CRG Discussion Forum
Model Specific Discussions => Trans-Am Camaros => Topic started by: klvn8r on September 09, 2013, 05:35:49 PM
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If I'm not mistaken, one of the Penske Camaros was wrecked at Watkins Glen this past weekend. Pictures....thoughts????
klvn8r
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Wow, I hadn't heard that. I sure hope not.
I know "oldtransamdriver" Robert Barg went to that event so maybe he will fill us in on the happenings over the past weekend.
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http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/trans-am-sunoco-camaro-wrecked-at-watkins-glen-vintage-1274920659
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I hate to see that.
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That appears to be the '68 Sunoco Camaro Bill Bryan bought from Don Lee. I hope Bill is OK. Looks like a heck of an impact.
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http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20130909/SPORTS/309090065/Star-Gazette-racing-writer-recovering-from-accident
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I pitty the photographer. Too close of a call.
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It sounded as if the photographer was working on the outside of a corner; any idea if that's true? That's a dangerous spot...
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Yes, that's how I read it. A tragedy to wreck the car and hurt yourself, made even worse by seriously hurting a bystander. I hope everyone makes a full and complete recovery.
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I just heard from Bill's friend Pat Ryan that "Bill is home. Nothing was broken. Bruised ribs and blurred vision. Lots of pain but he will be OK."
It was scary being on the track and seeing the aftermath thru the windshield. After the red flag condition had been lifted and we were getting ready for the restart a huge lump in my stomach formed after seeing two helicopters leaving the track. My prayers for a speedy recovery go out to Bill and photographer Ron Levanduski.
Bill Godwin #23 Camaro
it was
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Yes, too bad about the accident but these things happen in racing. I had a great time tramping around the paddock and visiting some old racer guys I hadn't seen in many years like Waren Agor and
Dan Furey. Warren had his last IMSA Monza entered but had mechanical problmes and didn't race. Dan was there with his Mustang and so was Jan Nelson and his Mustang.
It was great to meet up with Ed Wheatley and the old Hoffman camaro which Ed drove very well. Bill and Jan looked good out on the track also.
On the way home we had to stop in at the Village Variety store and found 3 original new 70,71,72 T/A programs which I had to buy. Had sold the 68 Kent program to Ike who now has
the Tatum/Pendleton Cougar that was in that race, and also got Warren to buy a 74 IMSA/Can-Am program in which he drove both his McLaren and Camaro. I almost broke even ha ha.
There was also a great media lunch on the Saturday hosted by SVRA and m c'd very well by Mike Joy who had a guest drive in the race.
Robert Barg
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Bill and Robert, thanks for your thoughts and observations from the WG race weekend.
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Hi, this is my first post here. I discovered this site a few weeks ago, while trying to do some research for a customer who's restoring a 69 Z/28. I have a Corvette parts business, and normally I'm a Corvette person. In spite of my addiction to Corvettes, I've always been a fan of the Trans Am series, and the first generation Z/28's. The first road race that I ever attended, was the 1969 Watkins Glen Trans Am, and I crewed for a Trans Am/IMSA GTO team, in the 80's.
I was at Watkins Glen last weekend, crewing for one of the Historic Trans Am entrants. Jim Glass, of Kingston NY, is a friend of mine, who vintage races Corvettes. I crew for Jim, when time allows. Besides his Corvettes, Jim also has a 67 Camaro, that was raced in a couple 1972 Trans Am races, by Jocko Maggiacomo.
Below is a link to a post I started on the Corvette Forum, that features some of the pictures I took of the Trans Am cars, at Watkins Glen. The first group of pictures, are some of the vintage Corvettes that raced at The Glen (after all, it is the "Corvette Forum" ;D). If you scroll down, you will find quite a few pictures, of the Trans Am cars there too. The shots included aren't limited to the Camaro's though. I believe every TA car entered, is included in my post; including the Mustangs, Cougars, Challenger, Javelin and the 63 Falcon!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-and-c2-corvettes/3338799-watkins-glen-us-vintage-grand-prix-warning-lots-of-pics.html
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Thanks for signing up and making your first post. I appreciate you providing a link to your pictures from Watkins Glen.
You must have a good camera, those are some nice shots. Very cool that you were there at the '69 Trans-Am race. I
imagine you had a feeling of deja vu seeing the large group of Trans-Am cars there last weekend.
Robert Barg was kind enough to send me the link to a 25-minute video on the SVRA website showing last weekend's race.
This video is pretty neat and includes in-car footage as well as shots from lots of different areas of the track.
http://www.svra.com/video/svra-historic-trans-am-race-at-watkins-glen-2013/
Also of note, the Historic Trans-Am website has put up 10 pages of Jimmy Huston's photos from the 2013 Lime Rock vintage
race weekend. Very neat to see Sam Posey at the track checking out his old Dodge Challenger.
http://www.historictransam.com/racephotos/2013LimeRock-1.html
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https://www.vintagemotorsport.com/show_news.asp?id=2727
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Jimmy Huston has put up his race photos from the Watkins Glen event on the HTA website. Nice to see
some photos of our "oldtransamdriver" buddy Robert Barg socializing with several of the drivers and it
was also great to see the pictures of the Trans-Am cars cruising through the town of Watkins Glen itself,
much to the delight of the residents and visitors. Well, maybe not all the residents.
http://www.historictransam.com/racephotos/2013WatkinsGlen-1.html
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Forgot to post this, but sadlly I learned that weekend, that Paul Nichter has passed. "Nic" raced that ex Jowett 68 camaro very hard - he was one of the leading independant drivers
and had several top 10 finishes. "Just drive the wheels off of that camaro" he told me one day.
Robert Barg
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Robert, I'm sorry to hear of his passing. He was one of the better independent Camaro racers in the early '70s.
I think he must been trying to drive the wheels off his car when he crashed at Bridgehampton.
(http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss309/1967z28/May%202013/PaulNichterrolloverBridgehampton1970_zpsc1a93ca9.jpg) (http://s586.photobucket.com/user/1967z28/media/May%202013/PaulNichterrolloverBridgehampton1970_zpsc1a93ca9.jpg.html)
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Just acquired the Nov/Dec issue of Vintage Motorsport that has a report on the race weekend, and on page 121 a nice photo of the Brock Yates "Sunday Driver" car, owned by
Warren Agor. I did manage to speak to the crew of that car at the Glen, now owned by Jim Reed. Back in the day, I raced against Brock in that car at Michigan and the Glen.
I was surprised to run into the original mechanic Rick Dilcher, who built the car for Warren. Rick also was involved with Dimension Racing who built the 69 Camaro for
Peter Schwartzott and later the 510 that Peter raced. I knew them both from those days.
Robert Barg
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Good information, Robert. Thanks for sharing.