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Messages - oldtransamdriver

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316
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1969 Mid-Ohio Trans-Am photos
« on: September 05, 2011, 03:19:30 PM »
Yes, I've met Tony Garmey who has the McLaren.  He races with the SOVREN vintage group out of Seattle. and gives it a good ride. 

Robert Barg

317
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1969 Mid-Ohio Trans-Am photos
« on: September 04, 2011, 04:52:48 PM »
Performance Engineering was run by Dave Billes, a member of the well-known Canadian Tire family of stores, originally mostly auto parts and tire related, but now much more than that.  Lots of stores everywhere in Canada.  Dave is a member of the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame.  He was a Corvette racer in the early sixties, before opening his shop in Barrie Ontario (about an hour's drive north of Toronto).

He sponsored a Can-Am car run by John Cordts and later a CART Indy car for Jacque Villeneuve (the "Uncle") under the Canadian Tire umbrella. Some othe family members also went drag racing.

Performance Engineering was probably the best known Canadian engine prep shop in those days.  I believe it is still operating. Gord Chance worked for Dave at one time and later opened his own business known as CRM  Gord later moved to CA  with his engine prep business.


Robert  Barg

318
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Marshall Robbins - Carl Shafer
« on: August 28, 2011, 01:56:33 AM »
Nice to hear that - can't imagine that too many guys who raced still have their original cars.  My first two 1st generation cars are long gone, although the ex Dick Hoffman 71 car is still alive - last I heard it was listed for sale with Dale Phelon Racing.

Robert Barg

319
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Marshall Robbins - Carl Shafer
« on: August 28, 2011, 12:08:20 AM »
Jerry still has his old camaro?  From memory, I spoke to him at one of the Vancouver Molson Indy events, when the T/A was a support race to the Indy cars, and Max was driving.  Jerry and I raced against each other 4 times according to ultimateracinghistory.com

Robert Barg

320
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Sunoco fueling rig
« on: August 23, 2011, 05:28:38 AM »
SCCA, of course, should have jumped on this the first time they saw this apparatus, and kicked it out then and there - a perfect example of the "Unfair Advantage". I can't imagine the time and expense involved.

Robert Barg

321
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1969 Mid-Ohio Trans-Am photos
« on: August 15, 2011, 02:51:31 AM »
From memory we used either 40 or probably 50 wt. racing oil.  I had a deal with the local Valvoline rep to get maybe 5 cases of free oil for the season. We had to display their decal on our car and sign some papers to authorize the use of our name in case we won something.  There was probably also some contingency money from Valvoline at each T/A race.  They were a big presence in the racing world at that time.

Also Sunoco 260 was FREE for the race cars, and we usually managed to fill our 2 dump cans for the trip home.

Robert Barg


322
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Rusty Jowett's 1967 Camaro Trans-Am Race Car
« on: August 08, 2011, 12:45:00 AM »
Jon, what is the correct spelling of Mark's last name - Schwein or Schwien?

Robert Barg

323
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Rusty Jowett's 1967 Camaro Trans-Am Race Car
« on: August 01, 2011, 04:58:22 PM »
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

324
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« on: July 20, 2011, 03:15:37 PM »
Yes, FIA GT class.  The 5 L guys ran in FIA Touring 2-5 L

Robert Barg

325
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: ZL1 CAMARO SCCA ?
« on: July 20, 2011, 04:11:31 AM »
Camaros were allowed to run with big blocks in SCCA T/A starting in 73.  I believe the A sedan class remained at 305 ci till the end of that class in 77.  Camaros were not classified as production cars like the Corvettes were.

Robert Barg

326
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1969 Wolverine Trans-Am photos
« on: July 19, 2011, 03:06:30 AM »
That photo is the Mo Carter car (ex Jim Hall camaro)) that Mo had been racing in 71 and 72 also with those same colours.  Dick Brown would have been the co-driver for that event.  In 73 that car was running a big block 427 if I remember, or a least a 350 - all new T/A rules in 73.

Robert Barg

327
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1969 Wolverine Trans-Am photos
« on: July 12, 2011, 06:06:56 PM »
I was going to add that Judy Stropus (ace scorer) knew exactly who won the race, but Jon beat me to it. Very clever on Roger's part to accept the glory and accolades on behalf of Donohue and Chevy (all part of the Unfair Advantage).  Moore and the Ford gang must have been ticked off.

Our gang had trouble keeping an accurate lap chart after about 30 minutes - not easy to do with lots of distractions. We didn't have a "pro" scoring person(s).

I'm sure it cost us a few places sometimes as we didn't know our position.  I could have gone from "cruise" mode to "speed up" later in the race.

Robert Barg

328
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: 1968 Bryar Trans-Am photos
« on: July 06, 2011, 03:11:48 AM »
Great shots of that famous Penske refueling rig.  I remember that in 68 my engine guy Brian and I went to Mid-Ohio on a T/A "scouting trip" to see what we might learn in advance of heading to the Glen for our first T/A adventure. That refueling rig was in use that weekend.

We observed one of the Penske camaros on a ramp truck in the pit area and proceeded to snoop around and underneath the car, but were soon spotted by a Penske crew member who chased us off.  Wonder what they were trying to hide? Cam't remember if we spotted anything "strange".

My thanks also to Ron for these wonderful photos.

Robert Barg

329
Trans-Am Camaros / Re: Chaffey College and Sam Contino
« on: July 02, 2011, 04:53:05 PM »
The camaro was listed for sale some time ago - maybe ebay or was it at an auction?

Paul Van Valkenburgh drove the car out from CA for the 71 Mid-Ohio T/A.  After the race was over and we were on our way home with truck and race car I spotted the Chaffey College car going the opposite way with race tires in the back seat and dump cans sticking out of the rear side windows. Don't remember if he was heading home to CA or just going to the next race.

Robert Barg

330
The red #92 camaro being dirt-tracked is Rusty Jowett.  He was a leading independant driver in 68 and 69 with 13 top ten finishes including some top fives. He also had a 2nd and 3rd in 2 Nascar baby grand races.  He wrecked his 67 camaro at the 68 Watkins Glen T/A race - I was following him when suddenly he went off track and rolled the car a few times.  A 68 car was then built from a Penske body-in-white with much help from Donohue. Rusty was very fast but did not race in 70 and only once in 71 - often wonder what happened to such a promising racing career.  Paul Nichter from Buffalo was the next owner and racer of that 68 car. "Nick" used to tell me just to "drive the wheels off that camaro" I was racing.

Robert Barg

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