“Can-Am killer”

Mark Donohue (1937-1975) and his Penske-run Porsche 917/30 at Riverside in 1973 (picture-above), all smiles, having won 5 of the previous 7 Can-Am races. Riverside would be his 6th.

The Porsche 917-30 is referred as the “Can-Am killer” as it dominated the competition, winning all but two races of the 1973 Can-Am championship. This 917/30, with its 5.4-liter turbocharged flat-12 engine, whose output could be adjusted from 1,100 to 1,500 bhp, generally is considered one of the most powerful and most dominant racing machines ever created.

Porsche engineers often asked Donohue if the motor finally had enough power. He answered: “It will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear.”