{"id":638612,"date":"2026-08-15T12:26:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/638612\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T12:26:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T12:26:34","slug":"rolex-motorsports-reunion-class-spotlight-bruce-mclaren-trophy-1963-1974-can-am-usrrc-v-8s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/638612\/","title":{"rendered":"Rolex Motorsports Reunion Class Spotlight: Bruce McLaren Trophy 1963-1974 Can-Am USRRC V-8s"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\tStay up to speed with stories written by drivers, for drivers.<\/p>\n

Get automotive news, DIY tips, market trends, in-depth car profiles, and more right in your email inbox.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of exotic-sounding engines running during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The hills around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca echo with wailing rotaries and tiny, turbocharged powerplants from more modern racers. Still, nothing sounds quite like a pushrod V-8 roaring with more than 800 horsepower. Even the \u201csmall\u201d engines in this class start where the mighty 5.0-liter SCCA Trans-Am cars top out.<\/p>\n

We captured a couple of the qualifying sessions early in Monterey Car Week festivities. We also spoke to some of the drivers to get a feel for what it\u2019s like to handle these unhinged racing machines at Laguna Seca. They\u2019ll all be racing to capture the trophy on Saturday in case you need some motivation to make it to the track.<\/p>\n

1971 McLaren M8E<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

This 1971 McLaren was campaigned by Frank Parkhill, who raced it at Donnybrooke in 1971 against Jackie Stewart, Denny Hulme, and Peter Revson, among others. Parkhill finished several laps down from those legends, but he did finish. After that Can-Am outing, it competed successfully in several SCCA events.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

Warren Briggs purchased the M8E with a big-block, but it wasn\u2019t this mean machine from Jennings Engines. The high-compression big-block Chevy is now producing around 900 horsepower. \u201cBoy, the corners come up quick in this, you know? What\u2019s quite funny is the more you improve, the more you scare yourself,\u201d said Briggs. \u201cIf I improve Turn Six\u2014I\u2019ve changed what I\u2019m doing through there\u2014all that happens is I arrive at the Corkscrew five miles an hour faster; it\u2019s like, \u2018bloody hell!\u2019\u201d. \u2029<\/p>\n

1966 Elfin 400<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

When Globe Products, an automotive casting company in Adelaide, Australia, wanted to show off its manufacturing prowess, it built this 1966 Elfin 400 and fitted it with a Ford small-block using a set of its four-cam, two-valve heads. The sanctioning body where it was racing, Confederation of Australian Motorsport, wasn\u2019t happy that only a few teams were getting low-volume parts that weren\u2019t actually in production. The exotic powerplants had to go.<\/p>\n

Mark Goldsmith explained that his car, the experimental quad-cam testbed, \u201cwent back to a 302 and went through a few owners and ended up in Tasmania.\u201d Elfin founder Garrie Cooper bought the car and gave it a more wedge-shaped body in 1980, ditching its sleek curves. \u201cIt looked like a robber\u2019s dog,\u201d said Goldsmith (U.S. translation: It looked terrible).<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

Goldsmith had actually been in this car when he was a teenager. When he found it for sale in Tasmania, he could hardly contain himself. \u201cWho would think 50 years later, I\u2019d go and buy it?\u201d \u00a0Goldsmith wanted to return the car to its 1966 chassis, bodywork, and livery. That\u2019s no small feat, but Goldsmith had reference material to spare. \u201cWe even have people who used to work for Elfin at the time. They took a camera to work and photographed the chassis building,\u201d Goldsmith explained. The black-and-white photos provided enough detail to restore the chassis to its 1966 configuration.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cI went through the whole lot, from 2014 to 2018,\u201d said Goldsmith. \u201cThat\u2019s how it looked in 1966.\u201d It even has the same Hewland gearbox, marked as the 38th LG 500 produced. Aside from the DOHC heads, it\u2019s very much as it was when Globe raced it, and is virtually identical to how it would have been after the DOHC heads were banned. Its Ford 302 V-8 currently produces about 420 horsepower. \u201cWe\u2019re so outclassed compared to these eight-liter monsters,\u201d said Goldsmith, completely undeterred and loving every lap behind the wheel.<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe now race it all around Australia,\u201d said Goldsmith, but this is its first time running in America. We asked his thoughts on Laguna Seca: \u201cThis is great,\u201d Goldsmith replied, \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like altitude in a racetrack.\u201d With experience at tracks including Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Zandvoort, Monza, and Spa, he\u2019s got opinions on what makes them memorable: \u201cNever say to an Englishman that Silverstone is boring, because they get very upset,\u201d he jokes. \u201cOur favorite track in Australia, obviously, is Bathurst. It\u2019s the Spa of Australia.\u201d Goldsmith has raced at Bathurst several times and compares Laguna Seca favorably to his favorite track in his home country, with one corner reminding him of Spa. \u201cThe corkscrew is the Eau Rouge,\u201d he added. We asked if the Corkscrew was scary the first time. \u201cIt\u2019s scary every time!\u201d He told us a racing buddy suggested that there are two lines through the Corkscrew, to which he said, \u201cIf there are two lines on that corner, I\u2019ve used all nine of them!\u201d<\/p>\n

1966 Elfin 400<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

Bill Hemming, from Melbourne, Australia, has owned his 1966 Elfin 400 for about 12 years. \u201cI bought it as a box of bits,\u201d said Hemming, \u201cand we had to rebuild the whole thing, make a new chassis.\u201d That was an awful lot of work, but Hemming has plenty of research material to reference as he\u2019s the man who founded the Elfin Heritage Centre<\/a> to keep the legacy of the Australian sports car manufacturer alive.<\/p>\n

The car had been powered by a Repco-Brabham engine, but it was damaged and needed a rebuild, and parts are tough to source. Now it\u2019s using a V-8 that\u2019s much easier to run and maintain, a small-block Chevy. \u201cI had a spare Formula 5000 motor I put in so I could come over here,\u201d said Hemming. \u201cWe\u2019re a bit out of our league here. We\u2019re running five-liter motors against the 8.4L McLarens, but that\u2019s all right, someone\u2019s got to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

The 302 is topped by Lucas fuel injection and produces about 500 horsepower. \u201cIt wants to be full throttle,\u201d said Hemming, \u201cwhich is a bit hard. I\u2019m driving it like an automatic. I only use Third and Fourth gears around here.\u201d The final drive gears in the transaxle aren\u2019t a great match for Laguna Seca\u2019s layout, but Hemming doesn\u2019t mind one bit. \u201cIt is terrific. . . Every time I go around, I say, \u2018oh, I could have gone faster there\u2019, but you forget.\u201d He\u2019s having an absolute blast with a 500-hp, mid-engine missile; a few things would surely slip our minds as well.<\/p>\n

1972 McLaren M8F<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

Chris Springer, from Los Gatos, California, was the man to beat in early qualifying, clocking in a 1:27.138 lap in his 1972 McLaren M8F. Springer purchased the car in England about three and a half years ago and shipped it to the US. It sat in a museum for nearly 15 years but spent plenty of time racing in Group 7. Springer speaks nonchalantly about the car\u2019s monster big-block, \u201cI don\u2019t need to have, you know, a thousand horsepower,\u201d said Springer. He estimates that the car may have had closer to 800 horsepower when the 8.2-liter big-block Chevy was new, but the mechanically fuel-injected engine breathes through intake trumpets without any air cleaners, so it ingests a lot more dust than a normal car, and consequently the bores wear much faster. He estimates the current powers at \u201cseven something,\u201d which Springer feels is appropriate. \u201cYou know, they say 720 to 740 is what they were in \u201872.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

When asked about his experience racing at Laguna Seca, Springer was quick to respond: \u201cIt\u2019s the best ever,\u201d he said, enthusiastically. \u201cPeople don\u2019t really recognize it, but Laguna Seca is all banked turns. Banked in your favor.\u201d Springer didn\u2019t just jump into a 700-hp mid-engine race car; he had plenty of experience running a Corvette, but found himself wanting more speed. \u201cThe first time I drove it (his McLaren), it was 10 seconds faster than my fastest Corvette. So it\u2019s super fun, but, of course, you have to look further ahead, because you anticipate the next turn. There\u2019s no rest.\u201d \u2029<\/p>\n

\"\" 1970 McLaren M8DBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1970 McLaren M8DBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1972 McLaren M8FPBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1971 McLaren M8E\/DBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1967 McLaren M6ABrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 970 McLaren M8CBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1974 Sting GW1Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1971 McLaren M8E\/DBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1970 McLaren M8CBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1969 Porsche 917 PABrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1969 Lola T163Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1969 Lola T163Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1967 McLaren M1CBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1967 McLaren M1CBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1967 McKee Mark 7Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1967 McKee Mark 7Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1967 Lola T70 Mk 3Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1966 McLaren M1BBrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1966 Lola T70Brandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n

\"\" 1965 McLaren M1ABrandan Gillogly<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Stay up to speed with stories written by drivers, for drivers. Get automotive news, DIY tips, market trends,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":638613,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[74],"tags":[18,19,17,270077,261464,270078,82,270076],"class_list":["post-638612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-eire","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-laguna-seca-raceway","tag-monterey-car-week","tag-rolex-motorsports-reunion","tag-technology","tag-vintage-racing"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/117099523519921091","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=638612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/638612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/638613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=638612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=638612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=638612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}