Did Porsche kill Can-Am? The rise and fall of the 917 and Penske Racing

<p>The Porsche 917/10 and 917/30 were two of the most terrifyingly powerful race cars ever constructed. With a twin-turbocharged flat-12 engine making more than 1,000 horsepower, it was so dominant that it seemed almost inevitable that it would crush the competition in America&#39;s no-holds-barred Can-Am Series — with the help of Penske Racing and Mark Donohue, of course.</p><p>But the 917/30 did so much more than dominate Can-Am. It helped expose a fundamental contradiction at the heart of the series: Can-Am was designed to let engineers build the wildest, fastest cars imaginable… but the freedom to innovate often came with an unbearable price tag. Throw a global recession into the mix, and you&#39;ve got a recipe for disaster.</p><p>In this month&#39;s episode of <em>Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys,</em> we follow Porsche Penske&#39;s unlikely partnership, Mark Donohue&#39;s brutal 1972 season, the creation of the 917/30, and the dominance that followed. At the same time, we&#39;ll look at Porsche&#39;s involvement in motorsport throughout history and the economic conditions that resulted in the collapse of one of the greatest sports in the world in order to answer one major question: Did Porsche kill Can-Am? Or did Can-Am engineer itself into an unwinnable war?</p><p>#markdonohue #porsche #penske #penskeporsche #motorsport #motorsporthistory #canam #canadianamericanchallengecup #rogerpenske #racing #racinghistory #porsche917</p><p>To find out more about Deadly Passions, Terrible Joys: <a href="https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys"><u>https://linktr.ee/deadlypassionsterriblejoys</u></a> </p><p>Subscribe on Substack: <a href="https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/"><u>https://deadlypassionsterriblejoys.substack.com/</u></a> </p><p>Follow DPTJ on BlueSky: @deadlypassions-pod.bsky.social</p><p>Follow DPTJ on Instagram: @deadlypassionsterriblejoys</p><p>Follow DPTJ on Twitter/X: @terriblejoy_pod</p><p>Watch on YouTube: @eliz_blackstock</p><p>Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on BlueSky: @elizablackstock.bsky.social</p><p>Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Instagram: @elizablackstock</p><p>Follow Elizabeth Blackstock on Twitter/X: @eliz_blackstock</p><p>Order Racing with Rich Energy: <a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy/"><u>https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/racing-with-rich-energy</u></a></p><p>Episode Bibliography: </p><p><em>The Unfair Advantage</em> by Mark Donohue</p><p><em>Can-Am 50th Anniversary</em> by George Le