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1967 Caldwell D-7 news, pictures, and information | ||
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Trying to maximize the traction of the bias-ply tires of the day, the unusual design incorporated solid front and rear axles, combined with a large chassis-mounted wing. While it was very fast on big, smooth tracks, it became a real handful of bumpy surfaces. Bump steer was so bad at Bridgehampton that Sam actually loosened the steering wheel on the shaft to absorb some of the kick.
The Can-Am Caldwell D-7 was designed with a non-independent suspension conceived to maximize road contact for the era's newest, wider competition tires. This feature became, in Posey's words, 'Both the car's strength and its Achilles heel.' The sleek, aerodynamic chassis was built with a pair of narrow box sections running along either side of the cockpit. The engine is a 365 CID Blatz Chevy, and the transmission is a five-speed ZF.
The car was driven in 22 races, with the best finishes a third at Riverside, a fourth in Mexico City and a 10th place at Elkhart Lake in 1968. Posey officially registered the car's remarkable potential at Laguna Seca in 1967, when he tied Bruce McLaren for the lap record.
Glimmers of the cars potential - beating the lap record in practice at Lime Rock, tying the record at Laguna Seca - were overshadowed by reliability and development problems. An aluminum spoiler replaced the wing, and the rear suspension received a redesign. It became safer and more reliable but lost some speed and edginess in the process.
In seven USRRC races in 1968, the D7 scored five top tens including a 3rd at Riverside. Its 1967/68 Can-Am results were a bit less illustrious with twelve races resulting in 6 DNFs but also two top tens. Offered a Lola ride in 1968, Sam jumped at the chance and teammate Brett Lunger campaigned the D7 for the 1968 season.
| 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans: Bewildered Bruce | |
 | The look on Bruce McLaren's face as he climbed from his GT40 would be one of stark contrast to the rest of those with the Ford team. It was clear who the winner was, and yet, confusing as well. In the midst of one of the most demonstrative and authoritative victories in Le Mans history, McLaren and his co-driver Chris Amon would find themselves the beneficiaries of a saga that upset the team management at Ford as much as Ferrari's presence. It was an all-out effort. Tremendous amounts of capi...[Read more...] |
| 1968 Belgian Grand Prix: A First for McLaren | |
 | McLaren and Formula One are truly synonymous. Over the course of its history, McLaren has completed 714 races and have garnered no less than 178 victories. But while McLaren and victory in Formula One are an almost certainty, the very first would be anything but a complete surprise. In December of 1959, Jack Brabham would be leading the way in his Cooper T51 with Bruce McLaren following along not all that far behind. The final lap of the United States Grand Prix held at Sebring, Florida has j...[Read more...] |
| 1962 Monaco Grand Prix: McLaren Carries the Cooper Flag back to the Top | |
 | By the beginning of the 1962 Formula One season Jack Brabham had left Cooper to form his own racing team. It seemed the glories days of the double World Championship were well and truly behind them. However, left in Brabham's stead would be a man very akin to the Australian in so many ways. And in Bruce McLaren, Cooper had a driver and competitor more than apt to help carry the team forward into the future. The first race of the 1962 season, the Grand Prix of the Netherlands, certainly didn't...[Read more...] |
| 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans: Cut but Still Fighting | |
 | Andre Simon's experiences at Le Mans were absolutely heart-wrenching. Consistently fast every time he took part in the famed race, he always seemed to come away bloodied, beaten and bitterly disappointed. Still, he would always come back for more, never letting the infamous race get the better of him. But after a while, one would have to ask whether or not it was worth it. Well, right from the start of the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans Simon would face that question and would provide a resounding ans...[Read more...] |
| Nine 12C GT3s To Start In Blancpain Endurance Series Headline Race: Total 24 Hours of SPA | |
 | •McLaren GT customer teams head to Spa- Francorchamps following 12C GT3 victory for ART Grand Prix at Magny-Cours •High quality short film previews the challenges facing the six McLaren GT customer teams – http://youtu.be/WyT9gyscshQ •Live updates available at the interactive McLaren GT Pitwall http://media.mclarenautomotive.com/pitwall Nine examples of the stunning McLaren 12C GT3 will line up on the grid of the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps next weekend, 27-29 July to contest the...[Read more...] |
