Home Can-Am at Laguna Seca UOP Shadow
Jackie Oliver preparing to drive the UOP Shadow MKIII in 1972.

Don Nichols' Advanced Vehicles System (AVS) Shadow

the Car

the Other Car

the Driver

the Shadow

UOP, Universal Oil Products, became the sponser of the Shadow in 1971 and combined with the core group from the Ti22 team joining with Nichols in 1971 they would eventually win the Cam-Am series in 1974. The Shadow shown here is the MkIII. This car wasn't very successful and was abandoned at the end of the season. In 1973 the Shadow DN2 was born (the DN1 was a Formula 1 car.) And the upgrade of the DN2, the DN4, would win the Cam-Am Challenge Cup Series championship in 1974.

Because Jim Hall dropped out of Cam-Am racing after the 1970 season the Shadow became the car to cheer in hopes it would beat the McLarens. It turned out that the Porsches of Roger Penske would unseat the 5-time Cam-Am champions.

In 1970 the Ti22 with Oliver driving finished 2nd to Denis Hulme and the McLaren car at Laguna Seca. What's amazing is that the Ti-22 only competed in 4 races in 1970 and finished 2nd three times. You wonder how well he could have done if he hadn't crashed at St. Jovite. That other car is shown here.

The Shadow's main driver was Jackie Oliver. Shown are a group of photos taken in 1970 and 1972. In two photos of Jackie that have the Goodyear logo on his outfit are from the 1970 race when he was driving the Ti22. Oliver was the driver of the champion 1974 Shadow.

The group of photos of the car show it with two different numbers, 101 and 102. Where did the 102 come from? We have an answer from Peter Bryant. Peter was the designer for the Ti22 and the MkII and later Shadows.

The 102 Shadow was built after the crash at Atlanta of the Shadow Mk11 in '71, It was used as a backup car and as a second car for Carlos Pace. The 102 car was also the car that we turbocharged at the end of '72.

Here's what the British Autosport magazine, October 19, 1972, had to say about the two Shadows at Laguna Seca.

There were two UOP Shadows on hand but only one driver, Jackie Oliver, practising both trying to make up his mind between them. The stock car driver Bobby Allison was on hand to do the supporting 2.5-litre TransAm event and there was some sort of arrangement made whereby he might possibly practicew one. (He didn't.)

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