Bristol: 1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 Conv Pace Car for NASCAR Volunteer 500 1968

[SMKZ28]

Here are some pictures featuring the white with red & black striped 1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible that was used to pace the 1968 Volunteer 500 NASCAR event held at Bristol International Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee on Sunday, July 21, 1968.  The interesting thing about the pictures is that they were taken prior to the start of the Spring Nationals American Hot Rod Association (AHRA) drag racing event held at Bristol International Speedway - Dragway on June 9, 1968 which was more than a month before the NASCAR event.  It carried Miss B.I.D. (Bristol International Dragway) in the back seat.

These are the only pictures I can find of the Camaro lettered up for the Volunteer 500.  There was no television coverage of this event either.  David Pearson won it in his 1968 Ford.

I found the pictures at the Peterson Automotive Museum Digitization Project: https://archive.petersen.org/pages/home.php

The second and fourth pictures are cropped versions.

[SMKZ28]

More pics from the Petersen....

[SMKZ28]

As they parade down the drag strip prior to the event, the Camaro is second in line behind the 1968 SS 427 Impala convertible.  This car was lettered up as the Official Pace Car of the American Hot Rod Association.

These also came from the Peterson...

[SMKZ28]

Behind the odd Buick you can see the two Chevy convertibles parked together in the Winners Circle after the parade.  The picture also came from the Petersen...

[SMKZ28]

Here are images of the souvenir program cover and ticket for the Volunteer 500 NASCAR race.  Notice that a NASCAR Grand Touring race was run on Saturday, July 20, 1968 as well.  It was known as the Bristol 300 and it was also probably paced by the Camaro. 

I'm not sure why the program says "Bristol, Virginia" when the track is located in Bristol, Tennessee!

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[SMKZ28]

Here is a picture of the cover of the souvenir program sold at the AHRA Spring Nationals where these photos were taken.  This one gets the Tennessee location correct.  Found it at worthpoint.com

[SMKZ28]

Here is another picture of the Camaro.  Interestingly, it appeared in an advertisement for the 1969 AHRA Spring Nationals inside the souvenir event program for the 1969 Tennessee 500 which was a race for ARCA stock cars.  It came from worthpoint.com

[KurtS]

the 1968 SS 427 Impala convertible.  This car was lettered up as the Official Pace Car of the American Hot Rod Association.

Talk about a reach! "They have a pace car, so should we."