Author Topic: Roger Penske Honored at Amelia Island Concours/1967 Penske TA Z28 Newly Restored  (Read 13445 times)

SMKZ28

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With all the distractions over the last several months I had no idea that Roger Penske was being honored at the 2020 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance held at the Ritz-Carlto on Amelia Island, Florida between March 5-8, 2020.  Several of the race cars he has raced and owned were in attendance including a freshly restored Penske 1967 Camaro Z28 Trans Am car driven by Mark Donohue.  I had no idea that this car had been restored so seeing it in the photos of the event was fantastic!

1 & 2) https://www.classicarnews.com/2020/03/05/2020-amelia-island-concours/
3) Facebook
4) https://vintageracecar.com/2020-amelia-island-concours-photo-gallery/
« Last Edit: April 21, 2020, 01:10:22 PM by Jon Mello »
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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« Last Edit: April 20, 2020, 05:39:21 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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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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An article on the event talks about the 1967....

"1967 Chevrolet Camaro Trans Am Racer
OWNER: PATRICK S. RYAN
AMELIA AWARD – TEAM PENSKE SUNOCO

The SCCA’s Trans-American Sedan Championship, best known as simply “the Trans-Am,” began in 1966 as a venue for compact American and imported “sedans,” though this really meant coupes. Ford won the first year’s championship in the over-2.0-liter class with the Mustang and repeated the feat for the 1967 season. Chevy got in the mix that year, and Team Penske’s Sunoco-sponsored Camaros won three of the 12 races with Mark Donohue driving. Owner Pat Ryan already owned the second of the two 1967 Penske Camaros and years later located the first one in Austria, after searching on-and-off for 25 years.

“It was pretty beat up, but it was all there,” says Mackay, whose shop recently spent seven months restoring the historic racecar.

Before Mackay got it, Ryan had turned the car over to Rick Parent, his fabricator and wrench mechanic, to begin work on the car. Parent got the project started, even going as far as recreating the steering wheel, before Mackay’s team finished the job.

“Rick did an outstanding job, and we took it from there,” says Mackay. “Rick guided us throughout the restoration.”

Mackay began his work by digging further into research on the Camaro.

“This car started as the second production Z/28 off the line, and we traced its VIN right back to Penske Chevrolet in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,” he tells Hagerty. “There was so much forensic evidence for this car,” says Mackay. “One telltale sign was reinforcements on the windshield and back window. We could see those in photos from the Trans Am days and from when the car raced in Europe years later.”

The unique handmade dash and gauge panel provided more clues.

“We have a photo of Mark Donohue sitting in the ’67, looking out the passenger side window,” says Mackay. “You can see the same hand-made dash and gauges in photos of this car. Those had never been changed after 50-plus years. The car still had its original rollbar and some suspension pieces. It was incredible.”

Incredible, too, was that as the restored car was being prepped for shipment to Amelia Island, a carburetor fire nearly nixed its debut. Mackay quickly extinguished the two-foot flames with his jacket, but there was some underhood damage, and he suffered second-degree burns on his hands.

His hands stinging, Mackay called Ryan to deliver the bad news. The owner reviewed photos that Mackay sent and gave the go-ahead to expedite repairs to still make the concours in time.

“It was a Saturday night, and I called my guys back in,” says Mackay. “We worked through the night and then the next few days and nights and got the car finished late Wednesday afternoon and put it on the truck for Amelia Island that night. You could never tell there had ever been a fire. Thanks to Reliable Transportation, we got the car to Amelia Island by Saturday in time for a photo shoot with other Penske cars. I really have a great team here, and I’m thankful for Pat Ryan’s understanding and his confidence in us. I also can’t say enough good things about Amelia Island Concours Chairman Bill Warner for working with us on this.”

While Penske was admiring the car, Warner told him about the fire and “rescue.”

“Roger just had a big smile on his face,” recalls Mackay."

Read the article here: https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/restoring-team-penske-history-one-race-car-at-a-time/
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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Here are photos of the 1967/1968 Penske Camaro #15 from the event.

These photos were posted by Barry Weary at the Historic SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Fan Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HistoricTransAmRacing/photos/
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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Photos of the 1968 Penske Camaro #6 from the event.

These photos were posted by Barry Weary at the Historic SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Fan Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HistoricTransAmRacing/photos/

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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Photos of 1968 Penske Camaro #16 from the event.

These photos were posted by Barry Weary at the Historic SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Fan Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HistoricTransAmRacing/photos/

The Hagerty article also had a section on this Camaro...

"1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO TRANS AM RACER
OWNER: IRWIN KROIZ
THE SPIRIT OF SEBRING AWARD

Team Penske Camaros came on strong for the 1968 Trans Am season, giving Chevy the championship by winning 10 out of 13 races in the 5-liter class, including the Sebring 12 Hours. In an impressive showing for production cars, the two Penske Camaros took first and second in the Trans-Am 5-liter class and third and fourth overall at Sebring, behind two Porsche 907s running in the prototype class.

Team Penske clawed for every advantage they could get. Car bodies were acid-dipped to remove weight, and then ballast was placed strategically around the car to meet the class weight minimum while optimizing handling. A quick-fill oil valve and a unique fueling tower shortened pit stops to just over a minute and a half, versus about four minutes for the Ford teams.

Irwin Kroiz, renowned for his collection of unique and rare factory racecars, bought the first Team Penske 1968 Camaro at the RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction in 2016.

“Irwin knew the car would be in the auction but didn’t express an interest in buying it until he saw it on display in the preview,” says Mackay. “When he saw it, he said he was mesmerized. He had to have it.”

Mackay recalled how they researched the car right then and there.

“Irwin and I went to the property room to review the documentation,” he recalls. “The man seemed a little miffed about having to bring it out, and I could see why. There were six or seven milk crates full, and each weighed about 25 pounds. We spent three hours looking at all the paperwork. Unlike the ’67, this car started as a body-in-white and so does not have a VIN. I also confirmed the car’s authenticity with some other noted Penske car owners and experts.”

The #16 Camaro had been restored, but Kroiz is an ultra-perfectionist and sent the car to Mackay’s shop for a re-do. This was the first of two Camaros Team Penske raced in the Trans Am for 1968. Both were built differently than the ’67 versions, with some reinforced parts to hold up during the 24 Hours of Daytona and Sebring 12-hour races. The Traco-built Chevy 302 cubic-inch small-block V-8, based on the production Camaro Z/28 engine, used a dual four-barrel Cross Ram intake manifold."

Read the full article here: https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/restoring-team-penske-history-one-race-car-at-a-time/
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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Photos of the 1969 Penske Camaro #6 from the event.

These photos were posted by Barry Weary at the Historic SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Fan Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HistoricTransAmRacing/photos/
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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Photos of the 1971 Penske Javelin #6 from the event.  They must have taken the front spoiler off when the car was called up in front of the crowd so it didn't get damaged.

1) https://journal.classiccars.com/2020/03/14/in-year-25-the-racing-heart-of-the-amelia-island-concours-still-beats-strong/
2) https://www.classicarnews.com/2020/03/05/2020-amelia-island-concours/

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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There was even a replic of the famous Penske "Big Rig" fueling tower.

Read an article on it here: https://www.hagerty.com/media/automotive-history/nothing-bends-rules-like-this-penske-fueling-tower/

2) Facebook
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

169INDY

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Incredible. Wow Thankyou for posting.

JIM
Jim
68 SS/RS L35 Th-400 LOS
69 Pace Car L48 Th-350 LOS
68 Z28 M21 LOS

MO

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Scott, Thanks for putting that together so we could all admire and enjoy it! What a great display!

BULLITT65

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great pics. I love the stance and "Sunoco" Lettering of the 68. The newly restored 67 seems like it sits a bit high. All the cars look like they roll right back onto the track though. Thanks for your time and sharing these pics.
1969 garnet red Z/28 46k mile unrestored X77
-Looking for 3192477 (front) spiral shocks 3192851 (rear)
-Looking for an original LOF soft ray windshield
-Looking for original Delco side post negative battery cable part # 6297651AV


ZLP955

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Awesome thread Scott! Hopefully there was a good attendance, despite the current restrictions.
With the '67Z being described as 2nd off the production line, do you know if it was from NOR or LOS? Could be a sister to Jon's.
Tim in Australia.
1969 04A Van Nuys Z/28. Cortez Silver, Dark Blue interior, VE3, Z21, Z23, D55/U17, D80, flat hood.
Sold at Clippinger Chevrolet in Covina, CA.
AHRA Formula Stock at Lions Dragstrip, NHRA E/MP at Pomona Raceway

 

anything