Original T/A racing photographs, late 60's & early 70's

[oldtransamdriver]

The #14 camaro shown above in the 68 Sebring race was the class winner (12 Touring 2000-5000cc) in the 69 Sebring race, the race in which Rick Stevens and I came 3rd in that class.  There were 12 cars that started in our class. We were 25th o/a.

I have no idea whatever happened to that car - don't believe it ever raced in the T/A out of Florida with the listed drivers it had at Sebring.  Perhaps Jon knows.

I still have the complete race results, program, entry list, qualifying times, several newspaper and magazine reports of the 69 Sebring race - definitely a high moment in my racing to finish that 12 hr. with a new team - lots of memories.

Robert Barg

[Jon Mello]

Robert, I don't know what happened to that #14 car either. I have tried finding Norberto but have not had any luck. You may be right that it did all of its racing down in Florida.

As for the Bill Boye #68 above, I don't know for a fact but have my suspicions that Billy Yuma bought it from him and used it in Nascar GT races. Here is Billy's car at Daytona in 1969. I think the photo was taken at the Citrus 250 race that Don Yenko won in the former Smokey Yunick Camaro. Billy was usually a circle track roundy-round racer. Many of his cars were called "Orange Crate". He passed away several years ago.


Photo by Michael Booth

[Jon Mello]

Here is the Todco Racing Camaro driven by Craig Fisher at Kent, WA Sept. 7th, 1969.
Craig finished 5th overall. This race was won by Ronnie Bucknum after Mark Donohue
blew his engine on lap 32 of a 135 lap race.

[oldtransamdriver]

Ok, so what is the history of this car - who built it, drove it, where did it go next, where is it now, did it turn into a Pontiac etc? 

Robert Barg

[RUNUTZ]

Jon I hope these guys appreciate all this info that's alot of research.

[Jon Mello]

Robert, I suspect it is the same as the white '69 Camaro that Craig began the season with at Michigan Int'l Speedway but don't know that as absolute fact. I've not spent enough time on the history of this $7 car. Maybe Jeff Barley has and he will chime in.

Tim, I have gotten this started for a few different reasons. There is a lot of very neat Camaro racing history that is going to get lost to time if it doesn't get shared. It took a whole lot of time and effort to get to the knowledge level I have attained on the subject and I often wonder why it had to be so hard. If you look at the history that the Mustang road racer guys have acquired and shared, and to some extent also the AMC guys, it is pretty sad and pathetic to see so little info on the Camaro. I think the history of the car and the people involved with racing them deserves better --- MUCH better --- than what has been chronicled so far. This is just the start and it will grow because it needs to and deserves to.

[Jon Mello]

Here's Bob Bondurant driving the Dana Camaro at the Sebring 4-Hour Trans-Am in '67.
Dick Guldstrand was Bondurant's co-driver for this particular race.


Photo: Tomy Drissi Collection

[Jon Mello]

The Deepwater Blue '67 Z-28 of Dean Alles at the Bridgehampton Trans-Am race.  This car still survives and is racing in the HTA group on the West Coast.


Photo from 1968 St. Jovite Trans-Am programme

[Jon Mello]

The Camaro of Johnny Moore and Jim Murphy at the '68 Daytona 24-Hour race.


Photo: Hugh Heishman Collection

[Jon Mello]

The Penske Camaro at Mid-Ohio in June, 1967. George Follmer was driving this weekend,
substituting for Mark Donohue who was at Le Mans driving a Ford MkIV teamed up with
Bruce McLaren as his co-driver. This was George's first ever Trans-Am race. He finished 3rd.


Photo: Jon Mello Collection

[oldtransamdriver]

I have recently acquired the "Penske Authentics" GMP 1:18 scale model of this car (along with the first Warren Tope Muatang).  My intent was to paint it up in the marina blue colour we had for our 67 in 69, but not so sure this is a good idea.  My modeller friend Phil Dauphinee, had built 2 nice 67s for me but I sent one to car owner Al Richards, and had to include the other one in a sale of some memorabilia I sold to a friend

Robert Barg

[Jon Mello]

Maybe Phil will make you another one out of that model you have?  It'd look great in the '69 blue paint scheme.

[Jon Mello]

Here's an interesting one. The Camaro of Jim Corwin at the '68 Sebring 12-Hour. The car is almost
completely stock with full bumpers front and rear, and stock exhaust. It came in 25th out of 68 cars!
Amazing!



Photo by Pete Biro

[1968RSZ28]

Here's an interesting one. The Camaro of Jim Corwin at the '68 Sebring 12-Hour. The car is almost
completely stock with full bumpers front and rear, and stock exhaust. It came in 25th out of 68 cars!
Amazing!



Photo by Pete Biro

Just goes to show you, don't mess with a '68 Z/28!   

Paul

[Jon Mello]

Here's a photo from the 1971 Lime Rock Trans-Am. Larry Mattera has got his '68 stuck in the mud after
7 laps and can't get it out. Unlike Nascar, Trans-Am races were run rain or shine. The driver was the only
person who could make repairs on the track and they weren't supposed to have assistance from others in
case they got stuck. They weren't "supposed to" but sometimes it did happen and they got away with it.
Other times, they were disqualified right away. Probably depended on if you were a big name driver or not.