CRG Discussion Forum
Model Specific Discussions => Promotional Events and Concept Cars => Topic started by: SMKZ28 on January 23, 2023, 05:48:20 PM
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A white with blue interior 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible was used as the pace car for several NASCAR events at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia during their 1969 season of racing. It is one of the NASCAR pace cars built in the fall of 1968. Notice the smaller rear spoiler.
In this photo you can see that it is lettered up for the Virginia 500 NASCAR Grand National race which took place on Sunday, April 27, 1969. It was won by Richard Petty in his 1969 Ford. This is the best image of this car that I could find.
ebay
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Souvenir Program cover for the Virginia 500 and the Z28 advertisement featured inside. Notice the 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible at the head of the field on the cover of the program. The is a picture of the previous years race.
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While I can not find any irrefutable pictorial evidence, I'm pretty sure the same Camaro also paced the Old Dominion 500 NASCAR Grand National event held at the track on Sunday, September 28, 1969. This picture shows the 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible at the end of pit lane with pace car flags flying. To me the graphics look different than the color image posted above, which leads me to believe that it is an image of the car from the Old Dominion 500 and not the Virginia 500. The image appears in the Souvenir Program for the 1970 Old Dominion 500.
worthpoint
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The car was also used in some capacity during the NASCAR modified event known as the Cardinal 500. This took place at the speedway on Sunday, November 2, 1969. An image of the Camaro appears parked in pit lane during a brief film of qualifying or practice for the event on Friday, October 31, 1969. I mentioned "used in some capacity" because if you look closely on the image I posted in the previous reply you can see a photo of a 1969 Chevrolet station wagon out in front of the modified racecars. Martinsville Speedway hosted several races for modifieds during the 1969 season. I'm not sure which modified race is represented in that photo, so I can't be sure if the Camaro was used as the pace car for the 1969 Cardinal 500 or not. You can see on the cover of the Virginia 500 souvenir program that a similar 1968 Chevrolet station wagon was used at the track during the 1968 season as well.
See that film here: https://curio.lib.virginia.edu/view/uva-lib:2376940
Ray Hendrick would win the event in his 1937 Chevy.
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Souvenir Program cover for Cardinal 500
worthpoint
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Hey Scott do you know if this car has the L-78 motor ? Vince
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Hey Scott do you know if this car has the L-78 motor ? Vince
I don't know for sure, but I don't think any of the NASCAR pace cars were made with the 375 hp, L78 engine. I've seen it written that all NASCAR pace car 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertibles had the 350 hp, L34 engine but I don't think this is true because the North Wilkesboro Speedway Camaro still exists and it has the 325 hp, L35 engine. Both the Charlotte Motor Speedway Camaro and the Daytona International Speedway Camaro still exist and have been restored. Both of these have the 350 hp engine. Perhaps the pace cars used at the larger superspeedway tracks got the 350 hp engine and those used at the short tracks got the base 325 hp version of the 396. Going by this logic, the Martinsville Speedway Camaro would possibly have the 325 hp, L35 version of the 396 because it is a 1/2 mile short track.
If anyone knows for sure please chime in. Thanks.