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Dodge Charger Olympia Beer - Le Mans 1976


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In 1975, the Automobile Club d'Ouest (ACO), the Le Mans 24 hours organizer, finding it difficult to have a sufficient numbers of entries, due to the 1973 world oil crisis that had forced many car maker to revise, downwards, their programs about car races, opened the registrations also to the cars of the American category "International Motor Sport Association" (IMSA) and created a new category called "Grand International" with a regulation that maintained many of the characteristics of the American NASCAR category. In the new class, the cars used in the stock car races could be competed, appropriately modified for use in a 24 hours race. Thanks also to the collaboration program with Bill France, the Daytona 24 Hours organizer, two American teams were entered for the 1976 Le Mans 24 Hours in the Grand International category. One of these was the private team of veteran NASCAR driver Hershel McGriff who along with his son Doug, participated in the competition with a 1972 Dodge Charger sponsored by Olympia Beer

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Nel 1975, l’Automobile Club d’Ouest (ACO), organizzatore della 24 ore di Le Mans, trovandosi in difficoltà a reperire un numero sufficiente di partecipanti, causa la crisi petrolifera mondiale del 1973 che aveva costretto molte case a rivedere al ribasso i loro programmi sportivi, aprì le iscrizioni anche alle vetture della categoria americana International Motor Sport Association (IMSA) e creò una nuova categoria chiamata “Grand International” con un regolamento che manteneva molte delle caratteristiche della categoria NASCAR americana. Nella nuova classe potevano competere le vetture utilizzate nelle gare stock car opportunamente modificate per l’utilizzo in una 24 ore. Grazie anche al programma di collaborazione con Bill France, organizzatore della 24 ore di Daytona, due team americani furono iscritti per la 24 ore di le Mans del 1976 nella categoria Grand International. Uno di questi era il team privato del pilota veterano NASCAR Hershel McGriff che insieme al figlio Doug partecipò alla competizione con una Dodge Charger del 1972 sponsorizzata dalla Olympia Beer.

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The car had a steel-clad tubular frame, built by Ray Nichels and was fitted with a 7-liter V8 Chrysler-Wedge engine built by the Precision Engines in Seattle. The car driven by Hershel McGriff qualified with a time of 4'29"700 and on the straight of Hunaudières, reached 346 Km/h before breaking the engine that had not been properly adapted to the poor-octane fuel used in Europe, compared to the one normally used in NASCAR.
The same fate was in the race where the engine broke on the straight of Hunaudières after only 4 laps. The car was later bring back to the United States and its tracks were lost at the beginning of the 1980s. Even today the fate of the original Dodge Charger is unknown.

The car in the photos is a replica built in 2006 on the basis of the Dodge Charger '72, built by Richard Petty and driven by Butch Hartman in the USAC Stock Car Championships in 1975 and 1976. Hartman won the USAC Stock Car Championship in 1976. The same car in 1977, won the USAC Stock Car championship with Paul Feldner.

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La vettura aveva un telaio tubolare rivestito da pannelli in acciaio, costruito da Ray Nichels  ed era dotata di un motore V8 Chrysler-Wedge da 7 litri, costruito dalla Precision Engines di Seattle. La vettura pilotata da Hershel McGriff si qualificò con un tempo di 4’29”700 e sul rettilineo di Hunaudières, raggiunse i 346 Km/h prima di rompere il motore che non era stato correttamente adattato al tipo di carburante utilizzato in Europa, più povero di ottani, rispetto a quello normalmente utilizzato in NASCAR. Stessa sorte ebbe in gara dove il motore si ruppe sul rettilineo di Hunaudières dopo solo 4 giri. La vettura fu in seguito riportata negli Stati Uniti e all’inizio degli anni 80 se ne persero le tracce. Ancora oggi il destino della Dodge Charger originale è sconosciuto.
La vettura nelle foto è una replica costruita nel 2006 sulla base della Dodge Charger ’72, costruita da Richard Petty e guidata da Butch Hartman nei campionati USAC Stock Car nel 1975 e 1976. Hartman vinse il campionato USAC Stock Car nel 1976. La stessa vettura nel 1977 vinse il campionato USAC Stock Car con Paul Feldner.

Photo gallery: Classic Endurance Racing Monza, 2007
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2007 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Photo gallery: Classic Endurance Racing Monza, 2008
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976
Classic Endurance Racing, Monza 2008 Dodge Charger Olympia Beer Le Mans 1976

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