Klondike 200 Canadian-American (CAN-AM) Challenge Molson Cup (PR1988.0550.0162).
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2021
- Thirty-five thousand people jammed into the Edmonton International Speedway on September 15 and 16, 1973 to watch the Klondike 200 Canadian-American (CAN-AM) Challenge Molson Cup.
The Klondike 200 was the third last event in a seven-race CAN-AM season. Mark Donohue had dominated the season and won the Molson Cup in his Porsche 917/30 TC Spyder. The 917/30 was the most powerful car in the series with a twin-turbocharged, 12 cylinder 5.4 litre engine that put out over 1,100 horsepower, outperforming its rivals by hundreds of horsepower. Everything came together for Donohue in Edmonton too: “Today our car ran and handled better than it ever has. … Never in my life have I had a car that was this perfect” (Edmonton Journal, September 17, 1973 p. 19).
Located in northwest Edmonton, the Edmonton International Speedway had a 4.07km, 14 turn course for the Molson 200. While the CAN-AM was the main event, the speedway was also home to a ¼ mile oval and a drag strip that was part of the Klondike 200 weekend. 1973 was the last CAN-AM in Edmonton - the series succumbed in 1974 to declining interest, high energy prices, and a North American recession. The Edmonton International Speedway continued to be the home for local gear heads until 1982 when the city annexed the land for residential development.
This video includes film footage of the race with the full throated roar of the engines and silent B-roll of the crowd, the speedway, the city, and the presentation of the winner.
The Can-Am was a fabulous series.
That's Ivor Dent, my elementary school principal. Good teacher.
i remember an old edmonton journal ulushak cartoon where there's a couple of guys standing by a car collision and one of them says, "did you say the mayor was involved in the accident?" and the other one goes, "no, i just said there was a dent in the car".
i lived by northgate back then and man speedway would be noisy.