Sunoco Porsche 917-30

Can-Am racing was basically McLaren’s game in the late sixties/early nineteen-seventies.

In Europe, Porsche’s successful 917 was regulated out of competition for 1972, so their attention turned to the highly popular and lucrative Can-Am series as a way of repurposing the 917 in the North American market.

For 1972, the 917-10 was developed, featuring a completely new Spyder body. Roger Penske’s Team Penske ran the team with primary driver Mark Donohue.

Early in the season, Donohue was side-lined for most the season in a testing accident, so George Follmer was recruited to take his place. Follmer dominated the season by taking five wins out of nine races.

For 1973, Team Penske was given carte-blanche by Porsche to modify and improve the 917-10. Penske and Donohue revised the aerodynamics, lengthened the wheelbase and tweaked the engine, bringing the power up to a monstrous 1580 horsepower!


Mark Donohue racing the 917-30 at Watkins Glen
Acrylic on 100cm X 50cm (39.4"x 19.7") canvas 
© Paul Chenard 2016
Original art available, as are limited editions.

The new car was designated the 917-30, and was presented in lovely Sunoco yellow and blue sponsorship colours.

Marc Donohue won six out of the season’s eight races in the new racer and took the 1973 Can-Am Championship for Team Penske.

New rules for the 1974 season basically outlawed the 917-30, but it still stirs the blood of those lucky enough to see it in action at the vintage racing meets.

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.

Penske Sunoco Porsche 917-30 Can Am 1973

Pen & ink on vellum, digitally painted
© Paul Chenard 2007

Limited edition of 100 (14.5" x 11") numbered and signed premium archival Giclee prints $125 CDN plus shipping.

Roger Penske, Mark Donohue and Porsche made a formidable team in Can Am racing during the 1973 season. With Porsche's support, they modified the 917-10 into the all-dominating 917-30. The Donohue developped, Penske modified, Sunoco sponsored Porsche was said to put out over 1000 hp!