Idea for a new CanAm series

[Edmonton]

2 seat opencokpit sportscars
stockblock pushrod engines of up to 8.3litres
price cap on cost of engine-try to keep them to retain the cost effectiveness they had in the original series.
Run mechanical fuel injection
200mile races

[thebear]

Originally posted by Edmonton
2 seat opencokpit sportscars
stockblock pushrod engines of up to 8.3litres
price cap on cost of engine-try to keep them to retain the cost effectiveness they had in the original series.
Run mechanical fuel injection
200mile races

:confused: What about tire and wheel sizes and brakes (Carbon/Cast Iron)?:confused:

[billnchristy]

what about companies that dont use pushrods?

[Patrick B]

Isn't the biggest problem in N.A to many series allready? What need is there for another roadrace series? Or is this CAN-AM series to rplace the ALMS when the LMES eats up Sebring?

[cybersdorf]

You can't artificially conjure up the past.

[billnchristy]

why introduce another "low tech" series when enough people complain about GA and T/A?

[nsxr]

if you wont to do this then use sprints and midgets engines big power and cheap plus bomb proof

[Tim Northcutt]

I suggested an "LMP 1000" class for privateers with a 6.0L-8.0L displacement, instead of what we'll now have for LMP2s and only a couple of people bought into it...and I really doubt the ACO would buy into it... But I like the idea for a low $$$ team to become competitive via a lot of power....

But I don't know if we need another series to further split out the market....

[KC]

Interesting idea, but the stock pile of available pushrod V8s up to 8.3 liters has gotten small over the years.

Chevy has a 496 ci V8 jointly developed with Mercury Marine and Arizona Marine. Ford has all but done away with the 460 ci V8 found in their one ton trucks in favor of the Triton V10 and turbo-diesel Powerstrokes. Dodge/Chrysler has done near the same thing in favor of smaller displacement Hemi engines and the Cummins turbo-diesel. Toyota and Nissan both have 300 ci V8s but these are not suitable for boring and stroking up to more than 400 ci. They are also overhead cam designs. Honda has nothing over about 3.3 liters.

The sprint car engines being raced today are not stock block designs, but they offer up to 410 ci. Even the wild looking winged Unlimited Super Modifieds are racing 467 ci Chevies now instead of their old stand by 455 ci Oldsmobile V8s.

Personally, I think a silhouette based GT program offers more in potential factory backing and privateer programs with stringent engine availability rules than a prototype series. A series in appearance to the All Japan GT series or a more high-tech version of Trans Am offers more for the teams, TV and sponsors in my opinion.

[Tim Northcutt]

Within my LMP 1000 category, I thought about allowing up to 12 cylinders....

at a minumup, you could drom the Chevy 7.0 L engine that the Corvettes have in them or pullthe engien out of a Viper....

There also are crate motors from SEMA builders that are based on stock blocks that run as big as 8.3 L....

Those would be possibilities....

Just a thought...

But the thing that made Can-Am so great back in the late 1960s was the opportunity to be innovative....many unusual chassis came to the track from a lot of wildly creative minds....

The diversity was almost staggering....

[Bob Riebe]

Why limit the size to 8.3 liters?
There are many sources or push-rod V-8s, including new Oldsmobiles( non DRCE) Ponticacs and Buick.
Non factory produced blocks have long been used by U.S. racers, with the factories blessings.
Ford, Chevy, Olds (DRCE), Chrysler engines are all capable of over 600 in.cu. and well over 1,000 hp., on carburettors.
The only threat to push-rod engines, horsepower wise, would be engines like the Shubeck, which is a four-valve, four-cam engine capable of over 900 in.cu.
Of course there are four-valve heads for the Push-rod engines, and push-rod engines have a size and weight break in their favor.
Bob

[gttouring]

there is a guy in LA area of california, they make engine mostly marine based- and they have made some for Landspeed applications an autoversion made V12 6 litre 700 horse
really crazy stuff- they sound excellent- these would be good options wouldn't they (to stuff in the back of a champcar chassis with fenders and make it an LMP1.
http://www.falconerengines.com/prod04.htm
perhaps for the LMP on a shoestring?

[gttouring]

maybe Ryan falconer is actually located in Indiana- the website changed since last time, i forget

[pitviper]

why the size to 8.3 litres? i'd be willing to bet it's to include the new Viper V10...as it should be! i would love to see a lightened version of the engine be placed amidship of a supercar project...

pit

[krt917]

The whole essence of Can-Am was the lack of restrictions - you could build just about anything. That was what made it interesting, but it was also what aided it's death when the organisers saw the technical leaps that Porsche money and expertise was making. If you had the original level of freedom you'd end up with traction/launch controlled aerodynamic capsules because that is how far technology has come. And, whilst technically interesting, that would not make for good racing.

However, if you limit the engines to 8.3 pushrods then you limit the variety and room for development and ingenuity which made Can-Am so great in the first place.

Can-Am was special and should be left at that - with efforts being put into making Sportscar Racing better and stronger worldwide. Mind you, a Historic series with big Lolas, McLarens, Shadows and the turbo Porsches would be fantastic!!