Motorsport and engineering · United States · Competition and development association · not ownership

Mark Donohue

1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder · chassis 003

Front view of the actual blue-and-yellow Sunoco Porsche 917/30 later driven by Mark Donohue in the Talladega record attempt, displayed at Goodwood in 2004 with no registration visible.
The actual Porsche 917/30 later used by Mark Donohue for the Talladega record attempt, photographed by edvvc at Goodwood on June 26, 2004 in Sunoco colors. No registration is visible.Photo: edvvc · CC BY 2.0.
Photo details

Joyride serves the original 1,600 × 1,200 Commons JPEG byte-for-byte. No crop, resize, retouching, generation or vehicle reconstruction; no registration is visible and responsive presentation may crop displayed edges.

Mark Donohue in a blue racing suit speaking with team members at the 1975 British Grand Prix, photographed by Gillfoto.
Mark Donohue1975 · Identification portraitGillfoto · CC BY-SA 3.0.
Photo details

Joyride serves the current 900 × 595 Commons JPEG byte-for-byte. The Commons file history records a May 20, 2025 watermark removal and color adjustment by Liandrei; Joyride made no further crop, resize, retouching or generation. A responsive frame may crop displayed edges. The portrait remains separate from the Porsche photograph.

The championship car that went chasing a speed record

Connection
Competition and development association · not ownership
When
1973 Can-Am champion · Talladega closed-course record in August 1975
Identity
Individual 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder chassis 003 · Sunoco Penske race car · later Talladega record car

This story is about one chassis, not every Porsche 917/30. The Petersen Automotive Museum identifies its featured car as chassis 003 and says Mark Donohue drove this example to six consecutive victories and the 1973 Can-Am championship. Porsche’s own history independently records six wins in eight races and a championship margin of more than twice the runner-up’s points.

Donohue was more than the person in the cockpit. Porsche says the significance of Penske and Donohue drove development of the 917/10 upgrade that became the 917/30. Its 5.4-liter twin-turbo flat-twelve was reported at 1,600 horsepower in qualifying trim in Porsche’s 2023 account, while the Petersen spotlight lists 1,100 horsepower. Joyride keeps those differently scoped figures with their sources rather than blending them into one supposedly universal output.

After wheel-to-wheel retirement, Porsche, Penske and Donohue returned with the car at Talladega in 1975. Porsche records a 221-mph closed-course mark that stood until 1987; the Petersen record gives 221.120 mph. Photographer edvvc identifies the licensed 2004 Goodwood photograph as that record-setting individual car, shown back in Sunoco colors rather than its one-off Talladega livery. The image does not prove untouched 1973 condition, ownership or current custody.

Documented custody

Where the car went next

  1. 1973Six straight Can-Am victories

    The Petersen identifies chassis 003 as Donohue’s six-consecutive-win car; Porsche records six wins in eight races for the 917/30 campaign.

  2. 1973Can-Am championship

    Porsche records Donohue winning the title by more than twice the points of runner-up George Follmer. This is a competition association, not personal ownership.

  3. August 1975Talladega record run

    After its race retirement, the same car returned with Porsche, Penske and Donohue for a 221-mph closed-course record attempt in a unique livery.

  4. June 26, 2004The exact car photographed at Goodwood

    edvvc photographed the record car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sunoco colors. The photograph does not establish present ownership or untouched original finish.

Follow the evidence

Sources for this story

The Petersen Automotive Museum binds chassis 003 to Donohue’s six consecutive 1973 Can-Am wins and championship; Porsche independently records the 917/30 campaign and the car’s later Talladega record attempt. Photographer edvvc identifies the licensed Goodwood photograph as that individual record car. No Donohue ownership, current owner or custodian, untouched 1973 condition, universal power figure, complete 917 family coverage, exact Joyride catalog link or compatible game representation is claimed.

  • Capturing the spirit of PorschePorsche Newsroom USA · 2023-08-10 · external source

    Penske and Donohue’s development role, the 5.4-liter twin-turbo flat-twelve, six wins in eight races, the 1973 championship and the same car’s 1975 Talladega record attempt.

  • 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am SpyderPetersen Automotive Museum · Museum vehicle spotlight · reviewed 2026-10-06 · external source

    Chassis 003, six consecutive victories, the 1973 championship, 5.4-liter flat-twelve specification and 221.120-mph Talladega record value.

  • 917-30 frontWikimedia Commons · edvvc · Photographed 2004-06-26 · external source

    The photographer identifies the Goodwood image as the individual 917/30 Donohue used for the Talladega record attempt; Commons preserves a verified CC BY 2.0 license.

Reviewed

Why this is the actual car
  • Photo identity evidence

    The Petersen identifies the Donohue championship and Talladega record car as chassis 003.

  • Photo identity evidence

    Porsche records that the 917/30 and Donohue won six of eight races and that Porsche, Penske and Donohue later brought the car to Talladega.

  • Photo identity evidence

    Photographer edvvc identifies the June 26, 2004 Goodwood photograph as the car Donohue used for the Talladega record and licenses it CC BY 2.0.

The matching photographer, venue, date and vehicle history establish the identification; the chassis stamp is not visible in these photographs.