Author Topic: June Sprints at Road America used 1967 Camaro Indy Pace Car as Pace Car in 1967  (Read 4150 times)

SMKZ28

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A 1967 Camaro RS/SS convertible Indy Pace Car was used to pace the sports car races held during the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) June Sprints weekend at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18, 1967.  This was just a few weeks after the 1967 Indy 500.  Just like today, in 1967 there were multiple races held during the June Sprints weekend for multiple different classes of sports cars. 

I found three fantastic color photographs of the Camaro pacing three different events at Flickr.  They were posted by Tracer-X and his father took them back in 1967. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tracer-x/sets/72157625338357443)

The color photos show that the Camaro has the same blue interior, sun visors, dashboard, nose stripe and side stripe that the 1967 Indy Pace Car has.  It also has the Rally Wheels, red line tires and the USA-1 front license plate.  The door decal looks to be the same except that the "51st Annual Indianapolis 500 Mile Race May 30, 1967" has been taken off.  Because this car has both sun visors I don't believe that it is the same car that was used to pace the Indy 500.  The actual 1967 Indy 500 pace car had the passenger side sun visor replaced by a grab handle.  That said, this car could've been used during the month of May in Indianapolisr.  I'm not sure what the orange decal on the front fender says.

1st picture:  This photo shows the Camaro just as it began to make its way into pit lane just prior to the F and G Production/H Sports Racer class getting the green flag from the starter stand at the top of the hill.  According to the program this 15 lap event took place at 11:15 am on Sunday, June 18, 1967. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tracer-x/5259858794/in/album-72157625338357443/)

2nd picture:  Cropped version of the same picture.
« Last Edit: April 20, 2018, 12:54:03 PM by SMKZ28 »
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

SMKZ28

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1st picture: This photo shows the Camaro just as it turned off the race track prior to the start of the H Production/C and D Sedan class 15 lap event.  According to the program this race started at 1:15pm on Sunday, June 18, 1967. (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tracer-x/5259858576/in/album-72157625338357443/)

2nd picture: Cropped version of the same photo.
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

SMKZ28

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1st picture:  This photo shows the Camaro heading into pit lane just before the start of the feature event of the weekend.  This 40 lap race was for the C, D, E, F and G Sports Racer classes.  According to the program it began at 3:15pm on Sunday, June 18, 1967.  Notice the headlights are not illuminated as they were in the previous two photos.  (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tracer-x/5227821597/in/album-72157625338357443/)

2nd picture: Cropped version of same photo.
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

SMKZ28

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1st picture:  This is an ad for the event that appeared in the Friday, June 2, 1967 edition of the Milwaukee Journal.  I found it at Google Newspapers.

2nd picture:  The cover of the program for the event. (www.worthpoint.com)
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

SMKZ28

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A driver from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan named Don Hamilton entered the only Camaro in the AS class of the A, B and C Production; A & B Sedan event at the June Sprints.  He also participated in the Trans Am race held the weekend before at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio on Sunday, June 11, 1967.  I'm assuming he used the same Camaro.  At the Mid Ohio Trans Am race the car was #84 while here at Road America it was #83. 
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd

Jon Mello

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Great stuff, Scott. Does it say who the entrant or sponsor was for Don Hamilton's Camaro?
Jon Mello
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SMKZ28

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Great stuff, Scott. Does it say who the entrant or sponsor was for Don Hamilton's Camaro?

Thanks Jon, there is nothing on the source that I found that says his sponsorship.  It does say that Don Hamilton of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan was the "entrant."  I don't have a copy of the June Sprints program.  I found a pdf from an Alfa Romeo web site that had a few pages of it scanned.  See it here:  http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/attachments/gta-1965-1975/125204d1229475519-gtas-north-american-regional-events-1967-road-america-june-sprints.pdf.  I thought I remembered seeing something that you posted that said Don Yenko was the entrant for Hamilton's car at Mid Ohio?
Scott
I don't have a 1st Gen but I have 1971 Z28 RS 4-spd, 1997 Z28 Z4C 6-spd, 2000 SS Convertible, 2010 RS 6-spd