Don Nichols, 1924-2017

ABOVE: Nichols (at right) with UOP Shadow's Alan Rees and designer Tony Southgate at the 1973 Spanish Grand Prix.

Don Nichols, the American founder of the Shadow Racing team that rose to prominence in Formula 1 and Can-Am during the 1970s – especially with its black-liveried Universal Oil Products (UOP)-backed cars – has died in California at the age of 92.

After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Missouri native Nichols stayed on in Japan after the war, becoming a tire dealer and playing a role in the development of the Mount Fuji racing circuit.

Upon his return to the U.S. in 1968, Nichols founded a company called Advanced Vehicle Systems, which built the innovative and fast, if problematic Shadow Mk.1 Can-Am car for the 1970 season. The team went on to field highly successful Chevrolet-powered Can-Am cars driven by the likes George Follmer and Vic Elford, and emerged as the dominant force by 1974, the final year of the original incarnation of the series.

After Can-Am imploded, Shadow moved into the stock block open-wheeled Formula 5000 series, although it failed to enjoy similar levels of success, scoring just one victory in 1976.

Shadow set up a UK shop to build Cosworth DFV-powered F1 cars beginning in 1973, fielding its own UOP-backed cars as well as supplying cars to Graham Hill's Embassy Hill team. Shadow cars would go on to take part in 112 grands prix, claiming one victory with Alan Jones in the 1977 Austrian GP. Soon after that, however, the team fell on hard times owing to a lack of sponsorship, and Nichols sold his team's assets to Teddy Yip's Theodore Racing group.

In retirement, Nichols made a number of appearances at historic racing meetings, where his Shadows continue to be a popular attraction.