Author Topic: 1966-1972 Trans-Am race memorabilia [dash plaques, patches, passes, etc]  (Read 132121 times)

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Scott,  Here's my understanding of it. If I'm wrong, maybe somebody will correct me. In '67 they took the manufacturer's claimed dry weight of the car and allowed a 350lb reduction from that claimed weight, so with a stated F.I.A weight of 2,640lbs, I would gather that Chevy must have claimed a base Camaro dry weight of 2,990lbs. For 1968, the rules were changed to get away from arbitrary dry weights claimed by the various factories involved and established a flat dry weight of 2,800lbs for all over-2 liter Trans-Am cars. For '69, they bumped that weight up to 2,900lbs and I believe in 1970, they moved it up to 3,200lbs dry or 3,400lbs ready-to-race. I believe it stayed at that weight through the '72 season.
Jon Mello
CRG

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Patches from Road America that I got in my youth. Really great track, about 4 miles long,
in the picturesque rural setting of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Jon Mello
CRG

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Jon Mello
CRG

PURESS

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 225
    • View Profile
Thanks John

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Copy of newspaper ad in the '67 Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Jon Mello
CRG

Sixteen Grand Sedan #56

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 75
    • View Profile
I was wondering if they raced "Cameros" ::) back then as well---Guess so.
Robert Lodewyk

oldtransamdriver

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 362
    • View Profile
I happened to attend that race - was on my way to Laguna and Riverside for the Can-Am races and stopped in at Stardust for the Trans-Am.  My friend and I had obtained press passes from the Canadian Wheelspin News racing paper, so I had an official job (non-paying) to write  race reports  There were 5 "cameros" in the race including the winner Donohue.

Later we would head up the West coast to Vancouver and stopped in to see the Kent Trans-Am race.

I was actually on a scouting trip to see if I might like to move to CA but was too late - all the immigration rules had recently changed for Canadians.

Robert Barg

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Don't tell me, you left your camera at home on that trip, didn't you?!  :D
Jon Mello
CRG

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
1967 Penske Racing advertisement.


Photo: Jon Mello Collection
Jon Mello
CRG

cuda48

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 82
    • View Profile
Jon,
That last piece of art work looks a lot like Dave Deals' but I don't see his trademark signature.  Dave did the MG mittens adds in the old sports car magazines, designed some models kits and most recently helped Pixar with the designs for the cars in the movie 'CARS".  Dave sadly passed away last year.  There is a website for his work if you google it.

Mike Camicia

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Mike, I'm not sure that's his artwork or not. Similar is some ways and not in others.
Jon Mello
CRG

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Heuer was one of the preferred time keeping pieces for timing race laps back in this era. As TAG/Heuer today, they
are still a premier watch and stopwatch company. Shortly after the Camaro was introduced, Heuer came out with a
watch bearing the Camaro name, with built-in stopwatch capability. They were available in 2 and 3-dial configuration.
Roger Penske bought engraved Heuer Camaro watches for all members of his race team after winning the '68 Trans-Am
championship. Heuer Camaros are collector watches today with a very accurate Valjoux movement.





http://classicheuers.blogspot.com/2009/07/heuer-camaro-ref-73445.html
Jon Mello
CRG

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
From the 1971 Watkins Glen Trans-Am...

Jon Mello
CRG

cuda48

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 82
    • View Profile
Jon,
Is all this Vintage Trans Am stuff from your personal collection? 

Mike Camicia

Jon Mello

  • CRG Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4413
    • View Profile
Mike, most of it is but not all. The Riverside poster was not mine and the Watkins Glen dash plaque is not mine. Anything else posted by me, is mine.
Jon Mello
CRG