Anyone remember this?

[stroker]

I almost put this in the You Tube thread, but wondered if anyone here actually attended this race. You watch this and compare it to today (watch the "pit stops"!) and it's incredible. Too bad they didn't run the event in 1975, instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjfF4HkJz9k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3FaIimppF4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-GBH2ZXvhA

[oddlycalm]

Didn't attend and was only dimly aware of it at the time. I was living in a very remote area that year. Great footage, would have loved to have seen it. :thumbup:

oc

[Don Quixote]

That's good stuff. I don't remember it at all.

[NismoZ]

You PUPS!:D "The answer was clear...Mario Andretti.":thumbup: Broadcast (live, I think) on TV. Watched for two main reasons... Mario, and Donohue. I was convinced after the Can Am rain race at RA in '68 that Mario was a future World Champ, just didn't think it'd be 10 years before that happened. I watched Donohue and Penske more often because they road raced more and that was pretty much what I was into. F-5000 (FA, whatever) was awesome and it's best days were still to come. It was obvious to knowledgeable fans that the Questor race was more gimmick than a true test of F-1 vs. F-5000 but Donohue running up to 3rd put a huge smile on my face. Mario passing above AND below Stewart (from 12th!) was pure beauty!:thumbup:) Donohue's point that F-1 was TEN times as expensive was not an excuse but simple fact and by '75-'76 Mario would point out his F-5000 Lola T-332 was faster than his F-1 rides. (and I'll bet MORE than 10 times less expensive?) I believe it was '75 also when Dan Gurney, with a driver of his own choosing) put his Indy Eagle up against anyone from F-1 in a $100,000 challenge at the Nurburgring. He had no takers. Sorry for the long reply, but that race made it very clear at least TWO American drivers were the equal of any F-1 had to offer. ( Mario already had pole at Watkins Glen in the '68 US Grand Prix) Oh, and the canned sound on the film did NOT do justice to the screaming exhaust note of that Matra-Simca. Pretty special!:)

[Methanolandbrats]

I was at the RA CanAm races, aware of this one, I salute NismoZ's knowledge and memory :D :thumbup:

[stroker]

So just imagine the same race at Road America in 1995 with Champ Cars and F1. It would have been standing room only. Biggest crowd in the history of the track, no doubt. They could do the same thing now at Indy if they had an Indy car worthy of the name. Unfortunately Bernie pretty well torpedoes that idea... Can't have F1 cars in a race where they might actually LOSE... it'd diminish the BRAND and all...

[Methanolandbrats]

So just imagine the same race at Road America in 1995 with Champ Cars and F1. It would have been standing room only. Biggest crowd in the history of the track, no doubt. They could do the same thing now at Indy if they had an Indy car worthy of the name. Unfortunately Bernie pretty well torpedoes that idea... Can't have F1 cars in a race where they might actually LOSE... it'd diminish the BRAND and all...

That ****er Bernard. Kinda OT, but if modern F1 can race at Monza with no runoff, they could run at RA. Of course the problem is no garages, no five star diners, a shortage of hotels suitable for the pampered F1 douchebags and hangers-on. There are three real tracks left on Earth: Road America, Spa and Suzuka, they should all be on the schedule.

[NismoZ]

Yeah, by '95 CART was rockin', Euro guys and South Americans everywhere, roads, ovals and streets, bunches of sponsors, a TRUE driver's championship. A real threat to F-1, fer certain sure! What happened, anyway?:rofl:

[FTG]

There are three real tracks left on Earth: Road America, Spa and Suzuka,

Mosport.

[Easy]

Speedvision (pre FOX buyout) aired this a few years ago. I hadn't heard of the event before that viewing (before my time) but was riveted to that program. :thumbup:

[Chief]

Great clips...:thumbup:

Life was simpler...racing was fun and innocent. I miss that.

[grungex]

At least we have The Chase.

[NismoZ]

Yes, I'm told it's a really good one so far.:gomer: Any Yankees in a Ford with a shot?:thumbup:

[STD]

Remember watching it as a firmly entrenched fan of road racing.
I would have much preferred this match up on a natural terrain road course.
Hated the mickey mouse roval as much as the 1969 Can Am events at Michigan and TWS. Haven't found a need to change my mind at all over the years. No, I didn't give Daytona a break either. :D
The Surtees TS8 Sam was driving is one of my favorite F5000 cars from that era.
Mario had also won a F1 race in that Ferrari 312B a few weeks earlier.
Though many would state nothing sounded like a 3.0 Liter Ferrari or Honda V12 of the relative time frame they never came close to the scream of that Matra V12 in F1 or endurance formats. :thumbup:


http://forix.autosport.com/8w/questor.html

http://www.allamericanracers.com/f1challenge.html

[NismoZ]

:thumbup:Thanks for that 2nd article. I may have actually read it in '73 (thought the challenge was in '75) because, though I didn't know, I always thought Dan'l would want Mario to be his driver. Just made sense. I DIDN'T know his 2nd choice was Donohue, but THAT made sense also. How 'bout that, my two favorite drivers from those days were Gurney's picks, too! (and of course Dan was in my top two 'til he hung it up.:D)