Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Honors McLaren Racing

By Patrick Morgan - February 28, 2020

Fifty years ago, McLaren took its first foray into IndyCar racing and now is recognized as an international motorsport leader.

As far as Kiwi racers go, Bruce McLaren was one of the best. That talent was on display both behind the wheel and on the drawing board. Having dabbled in all forms of motorsport for decades, McLaren Racing as a whole was honored by the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame recently for their achievements.

Three-time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford was behind the wheel of a McLaren for two of his wins and was on hand to accept the honor on behalf of the team. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing was smitten with the honor.

“This is a fitting way to begin commemorating the 50th anniversary year of Bruce McLaren’s passing and also the 50th anniversary of our first entry into IndyCar, as we return to the series full-time this year,” said Brown. “With that in mind, there is no better ambassador to represent McLaren at this event than Johnny ‘Lone Star JR’ Rutherford, whose illustrious successes in IndyCar are part of the very fabric of the team.”

McLaren has always had a strong motorsport presence in Canada, most notably through their dominance in the SCCA Can-Am Challenge. In 1967 Bruce McLaren drove a car bearing his name to a series championship. In that series, their papaya orange V8 monsters were driven by the likes of Bruce McLaren himself, but also Denny Hulme, Dan Gurney and other legendary racers.

McLaren’s involvement in IndyCar includes Rutherford’s two Indy 500 victories, and in 2020 a return as a full-time team to the series after years absent. McLaren also has a deep involvement in sports car racing with endurance and sprint racing dating back to the legendary McLaren F1, all the way up to the new 570S. And of course one can’t mention McLaren without mentioning their twelve Formula 1 World Championships. McLaren’s dominance in F1 was unmistakable, and they are quickly returning to form. At TeamSpeed you can be sure we will be tuned in once the season begins.

Many of these cars are on display at the Canadian International Auto Show and range from Bruce McLaren’s Cooper race car all the way to Donohue’s M-16B which was McLaren’s first Indy 500 win. The show, located at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre runs till February 23.