Peter Revson 1939-1974

Peter Revson started racing in the early 1960’s.

He was heir to the considerable Revlon cosmetics empire, but chose not to be part of it.

Instead, he chose a life of motor sports, starting in club events and moving into Formula Junior, traveling around Europe in a converted bread-van to race the events.

In the late sixties, he raced for the AMC Javelin team in the Trans-Am series, with some success.

In 1969, he raced to a 5th place in the Indianapolis 500, the top rookie finish. In 1970, he co-drove with Steve McQueen to finish 2nd in the 12 Hours of Sebring in McQueen's Porsche 908/02. He also raced Penske Racing AMC Javelins, and raced the L&M Lola in Can-Am racing.

In 1971, he raced for McLaren in the Can-Am series, becoming the first American to win the Can-Am Championship, driving a McLaren M8F. He came in 2nd place at the Indy 500, also racing in a McLaren.


Pen&ink and paint markers on archival light orange stock
© Paul Chenard 2013

McLaren brought him into the Formula 1 team for 1972-73, and in 1973 he won two races, the British Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix, driving a Yardley McLaren M23.

For 1974, Revson moved to the Shadow Team, but sadly, this popular driver was killed while testing the UOP Shadow-Ford DN3 before the South African Grand Prix in Kyalami.

911@50 – Porsche Carrera RSR Turbo

Porsche’s development of their sports racing cars through the 1960’s took leaps and bounds, bring serious challenges to both Ford and Ferrari on the track.

Ford dropped out of the battle once they proved their point at Le Mans, and Porsche was very ready to take up the battle.

As they developed their racing technologies, they looked into ways they could be adapted to the competition versions of the 911.

With the great success of their Porsche Carrera RSR in 1973, they saw that the next logical step was to turbo-charge it.



Prismacolor pencils and Varsol on gray archival stock
19"x 16" (48.3cm x 40.6cm) © Paul Chenard 2013

Born from this approach, the 1974 Carrera RSR Turbo was a formidable monster. Turbo-charging made it powerful, but turbo-lag made it scary.

Drivers like Herbert Müller and Gijs van Lennep managed to tame it and it achieved measured success, but it became a major development tool to Porsche’s successful 934 and it’s all-conquering 935.

Porsche 917 – 40th Anniversary of the Legend - Part 2

Changing Lanes in 1972
For 1972, the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) changed the Makes rules, basically rendering the 917 obsolete for Group 5 Sports Cars.

At the time, Porsche was also involved with the Can-Am Challenge, having decided to re-purpose their racer to this end, and raise their growing profile in the North American market.

Can-Am racing patch, circa 1972

They created a new light-weight spyder body for the car and re-christened it the 917-10. At the time, they were also experimenting with engine turbo-charging, giving the car 850 bhp.

The new car, fielded by Penske Racing, was initially driven by Mark Donohue, but a testing accident sidelined him for the season. Driving duties were then taken up by George Follmer, who successfully broke McLaren Racing’s five-year dominance of the series, and won the Championship.




Penske Sunoco Porsche 917-30 - Can Am 1973
Pen & ink on vellum, digitally painted
© Paul Chenard 2007
Limited editions available.

917-30 – A Monster Machine
For 1973, Roger Penske and Mark Donohue redesigned the 917-10, giving a longer wheelbase, a more aerodynamic body, and a much more powerful twin-turbo-charged engine … 5.4-liters, 12 cylinders, 1250 bhp’s worth! The resulting top speed was 414 km/h (257 mph)!

The Penske Sunoco Porsche 917-30 was unstoppable, with the Donohue-driven car winning six out of the 8 races, and taking the Championship.

For 1974, the fuel-consumption rule-change, and the dwindling interest in Can-Am basically killed the series as it was, and the Porsche 917-30.



Martini Racing/Herbert Muller Interserie winner poster
80 cm x 37 cm, autographed by Muller, 1974.

The 917-30 found a renewed purpose in the European-based Interserie. In the hands of Swiss driver Herbert Müller, it was the winner of the 1974 Championship.

Martini Racing Porsche Carrera RSR and Herbert Muller - 1974

This poster is part of a collection of racing automobilia gifted to me by my friend Peter Felder. It's autographed by his good friend Herbert Muller.

Martini Racing Porsche Carrera RSR - Watkins Glen 1974

Prismacolor pencils on black stock 9"x 6" © Paul Chenard 
Private Collection

Victory Lane magazine is featuring my illustration in their "Holiday Gift Ideas" section of their October issue.

Limited edition of 50 (11.5" x 9"),
numbered and signed premium archival Giclee prints
$65 plus shipping/handling.

The original of this sketch is sold; please contact me if you are interested in other pieces of my original art.