Trans Am racing pace car pics...are there any?

[SMKZ28]

Here is one of the coolest photos featuring a pace car paciing a Trans Am race I have come across.  This is a beautiful color picture of the 1969 Camaro RS/SS Indy Pace Car convertible pacing Les Trois Heures du Circuit Trans Am race at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant, St. Jovite, Quebec, Canada on August 3, 1969.   The picture was taken during the caution laps after the huge multi-car wreck.  Check out the missing front end of the Jerry Titus Firebird in third place behind the two Penske Camaros.  I found the picture here: http://www.autocourse.ca/index.php?file=photos.html

See a few more pictures of this car in Reply #84 on page six of this thread.

[SMKZ28]

Here is a picture I found in the 1969 Trans Am season review thread on this web site (posted by Jon Mello) that shows the rear end of a 1969 Camaro convertible as it heads into pit lane after the opening pace laps of the Trans Am race at Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Bridgehampton, New York on June 22, 1969.  I'd be willing to bet that it is the same 1969 Camaro RS/SS Indy Pace Car convertible that was used to pace the Bridgehampton Grand Prix Can Am race three months later on September 14, 1969.

See the footage of the Can Am race here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJI-wnFkVoI

While the footage is entitled, "Bridgehampton 1968 Can Am home video" it also contains footage of the 1969 Can Am race at the same track. I can tell by the look of the racecars that the footage is from two different years. You can see the Camaro in pit lane with Stirling Moss standing by the open drivers door between 8:04 and 8:07. He is the one in the white pants and he was probably the driver of the pace car. Notice the orange door panel, seats, and boot that shows it is an Indy Pace Car. Also notice the after market wheels. You can see the Camaro coming into pit lane as the Can Am cars get the green flag after the pace lap between 8:07 and 8:14.

I paused the footage and took a digital picture of the Camaro in the pits in front of the grid before the pace laps.

[SMKZ28]

Here is a picture that appears on page 198 of the book entitled, " Trans-Am: The Pony Car Wars, 1966-1972 written by Dave Friedman.  It shows the winning U-2 class Alfa of Lee Mdgley on his victory lap after the running of the 1970 under 2 liter Trans Am race at Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant, St. Jovite, Quebec, Canada on August 2, 1970.  In it you can see what must have been the pace car for both the under 2 liter and over 2 liter Trans Am races held that day.  Just above the guard rail and neatly framed by the two guys standing on the track to the right of the picture you can see a car parked in pit lane with flags jutting out from the rear bumper.  To me it looks like a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass, probably a 4-4-2.

I may be seeing things but if you look closely enough at the trunk it appears that there might be twin stripes.  If so, this might be one of the rare Indy Pace Car convertibles with the white convertible top in the up position.  No other 442's came with rear trunk stripes in 1970.  I just can't tell if the side stripe is there. 

The picture is credited to Barry Tenin in the book.  I found a larger image of the picture on the Alfas in Trans Am thread of the Alfa Bulletn Board here: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/gta-1965-1975/207833-ar613217.html

[SMKZ28]

Here is an interesting one.  While watching my old copy of the documentary entitled, "Trans Am '70," I noticed that a red Toyota 2000GT was used as the pace car for the 1970 Marlboro 200 Trans Am race at Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Bridgehampton, New York on June 21, 1970.

I'm not sure what model year the pace car is but the Toyota 2000GT is a very rare car.  They were built between 1967 and 1970 and they only produced a total of 351 regular production cars.  Out of these only about 60 came to North America.  On a side note, Shelby raced a few of them in 1968 and two convertible versions were used in the 1967 James Bond movie, "You Only Live Twice."  More info on the car can be seen here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_2000GT

This documentary is also available on Youtube.  You can see the car between 13:23 and 13:28 here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwp-i_OCO1k

I paused the film and took a picture with my digital camera.

[SMKZ28]

The documentary "Trans Am '70," mentioned in the above post, also shows that a light blue 1970 AMC Javelin SST was used to pace the 1970 Kent 200 Trans Am race at Seattle International Raceway in Kent, Washington on September 20, 1970.  It appears to have the special spoiler on the back so it must be one of the 2,501 Mark Donohue editions made.  Interesting to note that it doesn't have the C-stripe on the side that you usually see on these cars.  It looks like they may have altered it in order to put on the special pace car decals.

You can see the Javelin between 0:42 and 0:47 on the Youtube version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwp-i_OCO1k 

I took some photos with my digital camera while the footage was paused.

[SMKZ28]

Credit for finding this fantastic picture must go to Mike Scott (Group/7 in Canada).  He sent me this picture the other day not knowing where he found it on the internet or what race it was taken at during the 1968 season.  After looking at the picture for quite a while, zooming in on it and doing plenty of research, I have come to the conclusion that this 1968 Camaro Z28 was the pace car for the 1968 Glen 500 at Watkins Glen Grand Prix Course, in Watkins Glen, New York held on August 11, 1968.

Several things brought me to that conclusion.  First, after zooming in on the picture there appears to be a BMW in the last row on the right side and this kind of car only participated in a handful of races during the 1968 season.   A driver named Herb Swan participated in the 1968 Trans Am race at Watkins Glen in his yellow BMW 2002 TI.  Second, the sign on the outside wall of the turn in the background says "Lentheric," which was a manufacturer of perfumes and cosmetics.  This sign appears on the outside wall of the turn nicknamed "the 90" in other pictures of Watkins Glen from 1968.  Third, the shadow on the race track just behind the Z28 pace car undoubtedly comes from the "Dunlop" flag stand that juts out over the start/finish line from pit lane just before the "esses."  Fourth, Watkins Glen had previously used a 1968 Camaro RS/SS convertible to pace the 6 hour race for sports cars a month earlier on July 14th, so the track had a history of using Chevy products and would continue to do so for the next few years. 

In the second attached picture you can see the "Lentheric" sign on the wall in the background, the "Dunlop" flag stand making a similar shadow on the race track, and the 1968 Camaro RS/SS convertible pace car.  It was taken by Dave Friedman before the start of the 6 hour sports car race in July, a little less than a month before the Trans Am race.  A larger version can be seen here:  http://thehenryford.artehouse.com/perl/magnify_popup.pl?imageID=176422&staticImage=C&ckon=image&alt=0

Jon, might this picture have come from the program for the 1969 Trans Am race at Watkins Glen?

Thank you Mike Group/7 in Canada for sending me this fantastic picture.

[group/7]

scott, thank you ! for posting the shot from '68 trans-am at the glen. you might very well be right about it being from the program for the 1969 race. I seem to remember it was part of an article on trans-am sedans, and was a two page image. It might even have been from some where like hot rod magazine ! it is worthwhile to look in some other publications, which had stuff on different  racing series. I will PM you as to your questions on the '66 can-am. don't want to side track this thread.

  group/7

[Jon Mello]

Mike, I don't have the '69 Watkins Glen program but I do believe that picture of the '68 Z/28 as the pace car
is from the 1968 Watkins Glen Trans-Am race.

[firstgenaddict]

In 1967 Chevy used their 396 Camaro show car to pace the Can Am race at Road America. It is called the Cherokee and is still around today.
Chevy liked to bring special cars to Road America in the 60s.

I have read that they used the 1968 Z/28 convert built for Pete Estes to pace the Can Am race in 1968 but have not been able to find a pic of it.
may have been used as Trans Am pace car

This may be one reason why the 1968 convertible Z was built

pic is the 1967 Cheerokee Camaro show car built by Chevy with weber carb 396 and plexi glass hood scoop, hood tach, and other custom items

link is Cherokee auction
http://mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=SC0509-79381

The Cherokee along with Estes 68 Z conv were at the show in Chicago this past weekend.
I've got some pics that are too large to post, I will get them up later today.

[firstgenaddict]

[Jon Mello]

That Cherokee is a sharp looking car. I always liked it. Thanks for posting the pics, James.

I guess there is some question as to whether they made more than one since the interior color is not the same as seen in some of the vintage shots. Did you hear anything further on this at the show?

[group/7]

scott & jon, just a quick note on the pic of the grid at the glen in '68 with the pace car. found the same shot, in colour ! in the vintage motorsport issue on the 1968 trans am season, nov/dec 1995.

 wishing all of you in the states a great thanksgiving !

  mike group/7

[SMKZ28]

scott & jon, just a quick note on the pic of the grid at the glen in '68 with the pace car. found the same shot, in colour ! in the vintage motorsport issue on the 1968 trans am season, nov/dec 1995.

 wishing all of you in the states a great thanksgiving !

  mike group/7

That is fantastic.  Mike you are the best!  What color is the Z28?  I've got the issues covering part one and part five but I don't have the others.  Are there any other pace car pictures?

[SMKZ28]

In 1967 Chevy used their 396 Camaro show car to pace the Can Am race at Road America. It is called the Cherokee and is still around today.
Chevy liked to bring special cars to Road America in the 60s.

I have read that they used the 1968 Z/28 convert built for Pete Estes to pace the Can Am race in 1968 but have not been able to find a pic of it.
may have been used as Trans Am pace car

This may be one reason why the 1968 convertible Z was built

pic is the 1967 Cheerokee Camaro show car built by Chevy with weber carb 396 and plexi glass hood scoop, hood tach, and other custom items

link is Cherokee auction
http://mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=SC0509-79381

The Cherokee along with Estes 68 Z conv were at the show in Chicago this past weekend.
I've got some pics that are too large to post, I will get them up later today.

I have participated in much discussion on these two cars at the Camaro Pace Car site.  Click on the following links for more info on each car:

1967 Cherokee Camaro: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/4950009635

1968 "Estes" Camaro Z28 convertible: http://camaropacecars.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3100015833/m/4581033336

Several pictures of each car as they appeared at the Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals in Chicago this past weekend also appear at the end of each thread.

[SMKZ28]

That Cherokee is a sharp looking car. I always liked it. Thanks for posting the pics, James.

I guess there is some question as to whether they made more than one since the interior color is not the same as seen in some of the vintage shots. Did you hear anything further on this at the show?

This picture, taken by Chuck Derer during the pace lap of the 1967 Road America Can Am, shows that the boot was black back then just like it is now.  Unfortunately you can't see the interior color in the photo.  The picture can be found here: http://rideswithchuck.blogspot.com/2012/12/canam-1967-few-amateur-photos.html#!/2012/12/canam-1967-few-amateur-photos.html

Jon, do you have any other period photos showing the interior in a different color?