I got to see all those Gulf 917s run at Laguna Seca a few years ago at a race weekend called the US Sports Car Invitational.  They invited us (the PCA) to run a race weekend along with some historic group and the shifter carts.  
  The Historic group included a lot of the famous CanAm race cars like the Turbo Nissan that Paul Neuman raced, the Hall Chaparal, one that had 6 wheels, one that was about 10' wide and a whole mess of just plain brutal fast Can Am cars.. That series' rules were simple...no real rules..run what you brung...That extra wide car, someone deduced that if they got a good grid position, they would finish well, because nobody could pass it...The twin turbo Nissan was well over 1000hp..the Chapparal had a 100hp motor besides their Chevy main motor.  The smaller motor ran a huge fan that created a vacuum under the car for more traction...The one with six wheels,,dunno maybe more rubber on the track?
  What a sound, when they fired up and ran an exhibition race around Laguna Seca, which sits in a sort of hollow...
  The fastest lap times all weekend were turned in by the shifter karts..Wayne Rainey (Ex-World champ motor cycle racer) was one of the drivers of those...
  Really cool stuff, and there were some Vanagons there...camping and watching.  Laguna Seca is a state park with campsites available, even on race weekends...for you motorsport enthusiast within reach of Monterey, Ca..
  Don Hanson
  (I got a 2nd in the GT2 class with PCA, in my 928 v8)