Jackie Oliver awaits his time to practice in the Universal Oil Products Shadow.
Do you remember the grudge match between him and George Follmer,
driving identical Shadows?
The Penske / Donohue Porsche 917-30 may have killed the Can-Am but it was
the Shadow that came afterward!
And this was the Can Am killer, the 917-30 that Mark Donohue worked so dilligently with Porsche engineers to make a success.
This shot is from the Rennsport Reunion. About 15 minutes after this picture was taken, Mark's former employer and friend, Roger Penske, took the old champion out for a spin
around LRP!
The 917-30 was the evolutionary product of the 917-10. This is the Vasek Polak Porsche 917-10 that Jody Scheckter drove
at Watkins Glen in the Can Am.
Charlie Kemp and George Follmer also campaigned 917-10's in Can Am, in the colors of Royal Crown Cola.
This is an original ad for Champion spark plugs that featured Follmer's mount.
Below is an ash photo taken at Watkins Glen with George racing along the front straight trying to catch a certain
Mr. Donohue!
And here is George in the cockpit of his Panzer-Wagen, preparing to go out for another run at the 917-30 that would eventually take the 1973 Can Am championship.
And did we mention that George didn't like losing? He didn't, so come 1974, he had switched mounts and moved over to join with Jackie Oliver in a sister Shadow.
It has been suggested the competition between him and teammate Oliver was fiercer than when he ran against Donohue!
This photo of George Follmer was taken at the Porsche Rennsport Reunion.
He doesn't drive fast cars anymore but he is one
mean pilot!
This is none other than the legendary and pioneering journalist
Chris Economaki.
Chris still attends several major sportscar racing events. He is a man who made a real contribution to the growth of auto racing in general by being in the pits and behind the microphones for the old ABC Sports race coverage events on television.
Talking to this fountain of knowledge and experience is a privilege that I have been fortunate to enjoy on several occassions.
Chris Economaki is still
"the man in the media center".
Updated: 10/19/2005
