Daytona: 1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 Conv Pace Car for NASCAR Firecracker 400 1968

[SMKZ28]

I forgot to post this when I was doing the 1968's. 

A white with red and black stripes 1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible was used as the pace car for the Firecracker 400 NASCAR Grand National event held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Florida on Thursday, July 4, 1968.  Cale Yarborough won the race in his Wood Brothers 1968 Mercury.

Notice the 1968 or pre-production 1969 Corvette 427 behind the Camaro pace car.  That looks like Zora Arkus-Duntov in the drivers seat.  He must have driven this Corvette around the track in front of the pace car on the parade lap.  Does anyone know if this was an L88 or some other special Corvette show car?

The picture came from the Petersen Automotive Museum Digitization Project: https://archive.petersen.org/pages/home.php


   

[SMKZ28]

Here are images of the souvenir program, brochure, ticket and patch from the event.  These all came from worthpoint.com

It's likely, but I haven't been able to find any photographic evidence yet showing that the 1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible was also used as the pace car for the 2nd Annual Paul Revere 250 NASCAR event for Grand Touring cars held at the track on July 3, 1969.

[KurtS]

What are those tires on the pacer? It looks like they are whitewalls, but with small text inside the whitewalls.

[SMKZ28]

Found a few color photos of both the 1968 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible pace car and the 427 Corvette.  It turns out that Zora Arkus-Duntov was the Grand Marshal of the event.  Can't tell what tires are on the Camaro but it looks like they are red lines or gold lines.  Also notice that this pace car has a gold interior.  It looks like the Corvette is wearing blue line racing tires.

I found them at the Bryant McMurray Motorsports Photograph Collection at the Unversity of North Carolina Library website: https://goldmine.uncc.edu/index/render/pid/motorsports:2139

[SMKZ28]

Here are photos of the green 427 Corvette with and without the "GRAND MARSHALL" lettering.  The push button door opener and lack of "Stingray" above the vents shows that this is a 1968.  Is this a known car and if so does it survive?

[SMKZ28]

Here is a page from the souvenir program confirming that Zora Arkus-Duntov was the Grand Marshall.  Jon Mello posted it in the Trans Am section of this web site.

I noticed that the word Marshal has only one "l" in the program article but it is misspelled on the car, having two l's.

[SMKZ28]

Just found this picture of the Camaro pace car and the green Corvette on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/863830030370161/photos/  Notice the movie camera.

[SMKZ28]

Found a photo of the Camaro pace car here: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/slide-photo-lot-1968-nascar-daytona-1878682649