Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival 2014 Gallery 2

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2014 Sonoma Historic Motorsports Festival was many things. A noisy moving display of museum quality historic racecars. A static display of museum quality historic racecars. A history lesson from every car owner eager to share their cars story. And much much more.

There was an addition history lesson available for the fans young and old. The "lesson" was kicked off by Steve Earl, who in my mind, is the father of Historic Racing and the founder of both the Monterey and Sonoma Historic races. But that is another story. Steve Earl had invited several people to pass on to the eager crowed, the history of the once mysterious, Shadow Race Cars.

On hand were Don Nichols, founder of Nichols Advanced Vehicle Systems (AVS) in 1968, and principal behind Shadow Racing Inc.; George Follmer, winner of the 1972 Can-Am Championship and partner to 1974 champion Jackie Oliver on the Shadow team; Trevor Harris, the innovative creator of the very first AVS Shadow Mark 1, the ultra-radical "Tiny Tire" car that Follmer debuted in 1970; and acting as MC, photographer/journalist Pete Lyons, prolific author of books covering the Can-Am Series.

The stories told elicited the background of Don Nichols from his WWII history and how he met Trevor Harris and started what became the Shadow race cars by building the very different "Tiny Tire" car for the Can-Am racing series of the 1970's. George Follmer filled in with accounts of how difficult it was to drive this 'out-of-the-box-design' at racing or any speed for that mater.

The race car format that Trevor Harris had sold Don Nichols on was a car with the least frontal area of any car of that time period, to gain superiority in speed. The small tires on the first AVS Shadow Mark 1 car was used to bring that concept into play.

The name Shadow symbolizes their target goal, as shadows have no height or frontal area.

More Details on Discussion - PDF file

Pete Lyons, Don Nichols, Trevor Harris, George Follmer

Trevor Harris designed the 1970 "Tiny Tire" car which was the first Shadow and George Follmer was its driver

1970 "Tiny Tire" car the first Shadow

Shadow MK II Can-AM sn-71-3 1971

Descriptive Poster For This Car - JPG file

Shadow MK IIIB 1972

Descriptive Poster For This Car - JPG file

Lola T-163 sn-AL71-21 1969

Lola T-163 sn-SL163-19 1969

Lola T-163 sn-SL163-19 1969

Lola T-163 sn-SL163-19 1969

Lola T-163 sn-SL163-19 1969

Lotus 22 F-Jr sn-FJ-17-22 1962

Lotus 22 F-Jr sn-FJ-17-22 1962

Lotus Monte Carlo 19 sn-963 1961

Descriptive Poster For This Car - JPG file

McLaren M8C sn-70-09 1970

McLaren M8F sn-9-72 1972

McLaren M8F sn-9-72 1972

Mercury Capri sn-0231072 1982

Porsche 908 sn-908-11 1968

Porsche 908 sn-908-11 1968

Porsche 908-3 sn-908-007 1970

Porsche 908-3 sn-908-007 1970

Porsche 910 Sn-910-25 1967

Porsche 911 RSR sn-9113300080 1973 Factory Car

Porsche 911 RSR sn-9113300080 1973 Factory Car

Porsche 917K sn-917-016 1970

Porsche 935 J sn-009-0001 1979

Porsche 935 J sn-009-0001 1979

Porsche 935 J sn-009-0001 1979

Porsche 935 J sn-009-0001 1979

Porsche 935 K3 sn-930370-0163 1976

Porsche 935 K3 sn-930370-0163 1976

Porsche 935 K3 sn-930670-0152 1976

Porsche 935 K3 sn-930670-0152 1976

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