| Ernest Iaconetti |
Chassis # M8D-4 was enlisted for Denny Hulme to compete in the last three
rounds of the 1970 Can Am series, Donnybrooke, Laguna Seca and Riverside. He
won all three rounds and the Can Am Championship.
At The end of the 1970 season, M8D-4 was sold to privateer Tony Dean.
Dean was recuperating from an injury when the 1971 Can Am season began. He
enlisted Chuck Parsons and David Hobbs to drive the car for the first four
rounds. At the fifth round, Mid-Ohio, Dean felt well enough to drive the car
himself. Unfortunately, he crashed the car heavily during practice.
Since the car�s chassis (tub) was badly bent, Dean ordered a new
replacement tub from Trojan. Dean used this new tub �together with all the
usable parts from the original M8D to rebuild the car...for the purpose of
continuing to race in the 1971 Can Am series�. This process took approx.
seven weeks. He re-joined the Can Am series at the Laguna Seca round in
October 1971. Prior to the race he was approached by and sold the car to Roy
Woods who needed a car for Vic Elford to drive as Vic had crashed his
McLaren M8E during practice. Vic drove it during the race that weekend and
due to a conflict in Vic�s schedule, Roy Woods had George Follmer drive it
at the last race of the 1971 Can Am season at Riverside, California.
Following the 1971 season, Roy Woods sold the car to Bill Overhauser,
team W.O.R.L.D. Overhauser had Canadian driver John Cordts drive the car
during most all of the 1972, and in selected rounds of the 1973 seasons.
Overhauser drove the car himself at the last original Can Am race at Elkhart
Lake, Road America in 1974.
Overhauser then sold the car to Hal Whipple here in California. Whipple
drove it in S.C.C.A events until 1977.
The car was then sold to the Modena Collection in Australia.
I purchased the car in 1997. Based at Sears Point Raceway in Northern
California, it is currently undergoing a complete restoration. It will be
finished later this year, in time to participate in vintage events
celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Can Am. |