated tracks -- Mosport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, approximately 70 miles northeast of Toronto.

Mosport, whose name came from the concertration of MOtor SPORT, not from Stirling Moss who did help design the circuit, was completed in 1961. The big event held there was a sports car race which they called the Canadian Grand Prix. Winners of that event were Peter Ryan, Masten Gregory, Pedro Rodriquez two years in a row, Jim Hall, and Mark Donohue.

However, any racing fan knows that a true Grand Prix is one that includes the Formula 1 cars and counts points towards the World Drivers Title. Canada had worked for years to acquire such an event, and in 1967, to help celebrate their Centennial, they were finally awarded one. It took place on August 27 and would prove to be quite an interesting race thanks to Mother Nature.

These were the days far removed from the ultra professional and ultra safe modern times of Grand Prix racing. And, some would say, a bit more fun. The cars were all housed under one large tent placed in the infield, and it was not uncommon to see the likes of Colin Chapman sitting on a toolbox due to the lack of chairs.

The corner of the tent set aside for the BRM team. See more photos in our 1967 Canadian Grand Prix photo gallery. Photo courtesy of Fred Young
In the first practice session, Jim Clark went off in Turn 1 and slowly backed it into the fence. He was forced to go to the backup car which displaced local favorite, Canadian Eppie Wietzes, who had to wait for the broken car to be fixed. This prompted the local press to criticize Lotus for bringing too many cars for only four mechanics to service.

Jim Clark won the pole with a time of 1:22.4, just barely ahead of his teammate, Graham Hill, who was at 1:22.7. Dennis Hulme qualified third at 1:23.2. Those three made up the front row. Back in those days the field was configured in a 3-2-3-2 alternating order for the standing start.

Other doings in practice resembled a club race of today. Mike Fisher was forced at one time to take apart the gearbox of his Lotus-BRM to solve a leaking oil seal problem because all the friends who volunteered to help him were not mechanically inclined.

Jo Siffert, who qualified in the unlucky 13th spot, did not start the race due to an age old problem -- he ran out of parts after a crown wheel and pinion broke twice.

As the race approached, the skies got darker and the 55,000 fans were wondering whether to pull out their umbrellas. When the drivers got into their cars, the rain began to fall. On the reconnaissance lap, Chris Amon, driving the lone Ferrari, spun and caused all three of the BRM H16’s to pirouette in unison. All recovered to make the start.

Clark, from the pole, had the advantage of seeing where he was going and grabbed the early lead. However, this being the first rain race of the 1967 season, he and his teammate quickly learned how ill-suited their cars were to the wet. Having the most horsepower, 400, in the field was a great asset for a dry track, but a terrible hindrance in these conditions. Meanwhile, the Repco-Brabham V8’s of Hulme and team owner Brabham were truly suited for the rain.

Hulme immediately slotted in behind Clark and by the fourth lap, the man leading the points title took the lead. Hulme opened up a huge lead while the rain continued to fall. The Kiwi thrilled the crowds at Turn 2 by consistently holding 300 yard opposite lock slides all the way down this diving, treacherous corner.

Bruce McLaren spun off on the third lap just after passing Jack Brabham for fourth spot. McLaren dropped back to 12th, and then began a masterful drive up the field. By lap 13, he was back in third place.

Jochan Rindt pulled into the pits on lap 4 to have his rollbar disconnected, but was unable to get the Maserati engine to fire again.

Chris Amon repeated his warm-up lap spin on the opening race lap. He resumed in last place. Amon would eventually work his way back to sixth place and grab the last championship point.

Hulme worked his way to a 26 second advantage over McLaren, who had since passed Clark for second, Jackie Stewart, Clark, who continued to fall back in the order, and Brabham. The latter four were separated by a mere second. Then, the rain stopped, and the track dried out. The "Flying Scot" was back in his element. The second part of the race would begin.

With the ability of applying the Lotus power to the ground, the underpowered Brabham had no chance. Clark quickly passed Stewart, then dispensed with McLaren on the next lap and began his pursuit of the helpless Hulme.

On lap 58, Clark caught and passed Hulme for the lead. In the process, he set the fastest lap of the race on lap 54 at 1:23.1 which tied the course record set by Dan Gurney in a Group 7 Can-Am car. Then, just as quickly, this part of the race was over. The rain returned. This time with a vengeance.

With the rain falling heavier and heavier with each passing lap, visibility was a major problem. David Hobbs stopped for a clean set of goggles on lap 60. Stewart did the same four laps later to clean off his car from an off course excursion. A lap later he repeated his agricultural racing maneuver and finally called it quits with a sticking throttle cable.

Clark was still able to hold onto his lead but not for long. Running through a river of water, his electrics got soaked and his engine stalled. He pulled off the course.

A Brabham passed him for the lead. It was not Hulme but rather his boss, Jack. Jack Brabham was the only driver smart enough to apply anti-fog to his goggles before the race. Hulme was forced to pit twice. First, for a new set of goggles, then for a visor to be put on his helmet.

Dan Gurney had the most interesting goggle adventure. Not wanting to pit, he would slow on the main straight right in front of the guardrail to have his mechanic toss him a new set. He couldn’t stop on the course for that would be considered receiving aid on the track which was not legal.

The first time, the toss missed, and the goggles wrapped themselves around the suspension. The second time, the transaction was successful. It was a good thing, because before that Gurney was forced to shield his eyes with his left hand while driving with the other.

Meanwhile, Graham Hill spun and stalled the car. Hill promptly jumped out of the car, push started the car himself, and hopped back in to finish the race! Try that in a Grand Prix race today.

Brabham went on to win while Hulme maintained second place. American Dan Gurney grabbed the final podium spot, a lap down. Hill brought his re-started Lotus back to fourth place, another lap down, and Mike Spence finished fifth, three laps down.

Jack Brabham was able to master the changing conditions better than anyone else which enabled him to win the race. See more photos in our 1967 Canadian Grand Prix photo gallery. Photo courtesy of Fred Young
Jack Brabham almost didn’t make the race. Driving in from Oshawa, he got caught up in the massive traffic jam heading to the track. He was able to hitch a ride in an ambulance, perhaps the last vehicle any racing driver would like to be in, and was able to make the start thanks to the flashing lights and sirens.

Despite Brabham’s challenge with that victory, Hulme would go on to win the 1967 World Drivers Title denying Brabham a fourth championship.

The first Grand Prix was a huge success, and Canada was given a permanent spot on the calendar. The event alternated between Mosport and Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in St. Jovite, Quebec for the first four years. Mosport became the permanent site between 1971-1977 with the exception of 1975 when it was cancelled due to a financial disagreement between the organizers and entrants.

Despite being one of the most challenging tracks in the world, Mosport did not keep up with the standards of the European tracks, and the drivers began to voice their discontent.

The race was moved to a street circuit on the Ile Notre Dame situated in the St. Lawrence seaway in Montreal. Built on the site of Expo ’67, it was constructed in just 3 months. It took a few years and some modifications before the drivers were happy with it, but it has now become an enjoyable facility for the circuit.

It was renamed Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in 1982 after the great and much beloved Canadian driver was killed earlier in the season. He won this race in 1978. With the exception of 1985 when the race was cancelled due to a dispute over sponsorship, it has been held here ever since."

Results of The 1967 Canadian Grand Prix

Pos ST DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS
1 7 Jack Brahma AUS Repco-Brabham V8 90 2:40:00.0 82.65 mph
2 3 Denis Helm NZ Repco-Brabham V8 90 2:41:09.0
3 5 Dan Gurney USA Eagle-Weslake V12 89
4 2 Graham Hill GB Lotus 49-Ford V8 88
5 10 Mike Spence GB BRM H16 87
6 4 Chris Amon NZ Ferrari V12 87
7 6 Bruce McLaren NZ McLaren-BRM V12 86
8 14 Jo Bonnier SWE Cooper-Maserati V12 85
9 12 David Hobbs GB BRM V8 85
10 13 Richard Attwood GB Cooper-Maserati V12 84
11 17 Mike Fisher USA Lotus-BRM V8 81
16 Eppie Weitzes CDN Lotus 49-Ford V8 70 Wet Ignition
1 Jim Clark GB Lotus 49-Ford V8 69 Wet Ignition
9 Jackie Stewart GB BRM H16 65 Sticking Throttle
15 Al Pease CDN Eagle-Climax 4 47 Running (too few laps to be classified)
11 Chris Irwin GB BRM H16 18 Sticking Throttle
8 Jochen Rindt A Cooper-Maserati V12 4 Electrics
DNS Jo Siffert SWI Cooper-Maserati V12 Broken Starter Motor
DNS Tom Jones USA Cooper-Climax V8 Too Slow

Race Distance: 90 laps of 2.459 mile circuit -- 221.31 miles.
Race Weather: Wet, drying, then wet.
Fastest Lap: 1:23.1, 106.53 mph, Jim Clark, Lotus-Ford V8.

Well times certainly were different but I think the events were just as thrilling and certainly more casual and fan friendly.

Wiki informs us of previous winners.

Year Driver Constructor Location
2008 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2007 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2006 Fernando Alonso Renault Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2005 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2004 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2003 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2002 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2001 Ralf Schumacher Williams-BMW Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
2000 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1999 Mika Häkkinen McLaren-Mercedes Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1998 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1997 Michael Schumacher Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1996 Damon Hill Williams-Renault Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1995 Jean Alesi Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1994 Michael Schumacher Benetton-Ford Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1993 Alain Prost Williams-Renault Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1992 Gerhard Berger McLaren-Honda Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1991 Nelson Piquet Benetton-Ford Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1990 Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1989 Thierry Boutsen Williams-Renault Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1988 Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1987 Not held
1986 Nigel Mansell Williams-Honda Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1985 Michele Alboreto Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1984 Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1983 René Arnoux Ferrari Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1982 Nelson Piquet Brabham-BMW Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
1981 Jacques Laffite Ligier-Matra Circuit Île Notre-Dame
1980 Alan Jones Williams-Ford Circuit Île Notre-Dame
1979 Alan Jones Williams-Ford Circuit Île Notre-Dame
1978 Gilles Villeneuve Ferrari Circuit Île Notre-Dame
1977 Jody Scheckter Wolf-Ford Mosport Park
1976 James Hunt McLaren-Ford Mosport Park
1975 Not held
1974 Emerson Fittipaldi McLaren-Ford Mosport Park
1973 Peter Revson McLaren-Ford Mosport Park
1972 Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford Mosport Park
1971 Jackie Stewart Tyrrell-Ford Mosport Park
1970 Jacky Ickx Ferrari Mont-Tremblant
1969 Jacky Ickx Brabham-Ford Mosport Park
1968 Denny Hulme McLaren-Ford Mont-Tremblant
1967 Jack Brabham Brabham-Repco Mosport Park

Only some of the remaining European events have a longer history on the Grand Prix Calendar now. Let's hope that Canada's premier event remains for a long time to come!

Bloody hell! I'm layed up for a bit and look what moved in at the Autodrome by distance marker 8....a colony of Meerkats! Can you believe it. Its bad enough , what with the other characters about the track but this....still can't blame them....probably displaced by all the World Cup construction and such in South Africa...oh well..live and let live....


Good day, eh!

I'm back! To the legions of fans...o.k.....all six of you who have wondered where I vanished I apologize but I ran into a little health issue which took up some time and attention. After passing a kidney stone last November ( kinda like peeing a watermellon!!!....the CT revealed a BENIGN fatty tumour on my right kidney....make a long story and wait short May 14...about three weeks ago the kidney and tumour were removed....lucky I have two kidneys!...and as the photo suggests all went well....5 days in the hospital...really cool drugs....mmmmm.....learning to get the system going and voila I am now doing very well thank you all! Can't lift or do yard work ...have to take it easy...no heavy house work....I may have to stretch this past the 2 to 3 months suggested.....walking and driving well...stamina returning...ready to invite the Montreal crew for an afternoon of races soon....should be ready to host a major event in August and get the old SS32 bunch in...lookout!



In any case I epayed a Spirit Ferrari 512M for myself as a get well gif waiting for me when I was up to it. So a couple of nights ago I did the overhaul. Front pins replaced with axle. Replaced the gearing with some 64 pitch TSRF stuff I still have.



Siliconed the motor and bushings in place, a touch of lube, gentle break in and away we go.



Not a bad looking addition and I'm back in the saddle.


Thanks to ultimatecarpage.com for a bit of history.
In an attempt to produce the most competitive sportscar possible, Ferrari jumped back and forth between the two classes set after the 1968 rule changes by the sport's governing body. Prototypes were restricted by a three-litre displacement limit and a new class of limited production GT cars with a maximum displacement of five litres was created. To be homologated for the GT-class at least 50 examples needed to be constructed, but from 1969 that number was reduced to 25. With the three litre Formula 1 V12 engine available, Ferrari's choice to produce a prototype racer was fully understandable.

The new 312 P was ready for the 1969 season opener at Daytona, where it scored the pole position and finished first in its class. Although the 312 P proved quick straight out of the box, it was abandoned after Porsche debuted the 917 at Le Mans in June of that year. Quick in practice, the 917 proved horribly underdeveloped with fatal consequences on the first lap of the race. The 917's pace did however convince Ferrari to build a new GT racer of their own.

Unlike Porsche, whose initial 917 engine displaced around 4.5 litres, Ferrari decided to exploit the rules to the maximum and started work on a brand new 5 litre engine midway through 1969. With four valves per cylinder, quad cams and a Lucas Fuel Injection system, the new Type 261 engine followed the design of the team's Formula 1 engines closely. For reliability reasons, the engine was not as highly tuned as the F1 units, but with 550 bhp available, it was no slouch. Modifications were carried through on the engine and at the end of its career it produced well over 600 bhp.

The chassis was made up of an aluminium spaceframe front section and a rear subframe to support the engine and the rear suspension. It was essentially a development of the 312 P chassis, with modifications made to carry the larger engine and to qualify for the GT-class. GT requirements included the addition of a spare wheel and a different windscreen. The fiberglass body's round shape was reminiscent of the 312 it replaced. At its debut, the package weighed 880 kg, which was substantially more than its more powerful, air-cooled rival from Stuttgart.

Poor weather dogged the new 512 S' testing all through the winter, with the team rarely finding a dry piece of track. Testing was more important than ever, as the half year development gap with Porsche had to be covered before the Daytona 24 Hours season opener in January 1970. When Mario Andretti drove the first bit of dry track at the Daytona test week, he clocked a time less than one second adrift from the Porsches. The speed was clearly there, only one problem remained; homologation. On the morning of the deadline, Ferrari presented 17 completed examples and parts for the remaining 8 cars.

Five hours after the homologation inspection, five cars were on their way to Daytona. In head-to-head qualifying, the 512 S and the 917 were disturbed by unfavourable weather. Andretti benefited from the situation and placed his 512 S on the pole position in its debut race, just like the 312 P had done in the previous year. All five Ferraris that were entered suffered from problems throughout the race and only the Andretti car managed to finish, in a reasonable fifth. A suspension failure had thrown it back from a seemingly secure second place. Carefully driven around the track, it was overtaken by one of the 917s in the second-last lap.

Ferrari probably learned more about the 512 in those 24 Hours at Daytona than they did in the previous two months of testing. The Ferrari almost made up in handling what it lacked in the power and weight department. Improving aerodynamics and fuel consumption were also on designer Forghieri's to-do list. An open spyder version shaved of around 25 kg, but it was not preferred by all drivers, especially in rainy conditions. Small lips were added on each side of the nose to increase downforce. Improved Fuel Injection brought the V12 engine up to Porsche power and fuel efficiency.

Four revised 512s faced four 917s for the next championship race at Sebring. Three of the four Ferraris featured spyder bodywork, with the Daytona finishing car still in its initial configuration. Showing his talents once more, Andretti qualified his 512 S on pole, followed by the seven remaining 'GT-cars'. From the start Andretti lead the field, only to be overtaken by three of the Porsches during a pit stop. This proved to be a short-lived as all three Porsches were overtaken after suffering various problems of their own, leaving the four Ferraris to lead the race. After a few more lead changes Andretti managed to overtake one of the 917s and the leading Porsche 908, to record the 512's maiden victory.

The championship now moved to Europe for five more races before the season's pinnacle, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Forghieri was keen on developing the car further, but was limited due to homologation restrictions. Reliability was incredible in those five races, with just one retirement from 17 starts. Unfortunately none of the finishes resulted in wins, but there were podium finishes none-the-less including a 2-3-4 finish behind a single 917 at the Monza 1000 km. The 512's handling was underlined by a third place finish at the Targa Florio, a track that favoured the nimble 3 litre prototypes.

Le Mans was the most important race of the season for Porsche. A Le Mans win would complete an arduous 20 year racing effort. More than on any other track, the car's top speed at Le Mans is crucial. Both Ferrari and Porsche produced special longtail versions which created less downforce, but in turn gave less drag for higher top speeds. Ferrari fielded four longtail works racers, but Porsche's leading JWA (Gulf) team was reluctant to switch to the longtail variant because of testing accidents. Again the Ferrari's were substantially heavier than both the regular 917 and the long tail versions.

Qualifying showed that the 512 S' 100 additional kilos were no real handicap as Vacarella recorded a lap time of just 0.3s behind pole sitter Elford in his longtail 917. Finishing had been Ferrari's strong point throughout the European season, but that quite abruptly ended at Le Mans. Vacarella's car lasted just 30 minutes. When rain began to slick the track shortly after, two of the remaining works cars fell victim of a multiple car mishap. Jackie Ickx took the lead in the remaining works 512 S, but around 2:00 am he hit a puddle and crashed out, killing a marshal in the process. Porsche finally won their Le Mans. The 1970 Le Mans was the only running of the race where works Ferraris and Porsches battled for victory; the end, and beginning of two eras.

Now with the stress of Le Mans behind them, the Forghieri led development team started to work on a slimmed down and more powerful version of the 512 S. Dubbed 512 M (for Modificato or Modified), the revised car now produced 620 bhp and weighed in at only 815 kg, compared to the 512 S Spyder's 856 kg. A 'sharper' wedge-shaped nose was fitted and a large airbox was mounted on top of the engine to force air into the intake-trumpets. Further modifications included new rear bodywork and the spyder option was no longer available. The 'M-package' was far from cheap, but about 15 of the 25 512s were updated.

The 512 M prototype made its debut at the final race of the 1970 championship in Austria. Throughout qualification the Ickx/Giunti driven car suffered from fuel-feed problems, but still matched most of the 917s. With full tanks, and alleviated fuel-feed problems, Ickx beat the 917's pole time in the opening laps of the race. He continued to break the lap record and eventually beat his own Formula 1 lap record set two months earlier. For the first time that season, the Porsches were outpaced and by quite a margin. Unfortunately, alternator problems ended the race for Ickx and Giunti, but they had clearly proven that the development gap was finally closed.

Ickx and Giunti took the 512 M down to Kyalami for a non-championship 1000 km race. The only other works car was the Porsche 917K, driven by the newly crowned world champion Siffert and runner up Ahrens. The dominance of the 512 M was incredible; easily taking the pole from the best car Porsche had to offer. A one-minute penalty issued because of a false start did not discourage the team and after 1000 km Ickx and Giunti crossed the finish line, two laps ahead of the Porsche.

Things looked very bright in the 1971 season for the Maranello based team. Ferrari had some very different plans for that year and decided to focus on a 3-litre prototype program again. Most of the world championship rounds favoured the smaller prototypes and Ferrari feared the increased competition from Matra and Alfa Romeo. The works team concentrated on the new 312 P( prototype and left the 512 Ms to be run by customer teams. None of these could match the preparation and development of the Porsche works backed team and, although it was a superior machine, the 512 M was never a true force in 1971.

When the 5-litre class was abandoned for 1972, the career of both the 512 and 917 was effectively over. The two cars are forever connected and in conversations one is rarely mentioned without the other. Ferrari proved its choice to focus on the 312 PB to be right one, by winning the 1972 and 1973 world championships.


Carry on then, all of ya!

Well somewhere the sun is shinning and somewhere the sky is blue....but not in the 'wall home of Cupcake Tires GMBH with its factory sponsored Ferrari Race Team. By way of small detail after a minor tire failure first discovered by WIMMMSY members who purchased vast amounts...new management took over...with a distinct Teutonic bent. Not always a good blend with the fun loving Italian stallions.


Prior to leaving for the great race at the Green Hell the oracle of the amusement park located on the back straight of the beloved Autodrome was consulted to conjure what the chances of the brave Ferrari contingent would be. She mumbled something about "You look mahvulous..."...a vision of the Great Enzo appeared in the sky behind her...and then all fell silent in awe...."that will be 10 bucks and good luck suckers!"


Healys, Jags, Porsches....did we stand a chance?...looked promising.


So the brave little Ferraris from Cornwall took their place in the line up...full of optimism and promise. Shod with slightly narrower and taller rear tires, with all ballast removed the 512s was good for a podium....the 144mm needed only to keep a steady pace during its stint....HA!


Further up the line the challenge looked somewhat more formidable.


The Prototype contingent was daunting to say the least.


And who the hell would know that the dreaded Cobra by that American garagista Shelby would be there with a Daytona coupe?...well at least some Ferrari cousins were in the line up..HA..some help they were....


It was a stirring race, as Overall Results indicate:

Chris – 905 laps, 42.944 extension, 3/9 heat wins
Art – 899, 28.249, 6/9
Bill – 891, 23.984, 7/9
Pete – 869, 54.588, 2/9
Marek...wahhaaaa...me! – 835, 34.608, 3/9
Ashley – 833, 41.491, 0/9
Paddy – 806, 1:08.961, 3/9
Armando – 789, 52.049, 0/9

....but alas Team Ferrari Cornwall by Cupcake Tires GMBH...was to have a tragic and sour outing....the 144mm was in a word...SLOW...but it looked mahvolous...while the 512 was as fast as the best but tipped over in tight corners, a victim of not enough ballast and poor tire choice...toooooo grippy...ooohhh the pain...oh the agony of defeat....ooohhh crap! The trip home was silent. Half way through the race as the outcome was becoming obvious team principal Doc Evil was seen imbibing heavily of a mysterious amber healing elixir referred to only by the arcane initials CR...


...and the worst was to come when the team arrived to a cold and frosty greeting from the Teutonic management team at the home base located near the skunk works. Porsches...shudder...were seen lurking in the background...waiting to replace the Ferrari entrants. And so life goes on...the Ferraris looked mahvolous as ever, perhaps the team went slowly so others could marvel at their beauty?....the drivers and team principal have vanished... on holidays no doubt..."I know nothing!" was the only reply heard as to their where abouts.

Great race, good time, fantastic to see everyone again! Al BWA wheels thanks for the bits and pieces, Chris the chassis kits, Ray for coming out to say hi and all the competitors.Art..thank you for a place to crash and the magic CR....Bill, Paddy, Ash...great racing......... And I would be remiss not to thank Armondo for being there...at least there was no chance for this team Ferrari to finish last as there was another one there!!


All good friends and good racers.

Well I'm off to our old haunts in southern Ontario for "The 1000k oft the the Grune Holle", my friend Art's, masterful track. Two thirds of the race is for 1970's prototypes and 1/3 for 50's and 60's sport cars. The cars run on club urethane tires, which I cast along with a couple of others now and are built to a set of rules.

Vintage Le Mans/Prototype Open to Scaley Sidewinder Ferrari 330, Vintage Ford GT 40, Fly
Porsche 917/Carrera 6/908’s, Lola T70 Coupe, Ferraris, Ford GT40, Chevron etc.
• Stock part only, with the following exceptions;
• Similar width to original BWA aluminum wheels (with appropriate inserts)
• Brass/Bronze bushings
• 11 x 36 gearing (Slot-it 36T spur may be used)
• Solid (no hollow) 3/32 axles (solid axle may be used in place of stub front axles)
• Allowable modifications (See General Rules)
• Tires: Club Rear urethanes (Dimensions similar to stock)

50’s/60’s Production sports cars Any production sports cars eg. Carrera
(Mercedes 300, Jag D Type, Aston, Maserati) , Ninco (Ferraris, Healey, A/C Cobra,
Porsche 356’s, 550, Corvette, Jag xk 120), Revell (Porsche 550, Jag E Type), Scx
(Fiat 124) , as well as any model kit body from Airfix etc. (MGA, Triumph, Sprite etc.).
This class allows the racer leeway in building, but many of us have been racing this
class for a couple of years, and when power and grip are regulated, the competition has
proven to be very close, with the modified cars from Ninco/Carrera taking the majority of
wins, in fact, blue printed stock nincos have won their fare share.
There are only 3 basic mechanical rules:
1. Any commercially available plastic production inline chassis without a separate
motor pod
2. Motor Ninco Nc-1 or Nc-8 Motor (Must have id wrapper)
3. Tires Club rear urethanes (Ninco 20x 7 mold)
The cosmetic rules from the General Rules section will apply, but it is pretty well wide
open after that.

Team Ferrari is prepared and ready!


Wish me luck! The aim is a win, a podium would be fine, anything less hey!..we may not be the fastest but we look good!

By popular demand, I am giving you all, my trusted blog readers , a peek into the "secret skunk works". You will notice the fine detail work accomplished with the appropriate use of delicate tools. But enough about what is revealed. Just enjoy the sight of a master at work!



..Hey if you can't poke fun at yourself who can you poke fun at!

Not every project is a major build like the Ferrari 612 was. For example this fine Morgan by Carrera was a tweak fix. My Plus 8 was a Christmas gift from my son so I set about personalizing it a bit.


Started by removing the Digital bits (one screw and disconnect the connectors)) I run analog so no big deal. Save it. Then added a touch of lead where mags were. Siliconed in the motor and rear bushings. Trimmed the over long guide by just over a 1/2 inch. Got rid of all those little "dewhickeys" that block interference too. We have digital cable here and if it bugs your cell phone then don't use it while you are racing here Carrera uses nice connectors on wiring so this was pretty easy to simplify and reconnect.


Car needed some detail work though. The drivers cap is a jaunty blue to match his outfit and he whitened his hair and grew a beard. What a striking resemblance! Added some Monogram numbers and a couple of decals.


Fits right in with other sporty vintage types now. Last step will be to cast urethane tires but the originals work fine for now. Another future swap will be one the slower BWA s can motors. Ta for now. Going for a few pleasant laps on the 'drome.

And bit from Wiki:

The Morgan Plus 8 is a sports car built by British car makers Morgan between 1968 and 2004. Its instant and enduring popularity has been credited with saving the company and keeping the company famous during the 36 years of its manufacture. Among Morgan enthusiasts, it is deeply associated with Peter Morgan, the owner-chairman behind its design.

It was originally based on the chassis design of the Morgan Plus 4 to which it combined the Rover alloy block 3.5L V8, which had been purchased from GM-Buick in 1967. Chassis and wings were developed in stages to accommodate larger tyres to handle the power. The original 1968 Plus 8 was 57 inches (1,400 mm) wide and the last was 64 inches (1,600 mm) (with an optional "widebody" at 67 inches (1,700 mm))

All Plus 8s engines were based on the Buick 215, used in the 1961-63 Buick Skylark, Olds Cutlass and Pontiac Tempest. In the 1960s, the engine was decades beyond its time, being an all alloy block.
The early Plus 8s used the 215 block (renamed the 3.5 L by Rover) with a compression of 10.5:1 fueled by two SU HS6 carburettors. In 1973, the compression was dropped to 9.25:1 and power dropped with it. However in 1976, the compression was increased to 9.35:1 when an improved version of the block developed for the Rover SD1 was adopted and after 1981 this was fueled by two Stromberg carburettors, and the power increased.
At the end of 1983, the company offered a EFI version using a Bosch L-Jetronic based system. With the added power (204 bhp) and low weight, the Plus 8 was, according to the magazine road tests of the day, able to best a Porsche up to 90 mph (140 km/h). In 1990, a 3.9 L version of the block was added using a Hitachi Hotwire injection system, common to LR Range Rovers.
In 1996, a 4.6 L version found its way into the car as an option still using the Hotwire system. From 2000, all Morgan Plus 8s were fueled by the GEMS system used on the Land Rover Discovery II.

A special note on North America.

For almost two decades during the 1950s and 1960s, North America took the greater bulk of Morgan production. Popularity in the UK and Europe had greatly fallen during that era. The era ended with the advent of the strong emission and structural laws. Luckily, the failure of the modern looking +4+ and the arrival of the powerful Plus 8 rekindled interest in the home market in the whole line.
In the US, a way was found to keep importing Morgans after 1974. From 1974 to 1992, all imported Morgans (of which 98% were Plus 8s) to the United States were converted by independent dealerships to run on propane as fuel to pass the U.S. emissions regulations.
When the Rover Group re-certified their V-8 engine for use in the Range Rover SUV sold in the U.S., Morgan made a gasoline-powered +8 available with the same engine in the same tune and with the same anti-emission devices. As safety regulations continue to change, Morgan was again challenged in 2006 to meet the new structural requirements announced by the NHTSA in 2000. A request for an exemption to the law on airbags was refused and the importation of traditional (classic) Morgans ceased.

Lucky I got mine, eh!

This Maxi-Models kit was a gift from my brother Christmas of 2008. Its been up for construction several times and then slipped to the back burner. Unimaginable since its a Ferrari , but true! Maxi -models produces limited numbers of resin kits, this being numbered #7 of 175, based on the 1969 Chris Amon car at Watkins Glen. Maxi models have very neat web page and worth a visit. http://www.maxi-models.com
The car I built is liveried , to the best of my googling, in the Edmonton Canada race colours.

That is ,at least according to the source of this pic on the web, a 1/43 resin model site.


Lovely kit, tons of detail pieces, complete with chassis and motor. I switched out the rear wheels for a pair of Fly rears with my own tires, that I cast. I also chose to run a set of 64 pitch TSRF plastic gears. Man they are smooth. I also swapped out the motor, which looked suspiciously like a PM orange can, that from experience is very fast, but lacks brakes. Instead I went with a Fly can. That's quick enough , as I have other CanAm cars to run against with similar set ups. Not to fault the resin wheels that come with the kit but experience has taught me they are often out of round enough to be frustrating. Eventually BWA wheels will sit at the corners.


A clean, sand, and prep, then into my "highly sophisticated" paint booth, primer and several coats of Italian red. Wife loves the aroma of paint wafting up through the registers. Have to work on a better venting system than open window after work done.


The detail in the engine compartment, interior and chassis is daunting. White metal parts (twelve separate little intake trumpets), photo etch parts, decals...very complete and thought out. But honestly do not attempt construction after a coffee or couple of rye. You need to have a steady hand doctor! And yes I am aware the seats should be flat red but the blue looked better.


Three pains taking days later things have shapped up nicely. I still have to attach the photo etched spoilers at the front, but have to figure out a glue to use with success. The car is a tiny jewel.


The Ferrari 612 is a worthy addition to my 1/32 scale stable of Can Am cars, not the mention the Vanquish bunch.



And now for a little history for those interested. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_Silk Thank you!

Ferrari. A name that is synonomous with winning. Over 50 years of racing heritage; a heritage which includes several Formula One titles, as well as overall victories in Sports Car Racing at some of the most difficult race circuits known to exist. Tracks like Spa, the Nurburgring, and the great French classic held every year at Le Mans. Nearly every challenge the Prancing Horse of Maranello has undertaken in the last 60 years has resulted in victory. One series however was not intimidated by Italy's best. That series was the Can-Am Challenge, held between 1966 and 1974 in North America. The Can-Am, as it would become known, was perhaps the most exciting road racing series the planet has ever seen. Governed by the Sports Car Club of America, the series was run in accordance to the FIA's Group 7 rules for Sports Racing Cars. Group 7 rules were rather unlimited in many ways, which led manufacturers of all levels to run free with creativity and build some of the most technically advanced cars of their time.

In 1966, the Can Am's first actual season, the European factories had little interest in a series that only lasted from September to November and was comprised of just six events. Most of the entrants were independent teams. Teams like McLaren and Surtees, both headed by Formula 1 Champions that saw the Can Am as an opportunity to build their reputations as manufacturers. Ferrari already possessed a championship winning reputation. However, a young Mexican driver by the name of Pedro Rodriguez would fire Ferrari's first shot in what would soon become the hottest road racing series on the planet.

Bridgehampton, New York was the second round of the inaugural Can Am Series. The 2.85 mile course located in eastern Long Island would be the first time that a Ferrari would race in a Can Am event. Pedro Rodriguez was entered in a Dino 206S Coupe that September weekend. The young Mexican driver was able to achieve 22nd position on a grid filled with open-top sports racers powered by thundering American small block V-8s. The race would result in the little Ferrari not finishing due to the loss of a wheel. Rodriguez would appear again at Laguna Seca with the Dino, this time with a 18th place overall to show for his effort.

By early 1967, the Can Am was already being viewed as a fabulous series by many of the top names in North American road racing. The series caught the attention of Luigi Chinetti, the man at the helm of N.A.R.T. (North American Race Team), Ferrari's factory-backed team of choice in the United States. Chinetti would send one of N.A.R.T.'s P3/4 prototypes back to Maranello early in 1967 for modification to run in that year's Can Am Series. While at the factory, the P3/4 would receive several modifications to assist it in moving from Group 6 to Group 7 rules. The car was lowered and lightened, though the headlamps were retained. Provisions for a boot and spare wheel were eliminated, as there were no need for such luxuries in Can Am racing. The P3/4 also received a strengthened roll bar.

Ferrari's would be absent at the opening race held at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin in 1967. Though Chinetti and the N.A.R.T. team would arrive for the season's second race at Bridgehampton. Lodovico Scarfiotti was selected to drive the P3/4 that September weekend and he achieved a grid position of 16th place. Scarfiotti, a Formula 1 veteran, would go on to drive the P3/4 to a 7th place finish in the race.

Scarfiotti would again pilot the P3/4 a week later at Mosport, one of the fastest tracks the Can Am Series raced at. The N.A.R.T. P3/4 would start from the 12th position on the grid. The weekend would result in a DNF for the Ferrari due to a crash.

The fourth race of the 1967 Can Am season was to see the most powerful sports cars in the world visit the beautiful Laguna Seca Raceway on the coast of Central California. This race would mark the appearance of two new Ferrari Can Am cars in the form of P4s. Now equipped with full glass-fibre bodies, a huge rear spoiler, and a larger 4.2 litre engine, it looked like there was a serious effort brewing from Italy's top name in racing. Chris Amon and John Williams were recruited to perform the driving duties. Amon, being the seasoned driver he was, performed well at Laguna Seca driving the number 23 Ferrari P4 from 16th on the grid to a 5th place finish. Williams also scored well on the weekend by completing 99 laps and capturing 8th place. Two weeks later, at Southern California's incredible Riverside Raceway, the Amon and Williams duo would again attempt to bring victory home for Maranello. This time the results were not as promising as Laguna Seca, with Amon finishing 3 laps down in 8th place and Williams crashing out. The final Can Am event of 1967 was held at Las Vegas. A dusty track in the Nevada desert, Vegas was known for wreaking havoc with both racers and their machines. Amon would put the P4 in 13th place on the grid, while Williams scored the grids 18th spot. Williams race was short, as a stone was ingested on lap 1, locking the throttle and leading to the retirement of the number 27 Ferrari. Amon would wind up with a DNF as well due to a crash. Despite mid-pack qualification times, the P4s proved capable of obtaining podium results.

The 1968 season would be a pivotal one for Ferrari. Pedro Rodriguez would once again take the wheel of a Ferrari at Bridgehampton. Gridding the P4 in 11th position, Rodriguez would have an off course excursion early in the race leading to a DNF in a race which saw heavy attrition. Ferrari was going through a battle with the FIA over rule changes made during the off season. As a result, Ferrari did not enter any sports car races as a factory effort in 1968, except one; the Stardust Grand Prix of Las Vegas. The car was the all-new Ferrari 612P, chassis number 0866. Bill Harrah, Ferrari's west coast importer, supplied the funding and the factory assisted the operation with total technical support. Mauro Forghieri was the man largely behind the design of Ferrari's first, true Can Am competitor.

The first generation 612P utilized a trellis frame which was reinforced with riveted and bonded sheet metal. The body was of total glass fibre construction, while the suspension was independent at all four corners. The 612P used a wing mounted just rear of the cockpit. The wing incorporated 2 flaps that were hydraulically operated by a pedal in the cockpit to assist the car in braking. A nose mounted air brake was also incorporated to work in conjunction with the flaps via the pedal. This system of hydraulically actuated flaps proved complex and was not friendly to the over all weight of the car, which tipped the scales at nearly 1700lbs. The real center-piece of the 612P was the engine. At a 6,222cc displacement, it was the largest engine ever constructed by Maranello up to that point in time. The engine was a dual over-head cam design using 48 valves and sporting a 10.5:1 compression ratio. Lucas indirect fuel injection was used to supply the mighty 12 cylinder with fuel, and a dry sump oiling system made sure that all the vital components were supplied with the proper amount of oil. The 612P used a 4 speed gearbox which helped the car put its 620 horsepower to the rear wheels.

Many thought that the rumor of such a large Ferrari was just that, a rumor. The factory sighted the delay of the 612P's debut on the German head gasket manufacturer which was having problems producing the proper gaskets for the largest V-12 to date. Once this was overcome, testing began at Modena where it was hoped the car would break the 50 second barrier. This did not occur, however the 612P did achieve a 50.8 second lap at Modena, enough to satisfy the team and prepare for the race at Las Vegas.

The Ferrari's debut at Las Vegas was nothing short of spectacular. At nearly seven feet wide, and with it's 6.2 litre V-12 producing a raw mechanical sound like nothing else in the field, the 612P was hard to miss to say the least. The factory took this effort very seriously, appointing Franco Gozzi as team manager, Mauro Forghieri as race engineer, and Giulio Borsari to the chief engineering position. Three mechanics were also sent to accompany the car. Chris Amon was appointed the driving duties at Stardust, were he was able to obtain 9th position on the grid with a lap time of 1:32.2. Unfortunately, the weekend would end dismally, for the 612P would suffer clogged injectors leading to a DNF for its debut race.

The Ferrari 612P would reappear in 1969 to do battle in the Can Am, however the Ferrari effort was headed by Kiwi driver Chris Amon with Maranello playing a support role. The first appearance would be at the Watkins Glen Can Am race held in mid-July. Gone were the complex hydraulically-actuated high wing and nose-mounted speed brake. This, along with all new body work, allowed the car to shed some weight. The chassis and engine were the same as the 1968 Las Vegas race, but the weight loss enabled Chris Amon to qualify 3rd, just behind the McLaren M8Bs of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme. With such a high qualifying position, it looked to be a promising race for what would become known as the second-generation 612P. Amon remained competitive throughout the race remaining within striking distance of the two bright orange McLarens. The final result would be a 3rd place finish for the Ferrari; but more importantly, a shot in the arm to the Can Am Series which was beginning to suffer from Team McLaren's domination.

Chris Amon would again deliver a spectacular show with the 612P at the following race in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The car was fitted with a new 6.2 litre engine for this event. This proved exciting as the engine is claimed to be why the Ferrari's gearbox broke during practice, but nonetheless, Amon would once again occupy third position on the grid behind the brilliant McLarens of Bruce and Denny. Shortly following the green flag, Amon was able to pass Bruce McLaren's M8B to snatch second position. This started a battle unlike that which the McLaren cars had ever seen. Amon and McLaren would swap second place for several more laps until the M8B's Chevy engine gave out. This left second position to the Ferrari, which it would retain for the remainder of the race.

Amon would continue his streak of podium finishes with the big red Ferrari at Mid Ohio. Despite a poor qualifying result of 12th place, Amon managed to bring the Ferrari up through the pack to finish third, one lap behind the McLarens. Elkhart Lake was the next race, and the Ferrari 612P arrived with a major new aerodynamic wing mounted on struts above the rear of the car. Bracing was used to support the wing struts off the car's roll bar. Amon and the Ferrari would start the race from seventh position, but a faulty fuel pump would lead to an early end for the New Zealand driver and the 612P. Bridgehampton would deliver similar results for Ferrari, as Amon gridded the car in P3, his race would once again be cut short due to a broken oil pump shaft. Pedro Rodriguez would save the prancing horse's reputation at Bridgehampton with his 312P endurance racer. Pedro qualified 11th and drove the 312P to a fifth place finish, some 4 laps down from the leader. Amon would take the big Ferrari to the races at Michigan and Laguna Seca, but engine problems would result in the car not taking to the grid at these two events.

Riverside Raceway, late October 1969, would provide the backdrop for the largest Ferrari V-12 to ever turn a wheel in anger. Still retaining chassis number 0866, the car that originally debuted at Las Vegas a year earlier, Chris Amon and his mechanics fitted a monstrous 6.9 litre V-12 engine to the big red car. Maranello was able to achieve the 6.9 litre displacement by stroking the original 6.2 litre engine. The addition of the larger engine to the 612P led to a new designation, that of 712P, indicating near 7.0 litres of displacement. Amon would use the extra displacement to overcome the Ti22 of Jackie Oliver for third fastest on the grid behind both McLarens. Ultimately the extra power would come to no advantage, as Amon retired the Ferrari after being black flagged by officials for receiving an illegal push start. Amon would appear one final time before departing for March in 1970. The final race of the 1969 season was held at Texas International Speedway. Amon used chassis number 0866 in 712P trim to qualify, blowing the 6.9 litre engine and thus having to run the race with the spare 6.2 litre unit. The big engine did the trick in qualifying, with Amon getting 4th on the grid. The smaller engine wasn't to last either as it too blew early on in the race, leading to yet another DNF. Chris Amon parted ways with Ferrari at the end of 1969, but he did manage to score 39 points in the Can Am Championship which was enough to put him in 6th place overall in the point standings.

The 1970 Can Am season would see Ferraris of various teams entered throughout the year. These cars were mostly Ferrari 512S models that were built to FIA Group 6 rules to run in endurance races like Le Mans and Daytona. Chassis number 0866 would return to the fight for 1970, this time being entered by its new owner's, Earle-Cord Racing. It wouldn't be until round 8 of the series at Donnybrooke, a track in northern Minnesota, that Ferrari's first true Can Am challenger would return to race. The several months between the 1969 season and it's late September return to the track were occupied by a change of ownership and a return to the Ferrari factory for refreshening. While at the factory, however, chassis number 0866 would be outfitted with a 5.0 litre engine similar to that which was run in the Group 6 512S and 512M. This made for yet another designation change to that of 512P.

The late September debut of the 512P was a promising one. Driving duties for the Earle-Cord Racing entry were handled by Jim Adams, who managed to qualify 6th for round 8 at Donnybrooke. Adams was able to pull off a 4th place finish in a race of low attrition. The next two races would fail to see the 512P take the checkered flag, as a gear linkage issue would retire the number 76 Ferrari at Laguna Seca and a crash would end the scarlet car's event at Riverside, the season finale.

The Can Am kicked off it's 6th season of racing at Mosport in June of 1971. Jim Adams and the Ferrari 512P were there achieving 8th fastest time on the grid and finishing 5 laps behind Denny Hulme's McLaren M8F Chevrolet. Chassis number 0866 would miss the race at St. Jovite, but return to qualify mid-field for the 1971 Can Am race at Road Atlanta. A connecting rod failure would end the 512P's race that weekend, but something much more spectacular was about to happen at Watkins Glen.

Watkins Glen, New York was selected to debut the brand new Ferrari 712M, chassis number 1010. It would mark the first time since Las Vegas, 1968 that there would be an official Spa Ferrari SEFAC factory entry on a Can Am grid. The 712M was Ferrari's second serious attempt at producing a Can Am Championship winning car; the first being the 1968 612P, which had a disastrous debut in its' only factory supported race at Las Vegas. The 712M used a modified chassis from a 512S/512M endurance race car. The body was completely designed from a blank sheet of paper to produce as much down force as possible. The massive 7.0 litre V12 was based on the same block architecture as the 512 endurance engine, but with provisions made to accommodate an increase in bore and stroke. All new heads were designed using dual overhead cam architecture with 4 valves per cylinder. Horsepower was quoted to be in excess of 650. Ferrari located the radiators on the sides of car with large NACA ducts cut out a top the body work on each side of the cockpit to cool the giant red beast. Mario Andretti assisted the factory with its development efforts and was awarded the driving duties for the car's maiden race. With a 5th place starting position, Andretti just put the 712M ahead of Mark Donohue's Penske/Ferrari 512M, one of the Group 6 endurance cars that entered the Can Am race after competing in the previous days 6 hour race. Andretti stayed towards the top of field the entire race, finishing in fourth place behind Jo Siffert's Porsche 917/10 Spyder.While Ferraris would start the next three rounds of the 1971 season, these would be 512M models, and it would not be until Edmonton that one of the Ferrari Can Am Spyders would again appear.

Edmonton would see the return of the Earle-Cord Racing 512P, again with Jim Adams at the wheel. While Adams scored a sixth position in qualifying for the the event, the number 76 Ferrari would fail to finish due to problems with its ring and pinion. Mid-October's Can Am meet at Laguna Seca would see the Ferrari fair a bit better, with Adams driving the 512P to an eighth place finish from tenth on the grid. The grand finale for 1971 was held at Riverside, where Adams was able to qualify 13th fastest with the NGK Spark Plug sponsored Ferrari. Brake failure early in the race would lead to the red war horse failing to finish the event. Jim Adams would finish the 1971 season with 7 points, good for 25th in the Can Am point standings.

No Ferraris would be present at the first two Can Am events for the 1972 season. Round Three was held at Watkins Glen, and it would mark the second appearence of the 712M. This time the 712M was entered by N.A.R.T., initially with Sam Posey selected to drive the big Ferrari. Posey opted not to take the drive, and Frenchman Jean-Pierre Jarier was given the seat. The 712M was not noted to have the best handling characteristics, and little had been done to the car since it was last raced in 1971 to correct any problems. Jarier would make the best of it, driving the Goodyear shod car from the back of the grid to a tenth place finish, 12 laps behind the race winning McLaren M20 of Denny Hulme.

The 712M would not appear at Round Four of the 1972 season, held at Mid-Ohio, but would be present for Round Five run at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Jarier would pilot the Ferrari to a tenth place starting position at the legendary track. The N.A.R.T. entry would go on to a 4th place finish, matching chassis number 1010's best finish from the previous season's solo outing at Watkins Glen. Jean-Pierre Jarier finished the 1972 Can Am Season with 11 points, good for 13th position overall. Ferraris would be spotted on Can Am grids periodically after this, but these were 512M models that were made obsolete by the introduction of a 3.0 litre displacement cap put in place by the FIA on all endurance sports cars for the 1972 season.

The last shot to be fired by one of the big-bore Ferrari Spyders would be at Watkins Glen in 1974. N.A.R.T. brought out chassis number 1010 for one last race. By this time, Porsche had come and gone with it's turbocharged 12 cylinder 917/30 Spyders, as did the McLaren team with its mighty big block Chevrolets. Shadow emerged as the team to beat for 1974, but the big red Ferrari would have one last go at the very track it debuted at two years earlier. The 712M now sported a rear wing that was elevated above the tail section of the car as well as a revised intake scoop that protruded above the roll bar to better feed the largest 12 cylinder engine Ferrari would ever produce. Sam Posey was offered the drive in the 712M, which he accepted, only to break his foot while driving the car in practice. Posey was braking on course when the pedal went to the floor of the 712M. The pedal effort applied by Mr. Posey was so great, he broke a bone in his foot and ended up handing the driving duties off to Brian Redman. Redman, starting from the back of the grid, ran a decent race until rear suspension failure would lead him off course. The final race for Ferrari's biggest, most brutal car would end in a DNF.

Herbert Mueller would pilot a 512M in the final Can Am race of 1974. The race was held at Elkhart Lake in late August and is noted as being the final Can Am race of the classic era. Mueller drove his 512M from ninth on the grid to a sixth place finish, one lap down to Scooter Patrick's race winning McLaren M20. By this time several factors led to the end of what most consider to be the greatest road racing series that ever was. Ferrari was well represented, largely by privateers, through out the 1966-1974 Can Am period. While the factory's only true Can Am contenders, the 612P/712P/512P (chassis number 0866) and the awesome 712M (chassis number 1010), did not enjoy stellar careers within the series; one must note that much was gained in the development of the massive V-12 engines that powered the mighty red beasts from Maranello. Only today, some 35 years after the 712M's final race outing in upstate New York, have we seen Ferrari build a car with a 12 cylinder engine in excess of 6.0 litres. The new FXX, boasting a 6262cc V-12 mounted a-mid ship with 800 horsepower, would have to be seen as a modern descendant of those massive 7.0 litre red monsters that once competed on the spectacular tracks of North America. To many, the Can Am Ferraris would be better off forgotten. But despite the red cars hardships in the North American series, the fact that Ferrari took the time and effort to build some impressive racers should be applauded. After all, it's tough to argue that a big Italian V-12 sounds anything but fabulous, no matter how fast it is.

So there you have it, a neat article on Ferrari's Can Am effort and a great kit, too!

First a bit of history from the Los Angles Slot Car museum site. "Atlas added a slot car racing line to their model trains in 1965. Previously they had issued Ho scale models in RTR and kit forms, but the advent of commercial raceways was too much of a commercial lure, and they associated themselves to the Marusan company of Japan. Most Atlas models are basically Marusan kits and RTR models, repackaged with English markings and instructions. Atlas slot car kits were some of the lowest priced, and their quality was somewhat mediocre, but a great value for the money. The Brabham BT7 F1 kit was issued in 1966 and had a small brass frame bolted to an AT104 single-magnet Marusan motor and a very nice and well detailed body. The wheel inserts were especially attractive and accurate. The kit provided excellent performance. The same body was also used by the German Faller company." Now I set myself up with "Holy Grail cars" as soon as I have the previous Holy grail. The atlas Brabham has been on the radar for some time, but alas prices have been very high. I spotted this one on epay and for just under $50 Canadian including shipping snagged her.


Potential was there. Replace rear wheels, rebuild exhaust pipes, some paint, should come out well enough.


Chassis, motor...even the brass bevel gears were in great shape.


So it was on to the strip and clean. New braid in the original guide, replace rear wheels and tires with E.J's wheels and my own repro Monogram tires. Front tires are E.J.s till I produce a slightly smaller set. The wind screen cracked (age) when I popped it out but it was savable.


I replaced the pin head with a larger one. I just think it looks better and detailed with a bit of paint. The screen was pieced back togehter and glued in with Testors clear parts cement. Broken roll bar was rebuilt with a large paper clip!


A couple of mrriors from the odds and sods box disguised the cracked windshield and dollar store paint brushes
were cut and shaped to create the extended exhaust pipes. I have since replaced these with smaller diameter ones.


Prior to the final paint and decal the car looked right at home with my pack.


And so I finished up with a hand painted stripe and simple numbers. i think that will do nisely .The car runs amazingly. The motor is strong, the car "sits" well, planted on the track and gears mesh beautifully after all these years.

From Wiki:
Motor Racing Developments (Brabham) initially concentrated on making money by building cars for sale to customers in lower formulae, so the new car for the Formula One team was not ready until partway through the 1962 Formula One season. The Brabham Racing Organisation (BRO) started the year fielding customer Lotus chassis, in which Brabham took two points finishes, before the turquoise-liveried Brabham BT3 car made its debut at the 1962 German Grand Prix. It retired with a throttle problem after nine of the fifteen laps, but went on to take a pair of fourth places at the end of the season.

From the 1963 season, Brabham was partnered by American driver Dan Gurney, the pair now running in Australia's racing colours of green and gold. Jack Brabham took the team's first win at the non-championship Solitude Grand Prix in 1963. Gurney took the marque's first two wins in the world championship, at the 1964 French and Mexican Grands Prix. Brabham works and customer cars took another three non-championship wins during the 1964 season. The 1965 season was less successful, with no championship wins. Brabham finished third or fourth in the constructors' championship for three years running, but poor reliability marred promising performances on several occasions. Motor sport authors Mike Lawrence and David Hodges have said that a lack of resources may have cost the team results, a view echoed by Ron Tauranac.
The FIA doubled the Formula One engine capacity limit to 3 litres for the 1966 season and suitable engines were scarce. Brabham used engines from Australian engineering firm Repco, which had never produced a Formula One engine before, based on aluminium V8 engine blocks from the defunct American Oldsmobile F85 road car project, and other off the shelf parts. Consulting and design engineer Phil Irving (of Vincent Motorcycle fame) was the project engineer responsible for producing an outstanding engine in such a short space of time. However, few expected the Brabham-Repcos to be competitive, but the light and reliable cars ran at the front from the start of the season. At the French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux, Jack Brabham became the first man to win a Formula One world championship race in a car bearing his own name. Only his former team mate, Bruce McLaren, has since matched the achievement. It was the first in a run of four straight wins for the Australian veteran. Jack Brabham won his third title in 1966, becoming the only driver (as of 2009) to win the Formula One World Championship in a car carrying his own name . In 1967, the title went to Brabham's team mate, New Zealander Denny Hulme. Hulme had better reliability through the year, possibly due to Jack Brabham's desire to try new parts first. The Brabham team took the constructors' world championship in both years.
For 1968 Austrian Jochen Rindt replaced Hulme, who had left to join McLaren. Repco produced a more powerful version of their V8 to maintain competitiveness against Ford's new Cosworth DFV, but it proved very unreliable. Slow communications between the UK and Australia had always made identifying and correcting problems very difficult. The car was fast — Rindt set pole position twice during the season — but Brabham and Rindt finished only three races between them, and ended the year with only ten points.

Brabham BT33 Technically conservative Brabham did not produce a monocoque car until 1970.
Although Brabham bought Cosworth DFV engines for the 1969 season, Rindt left to join Lotus. His replacement, Jacky Ickx, had a strong second half to the season, winning in Germany and Canada, after Jack Brabham was sidelined by a testing accident. Ickx finished second in the drivers' championship, with 37 points to Jackie Stewart's 63. Brabham himself took a couple of pole positions and two top three finishes, but did not finish half the races. The team were second in the constructors' championship, aided by second places at Monaco and Watkins Glen scored by Piers Courage, driving a Brabham for the Frank Williams Racing.

Jack Brabham intended to retire at the end of the 1969 season and sold his share in the team to Tauranac. However, Rindt's late decision to remain with Lotus meant that Brabham drove for another year. He took his last win in the opening race of the 1970 season and was competitive throughout the year, although mechanical failures blunted his challenge. Aided by number two driver Rolf Stommelen, the team came fourth in the constructors' championship.

And there you have it.