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George Did It All

George Follmer at Mosport in 1973. [Photo by Jack Webster]

George Follmer at Mosport in 1973.  [Photo by Jack Webster]

 

By Jack Webster & Eddie LePine

Back in 1972, after Mark Donohue was injured in a testing accident at Road Atlanta in the Porsche 917/10, Roger Penske was faced with a major problem. Who could step in and take Mark’s place in the high profile factory CanAm effort?

The answer was George Follmer. Follmer was pressed into service that very week at the Road Atlanta CanAm race in 1972 and made his debut in grand style. He qualified second, and then easily won the race by over a lap. Until getting in the car for practice, George had never seen it before.

Soon after, sponsor L&M made up buttons that were passed out at all the CanAm races that season. They simply said: “Let George Do It.” George did it and then some that season, winning the CanAm Championship for Porsche and Penske.

Oh, and by the way, he also won the TransAm Championship the same season, the only driver in history to do so.

Follmer’s career was a stellar one, with races in CanAm, TransAm, Formula Atlantic, Formula One, IMSA GT and even NASCAR and USAC Indy Car races.

What did Follmer think was the top series back in the 1970’s? “The CanAm – that was the premiere series. They were awesome cars, almost to the point of being vicious. A lot of people just flat out couldn’t drive them – they were just too much car,” George told us.

George also thought that the entire level of competition back then in CanAm and TransAm was top notch. “Most of the drivers back then in TransAm and CanAm were good drivers, very good drivers. It was very competitive.”

For factory participation, nothing could top the TransAm series in the early 1970’s.

Back then, in TransAm in particular, the American car manufacturers were involved in a very heavy way – with big budgets and the fastest drivers money could buy. It was a classic case of win on Sunday, sell on Monday. The so-called “Pony Cars” of the era made up a large portion of car dealer’s inventory, and winning in TransAm was the goal of all of the factories. In the days before the internet and cable TV, the crowds that showed up to watch these races, both in the CanAm and TransAm would be the envy of track promoters today.

George laments somewhat the state of racing today, with all of its technology and less emphasis on the driver in the car. “Racing is so much different now.” He told us.

That may be the case, and they certainly threw away the mold after they made George Follmer. He is a living legend in racing, and somewhat underrated. He was fast in everything he drove; always spoke his mind (as he continues to do), and rates at the top of any list of drivers who ever drove in that era.

Perhaps George summed it up best when comparing how they drove back in the day with the technical marvels that are today’s race cars.

“The only button you had back then was your right foot.”

Enough said.

 

 

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