McRae GM3 history
The McRae GM3 at Sandown Park in 1978. Copyright oldracephotos.com/Neil Hammond. Used with permission.
Graham McRae built another one-off Formula 5000 car for 1976, the McRae GM3, but it arrived too late for American F5000. It was competitive in Australian F5000 and took Graham to victory in the 1978 Australian Grand Prix.
Graham McRae's designs tended to follow the outline of a car he had recently been involved with, so it was not a surprise that after he had raced a Lola T332 in 1975 and 1976, Autosport's report on the McRae GM3 said that it "conforms essentially to Lola principles". It used a low, flat monocoque with a chisel nose and its radiators located just ahead of the rear wheels. Its distinguishing feature was a clear Perspex cockpit cover. As with the GM2, it had its first test laps at its first race, the Riverside F5000 race in October 1976. McRae qualified only 22nd, and after finishing sixth in his heat, retired from the final. As this was the end of SCCA Pro F5000, Graham then fitted minimal sports car bodywork to the GM3 to race in the new Single-Seat Can-Am series in 1977. It proved ineffective in this form, and was converted back to F5000 specification for a series of International races in Australia in February 1978. After an encouraging run in those races, Graham raced it in the Australian Grand Prix in September 1978, where he started from the front row of the grid and led every lap to win his third Australian GP. He was also competitive in the 1979 Internationals, but without a further podium finish.
During 1980, Graham completely rebuilt the GM3 into a quite advanced ground-effect Can-Am car, using hand-made alloy bodywork built by Steve Roberts in Wanganui NZ. The resulting McRae GM9 certainly looked the part, and generated significant downforce, but suffered badly from porpoising. After a disappointing run of results, it was sold to Andrew Ratcliffe.
If you can add to our understanding of these cars, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
Graham McRae's unique McRae GM3 at Oran Park in 1978. Copyright Stuart Dent 2006. Used with permission.
Graham McRae in the Can-Am McRae GM9 at Mid-Ohio in 1981. Copyright Mark Windecker 2005. Used with permission.
New for Graham McRae to drive in the SCCA Pro Formula 5000 race at Riverside in October 1976. Then converted to Can-Am form for the 1977 Can-Am series. After being converted back to F5000 form, it was raced in the Australian Internationals in February 1978, and then in the Australian GP in September 1978, which it won. Graham McRae also raced it in the 1979 Australian Internationals and in two more Australian races later in 1979. In 1980, it was rebuilt as the Can-Am McRae GM9, and raced in one 1980 Can-Am race and in most races of the 1981 Can-Am series. Graham McRae also shared it with Dan Furey in the Lumbermens 500, an IMSA North American Sports Car championship event at Mid-Ohio in August 1981. McRae then sold the car to British expat Andrew Ratcliffe, who drove it in A Sports Racing and occasional Can-Am races in 1983 and 1984. Nothing more was seen of the car but according to later owner Terry Rush it "languished in storage in the USA and Mexico before being bought by Roger Williams and imported back to New Zealand". In January 2009, the car was purchased by Terry Rush for his Rush Collection. It appeared at the Tasman Grand Prix meeting at Pukekohe in January 2009, and was driven by Tim Rush at the New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing in January 2010. Still in the Rush Collection in June 2025.
Driven by: Graham McRae, Dan Furey and Andy Ratcliffe. First race: Riverside (US R7), 17 Oct 1976. Total of 24 recorded races.
Acknowledgements
Most of this history is from period accounts and race reports in Autosport. My thanks also to Steve Holmes of theroaringseason.com who quoted Terry Rush's account of the car's life up to his purchase of it, and to Peter Cousins for further information.
If you can add to our understanding of these cars, or have photographs that we can use, please email Allen at allen@oldracingcars.com.
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