Bridgehampton: Village Chevy 1969 Camaro RS/SS Z11 Conv Pace Car for Trans Am

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A 1969 Camaro RS/SS Z11 convertible was used as the official pace car for the Trans Am race held at Bridgehampton Race Circuit, Bridgehampton, New York on Sunday, June 22, 1969.  This Camaro Z11 features an Endura front bumper, Uniroyal Tiger Paw tires, and American Racing Equipment Daisy wheels & decals.  The car must have been provided by Village Chevrolet in Queens Village, N.Y. since their name is written in large letters above the rear wheels.  The race was won by George Follmer in his Bud Moore Mustang Boss 302. 

The following photos show the car parked in pit lane prior to the pace laps.  They came from the Revs Institute Digital Library.  Click on the following links to use their magnification tools.

#1: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=155533&collection=p17257coll1
#2: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=145261&collection=p17257coll1
#3: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=159968&collection=p17257coll1

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I believe this is an ad for the type of wheels that are on the Camaro.

I found it here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/magnesium-200-s-daisy-coke-bottle-wheels.1100292/page-2

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Here you can see the Camaro official pace car leading the Trans Am field on the pace lap.  Notice the body colored Endura front bumper.

Click on the link to use the magnification tools here: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=588413&collection=p17257coll1

[SMKZ28]

In the first & second photos you can just see the back end of the Camaro official pace car as it heads into pit lane just prior to the Trans Am field receiving the green flag to start the race.  Jon Mello posted it in the 1969 Trans Am season review thread in the Trans Am section of this web site (CRG).

The third & fourth photos show the Camaro in pit lane as the back of the field flies by at race speed.  See it at the very top left of the photo.  Click on the following link to use the magnification tools: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=139541&collection=p17257coll1

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A 1969 Shelby GT500 convertible was used as a press car for the event.  Notice the front end of the Camaro official pace car just behind the Shelby in the first photo. 

Click on the links to use the magnification tools

#1: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=169236&collection=p17257coll1
#2: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=174792&collection=p17257coll1

[SMKZ28]

Village Chevrolet, the dealership that provided the Camaro, had an advertising billboard placed in pit lane.  You can see it above the Firebird.   Notice that it promotes the "Z-28 CAMARO," "427 CAMARO" and "S/S CAMARO"  It also has two "CHEVROLET SPORTS DEPARTMENT" logos on it.

Click on the link to use the magnification tools: https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=359862&collection=p17257coll1

[SMKZ28]

Here are two 1969 Village Chevrolet advertisements.

I found them here: https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1223617

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Photos of the actual Village Chevrolet dealership building.  Although they obviously are from an earlier time, I believe the building looked the same in 1969. 

If anyone owns a 1969 Camaro RS/SS Z11 convertible with an Endura front bumper that they know came from this particular dealership, their car might actually be the one that was used as an official pace car at Bridgehampton Race Circuit in 1969!  How cool is that!

1) ebay
2) https://queensmodern.com/project/village-chevrolet-co-inc/
3) https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1223617

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Large Camaro and Corvette advertising billboards were placed on the sides of one of the large buildings across from pit lane during the Trans Am race at Bridgehampton Race Circuit in 1969.

Click on the link to use the magnification tools

1/2): https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=136322&collection=p17257coll1
3/4): https://library.revsinstitute.org/digital/custom/single-image?id=138091&collection=p17257coll1

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View from pit lane showing building with Chevy Billboards across the race track.

racingsportscars.com

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Souvenir Event Program Cover came from racingsportscars.com
Event Dash Plaque came from worthpoint.com