Bridgehampton Grand Prix 1968 - McLaren-Elva MkII #18
Added 2024-08-28 06:00:02 +0000 UTCFor Legion's McLaren Elva Mark II Oldsmobile mod.
As said by my friend Rodger: "Ah yes, the Romanian McLaren".
Last Friday I mentioned focusing more on the unknown and underdog Can-Am drivers, this one truly fits the bill! Ron Courtney ran this McLaren-Elva in the 1968 Can-Am season, without too much success. Courtney first tried racing in local SCCA events in 1960. He seemingly never arrived to the events he signed up to. 1961 though, he did. Having bought a Maserati 200S and racing it in more east-coast SCCA events for the next 3 years, with a handful of podiums as a result.
His first Can-Am entry was at the 1966 6th Canadian Grand Prix for the Pepsi-Cola Trophy at Mosport, in a McLaren-Elva MkI. He was too slow to qualify. 1967 was a much better year for Courtney, as he upgraded to a McLaren-Elva MkII. He won one regional SCCA race at Wilmot in this car, and had a few finishes in Can-Am, his best of the year being 10th. In 1968 he secured a Bosch sponsorship and ran his McLaren-Elva in more Can-Am races, now in blue and a MkIII.
1968 wasn't kind to Courtney, with no notable high finishing positions for the now aging Elva. Disaster struck at the "Bridgehampton Grand Prix" Can-Am race in 1968, with Courtney crashing the car heavily on lap 51 - getting injured himself and totaling the car. This was to be his final race.
Note: livery adjusted to fit the model, slightly. Goodyear tires are mirrored on the right side of the car, can't fix it!
