Rusty Jowett's 1967 Camaro Trans-Am Race Car

[OCTARD]

Many of us are familiar with the red 1968 Camaro that Rusty Jowett raced in the Trans-Am series, but less has been seen of the green 1967 car that was run before (and totaled).

Below are some pictures that Bob White took of the car at the 1968 Watkins Glen Trans-Am event, both before and after it's big wreck.

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And two more photos taken after the wreck.

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Many thanks to Bob White for his efforts to get me these photos, and for making a point to meet up with me and the other Historic Trans-Am drivers at the 2011 Sonoma Historics.  Bob was down from Ontario, Canada, supporting his friend racing a vintage sports racer at the event.

[RUNUTZ]

Wow nothing body wise left !!!

[Jon Mello]

Wow Chad! I have heard about that crash at Watkins Glen but never seen the "after" photos. I really appreciate your efforts to obtain these and also for posting them here so we truly understand how thoroughly the car was demolished. I think the car was green for only two races. This was an authentic '67 Z-28 that was originally Butternut yellow with black stripes. The '68 grille and tail lights were added to give the car an updated look.

[Jon Mello]

A photo of Rusty's '67 in the yellow paint scheme can be seen here on Nick England's VIR History webpages. The photo was taken in April 1968. I know Mark Schwien was a very talented mechanic/fabricator that helped Rusty with this car. I'd love to hear from him or anybody else associated with Rusty Jowett and his Camaros.

[OCTARD]

This from Pat Hogan on the above 1967 Z/28 Camaro of Rusty Jowett:

"Bill Lange was the original owner of the car but he sold it to Rusty because the Air Force had other plans for him. It was originally a light yellow color (Butternut yellow) with black stripes.  Bill, his wife Sandy and I connected at a vintage race at Watkins Glen in 2009 and he shared some of the photos and stories of this car.  We are still regularly in touch and he has given me a variety of original Jowett parts, fuel jugs, wheels, equipment boxes,etc. from that time that are stored in my garage.  Bill also helped Rusty at several 1969 races like Daytona and Bryar I believe."

And then this from Bill Lange, who sold the above '67 Z/28 Camaro to Rusty:

"The car was originally ordered/bought by a Porsche Dealer in Alexandria named Joe Heishman. I bought the car from him for about 3000 bucks, 1967 money.  I guess Joe did not like it."
 
"It was a funny power curved engine with a 4 speed close ratio, rather difficult street car off the line. That 302 would keep up with the SS396 Camaro's in the quarter if you could keep from smoking the tires too hard."

[Jon Mello]

Chad, that recollection by Bill Lange is very intriguing to me. My '67 Z race car was bought new through Aero Chevrolet in Alexandria, VA by Hugh Heishman, who had named his VW/Porsche dealership after his father Joe Heishman who had retired due to a health issue. Hugh had told me that he also bought a yellow '67 Z for himself as a street car but I was under the impression that he had owned it for a few years before selling it. Apparently, that is not the case. I don't know whether he knows if his yellow car went on to be Rusty's race car but I will have to give Hugh a call and see if this rings a bell with him. I really appreciate you posting this new information about Rusty's car. Thank you. The article below has a photo of Hugh Heishman and talks a little about his racing team.

[OCTARD]

Hello Jon, and others,

Bill Lange provided this additional detail on his old 1967 Z/28 Camaro, which became the yellow-then-green '67 that Rusty Jowett drove in the Trans-Am:

"I grew up about 5 miles down the highway (Route 301) from the Upper Marlboro race track.  I kept close watch on all the classes, watched the 356 series Porsches, Bug-eyed Sprites and such.  I think the 911 Porsches were just being introduced, maybe it was the 911S, but for one reason or another I drove down to Heishman's Porsche to look the new cars over.  The Z/28 was on the used car lot, just sitting there.  I was out of high school, working for Mark Schweins Fuel Oil Company (truck driver), certainly I did not have "Porsche Money" but the Z/28 was within reach and I bought it.  I wish I had the records to know the serial number of my Camaro? It was a very plain Z/28.  No center console, no factory tach, no spoiler.

The car was a fun car to drive, but after 6 months or so I got my "Greetings and Salutations" letter from the President, time to report.  Mr. Wilton Jowett and his son Rusty (lived right down the road two miles or so, even closer to Upper Marlboro) were racing Corvettes and I guess they wanted to compete in the Trans Am.  They hired Mark Schwein and bought my car.  Wilton Jowett started a company called Performance Research and they built the first car.  I am looking for pictures before it was a race car, but my filing system is poor.  I did travel to a few tracks with the Jowetts, worked on the crew.  I did St Jovite, Bridgehampton and Lime Rock. Sebring was coming up, but I missed that race.

We had more tire problems on the hauler than we did on the race car.

I did not know Heishmans had a second car as mentioned in the newspaper article (Jon's posted article above)."

Bill, thanks so much for sharing and allowing us Trans-Am enthusiasts learn a bit more about you, this car, Heishman's, Rusty Jowett and Mark Schwein.

[OCTARD]

And more from Bill Lange on this 1967 Z/28 pictured and discussed above... When it was still a street car.

"My wife Sandy (Rusty Jowett's cousin) just scanned these snapshots for me.  This is the Camaro I bought off the "used car lot" at Joe Heishman's Porsche Dealership in 1967.  It was winter (see snow) of 1967, but I cannot remember the exact date. I do remember being drafted in March of 1968. The Jowetts were anxious for this car, so I sold it about 6 months earlier than my report date I think, November of '67 or so. 

Mark Schwien owned an oil company in those days and I worked for him driving a truck.  Mark also owned a large EXXON station, which was a Chrysler Dealership, and worked on quarter mile racers in that shop.  Mark was Mr. Jowett's head mechanic on the Trans Am car.  (Mr. Jowett was Rusty's dad, Sandy's uncle.)"

[JoeC]

thanks for posting

very nice original photos

[oldtransamdriver]

Chad, thanks for all the Bill Lange info about Rusty and Mark (who would give us the "hot tip" sometimes to help us with race prep). 

Any chance Bill would have contact with Rusty, who seems to have quit racing after 71.

Robert Barg

[OCTARD]

These two photos are from Pat Hogan's collection.  Pat owns the 1968 Rusty Jowett Camaro, not this 1967 Camaro.  However, various sources have provided these images to Pat from their association with Rusty's 1968 and 1969 Trans-Am seasons.

• The first photo shows Rusty's 1967 Z/28 on the pre-grid of the 1968 Sebring race.
• The second photo shows Rusty running to his 1967 Z/28 at the start of the 1968 Sebring race.

[OCTARD]

These two photos are also from Pat Hogan's collection.  

• The first photo shows Rusty peeling out in his 1967 Z/28 at the start of the 1968 Sebring race.
• The second photo shows Rusty's 1967 Z/28 on the trailer, ready to go to a race.

[OCTARD]

These last two photos are also from Pat Hogan's collection. 

• The first photo shows Rusty's 1967 Z/28 inside the Performance Research garages/Mark Schwein's place.
• The second photo shows Rusty's 1967 Z/28 from another perspective within the Performance Research garages/Mark Schwein's place.