Another day, another awesome visor cam video. This one comes from onboard Rick Knoop’s Can-Am Mclaren M8F at Laguna Seca, and it’s amazing.
The 8-litre V8 engine sounds incredible and the acceleration is pretty mind blowing even by today’s standards, let alone forty years ago. The car looks like an absolute beast to drive and it’s difficult to imagine what the racing must have been like back in the day.
The first iteration of Can-Am ran from 1966 to 1974, had no restrictions on engine size or aerodynamics, and attracted many of the top Formula One drivers of the day. McLarens such as this dominated the early years of the championship and it became known as the ‘Bruce and Denny show’, such was the dominance of Bruce McLaren and Denny Hulme. Sadly a number of economic factors contributed to the cancellation of the championship, but the cars are still fondly remembered and this video shows why.
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