CRG Discussion Forum
Model Specific Discussions => Promotional Events and Concept Cars => Topic started by: SMKZ28 on March 10, 2020, 03:15:50 PM
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A uniquely colored white and red 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible was used as the pace car for the Atlanta 500 NASCAR Grand National event held at the Atlanta International Raceway (now Atlanta Motor Speedway) in Hampton, Georgia on Sunday, March 30, 1969. Cale Yarborough won the race in his Wood Brothers 1969 Mercury.
The first three pictures came from the Internet Movie Cars Database. The Camaro pace car appears briefly in a movie released in 1977 entitled "Greased Lighting." The movie is about the true life story of Wendell Scott who was the first African American stock car racing driver to win an upper tier NASCAR race and it starred Richard Pryor and Beau Bridges. The Camaro pace car appears briefly in the last third of the movie when actual archival race footage from the 1969 Atlanta 500 was inter-spliced with other racing footage to help demonstrate the career of Wendell Scott.
The fourth picture shows the Atlanta Camaro pace car on the parade lap at the North Carolina Motor Speedway prior to the Carolina 500 NASCAR Grand National event held three weeks before on Sunday, March 9, 1969. Notice that the Camaro was equipped with a roll bar after it's appearance for it's pacing duties. It does not appear in the pictures taken at North Carolina Motor Speedway but it does at Atlanta International Raceway.
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The first and second picture shows the Camaro pace car coming down pit lane with Miss A.I.R. (Atlanta International Raceway) riding in the backseat. The third and fourth show her with the winner Cale Yarborough.
Use the magnification tools at the following links to zoom in on the pictures.
1) https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=207850&collection=p17257coll1
3) https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=216325&collection=p17257coll1
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Click on the following links to use the magnification tools:
1) https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=208176&collection=p17257coll1
3) https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=198697&collection=p17257coll1
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You can see the Camaro pace car coming down pit lane in this picture taken from an article on the race which appeared in the July 1969 issue of Motor Trend Magazine. (ebay)
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There is some great color television footage of the event on Youtube. It was broadcast on ABC's Wide World of Sports on tape delay. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeZsgqqjjhk
I took a few photos of the Camaro pace car when it appeared during caution periods.
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More from the broadcast...
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Photos show that at least two other white 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible NASCAR pace cars from other tracks were at the event. The first and second pictures show two of them parked next to each other at the top of the picture in between a dark colored 1968 Shelby Mustang and a white Chevy. The one that is most visible looks to have the wording on the rear quarter panel and door in the shape of the one that would be used at the newly constructed Alabama International Motor Speedway in Talladega, Alabama later in the season. I can't identify the second one because you can only see the RS nose.
Click on the following link to use the magnification tools:
1) https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=212646&collection=p17257coll1
The second and third pictures might show the same Talladega Camaro pace car being used in some type of official capacity during the race. Notice that it is in a different part of the track in each photo. I took the pictures while watching the ABC broadcast that can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeZsgqqjjhk
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Here are images of the front cover of the souvenir program and tickets from the event. (ebay)