Frank Matich, Matich SR3 Oldsmobile ahead of Bud Morley, McLaren Elva Mk2 Chev during the United States Road Racing Championship round at Riverside, California on April 30, 1967
Many of you will be aware that FM contested Can-Am Challenge rounds that year whereas this race largely goes unreported
He had sold an SR3 to Marvin Webster in California and raced his own car in the Can-Am. This car was fitted with a modified 4-litre Oldsmobile F85 aluminium V8 by Webster’s crew while the other machine was powered by a customer Repco-Brabham Engines 620 4.4-litre V8.
Mark Donohue won the 70 lap, 300km race in a Penske Lola T70 Mk2 Chev from Bob Bondurant and Peter Revson’s pair of Dana Chevrolet McLaren Elva Mk3 Chevs.
The pro-series was the Can-Am Cup, the USRRC was the next level down but still a national series with some topline steerers: George Follmer, Jerry Titus, Masten Gregory, Lothar Motschenbacher, Moises Solana, Scooter Patrick, Jerry Grant, and Sam Posey and Mike Goth, the latter a pair of drivers who did the Tasman in the F5000 years .
Matich qualified 13th and retired from the race with falling oil pressure after only 19 laps, not a happy weekend as they had blown an engine in the first USRRC round at Las Vegas the week before. The final race of his tour was the Laguna Seca round on May 7 with a finish this time, eighth from grid 10.
Etcetera…
The Matich SR3 is derivative of a whole swag of sports-racers of the day but distinctively handsome all the same.
Marvin Webster calling the shots.
Skip Scott’s McLaren Elva Mk3 Chev, DNF engine with Matich at the rear of this group.
Matich in front of Peter Revson’s McLaren Elva Mark 3 Chev.
FM had the Australian franchises for Firestone Racing Tyres and Bell Helmets, I wonder if he landed both those fish during his ‘67 trips? Yes, he went with Goodyear a bit later when it seemed the way to go…
Credits…
David Friedman Archive
Tailpieces…
How far back did Roger Penske and Mark Donohue go? About here actually.
After Roger stopped driving in 1965 he fielded a pair of Corvettes at Daytona and Sebring in 1966 before forming the partnership with Donohue. USRRC titles followed in 1967-68 with Lola T70s, and the rest, as they say, is history.
How much, I wonder?
Finito…
primotipo... 