Author Topic: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car  (Read 169391 times)

oldtransamdriver

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #15 on: November 04, 2011, 03:37:53 AM »
oops, I made a typo - I meant to say A sedan phased out in 78 but I was apparently wrong on that date.

Ron, I ran one race at Waterford Hills in 67 in a 998 mini - great track for a small bore car.  It happened to be on the same wknd. as the Detroit riots - on the way home we wondered what all the smoke plumes were coming out of downtown Detroit as we headed to either the bridge or the tunnel.

My engine guy Brian also brought his 327 4 dr . biscayne that weekend and we checked out Woodward Ave.  Brian was badly outgunned with his puny 275 hp biscayne that he used to drag race I think in something like H stock.

Robert Barg

wrongwayron

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #16 on: November 04, 2011, 08:34:39 AM »
Great story, Robert!
Mine was free tickets to a Red Sox game and a "friend" in the office on Cape Cod (who lived in Boston) sent me through Roxbury to get Fenway the day after the riots.

S A Dunbar

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #17 on: November 04, 2011, 03:01:10 PM »
A Sedan was phased out at the conclusion of the 1979 racing season.   My father, who had raced in A Sedan since 1974, was the first GT1 National Champion in 1980 in his 1969 Camaro...  In 1980, the GT1 class consisted of former A Sedan class cars.  

In 1981, B Production was combined into the GT1 class - making GT1 a combination of the former A Sedan and the former B Production cars.  My father finished 3rd in the 1981 GT1 National Championship runoffs in his 1969 Camaro.

My father won the June Sprints in A Sedan in 1977 and 1979, and won the June Sprints in GT1 in 1981, all in his 1969 Camaro.  He had previously won the June Sprints in B Production in 1968 and 1969 in his 1963 Corvette. 

He finished 2nd in the June Sprints in B Production in 1970 (1963 Corvette), in 1971 (1963 Corvette), in 1973 (1968 Corvette), in A Sedan in 1978 (1969 Camaro), in GT1 in 1988 (1987 Pontiac Firebird), in 1989 (1987 Pontiac Firebird)   

He finished 3rd in the June Sprints in B Modified in 1960 (Edwards Special), in B Production in 1972 (1963 Corvette), in GT1 in 1983 (1969 Camaro), in 1992 (1991 Camaro).

All together, he raced in 45 June Sprints races...


The current A Sedan class bears no relation to the original A Sedan class.  Completely different rules apply to the current class...
« Last Edit: November 04, 2011, 03:31:15 PM by S A Dunbar »

oldtransamdriver

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #18 on: December 24, 2011, 07:20:49 PM »
Ok you guys, if you want to play with the west coast boys, the 1969 ex Jerry Petersen T/A camaro is on ebay for a cool "buy it now" of only $132,600!  Lance Smith is the current owner.

Jerry was one of the guys I got to know a bit at the track  - a lawyer guy from the Cleveland area. I qualified one spot ahead of him at the 72 WG race but had a dnf - to this day I can't remember why!

Robert Barg

Jon Mello

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #19 on: December 24, 2011, 08:36:15 PM »
Thanks for posting that, Robert.

Clicking here will take you directly to the auction.

Here are some vintage photos of the Jerry Petersen car...


Lance Smith Collection


Lance Smith Collection


Lance Smith Collection


Lance Smith Collection

For more information, Contact: Lance Smith, San Diego, CA
215-880-7622, 619-523-2009 shop
racerods@yahoo.com

UPDATE: LOOKS LIKE IT SOLD FOR $110K
« Last Edit: January 06, 2012, 02:24:00 PM by Jon Mello »
Jon Mello
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oldtransamdriver

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #20 on: December 26, 2011, 08:52:58 AM »
Nice photos of Jerry's car - you can see the MH he used to come to the track with - not too many of them in the paddock in those days.  Looks like the photos were taken at Watkins Glen.  The crowds were getting sparse in 72 as the factories were gone, although still lots of privateer guys.

Just realized I quoted the auction price in Canadian dollars, as that is what comes thru in my thread, since I'm north of the border.

Al Richards (my car owner) just advised me that he remembers we had oil pump problems that resulted in engine failure at the Glen.  That was the last race for the old 67 camaro.  Al retired the car and it was sold to a stock car guy who went oval racing with it.

At about the same time, Rick Stevens and I purchased the ex Alfie Ruys de Perez 69 T/A camaro and went IMSA Camel GT racing.

Robert Barg

69Z28-RS

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #21 on: December 28, 2011, 06:03:19 AM »
Robert,

Do you recall Bob Christiansen's '69 Z28..  also raced in the Camet GT series (gray/black car wtih R.A.C.E.  for Robert A Christianson Enterprises on it?   He was an independent racer from the Huntsville, AL area (an engineer for IBM in those days?)...
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
72 El Camino, '55-'56-'57 Nomads, '55-'57 B/A Sedan

oldtransamdriver

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #22 on: December 29, 2011, 02:16:10 AM »
I remember the name but we only did 3 Camel Gt's in 72, so did not meet him.  Rick later did 1 or 2 of those races in his 1293 Cooper S at Talledega.

Is that car alive somewhere?

Robert Barg

69Z28-RS

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #23 on: December 29, 2011, 03:31:40 AM »
Bob raced that 69 Z28 car in Camel GT until it was too old (I don't recall what year that was..  sometime in mid 70's?), then he upgraded to a 73 camaro, and sold the '69 to Ossie Delay in Atlanta area, who then sold it to Denny Rigdon (alpharetta), who sold it to someone in Chattanooga, TN around '79 or 80?.   I have been unable to track down the car after that...  as I don't have a name of the buyer in Chattanooga..
Bob was transferred to Lexington, KY by IBM, and now is retired in that area, but as of a year or two ago, he still had an amazing memory of the cars and the racing of that era.

Gary
09C 69Z28-RS, 72 B 720 cowl console rosewood tint
69 Corvette, '60 Corvette, '72 Corvette
90 ZR1 red/red #246, 90 ZR1 white/gray #2466
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Pickle

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #24 on: February 16, 2012, 12:10:03 AM »
I have decided to put my TA Camaro up for sale..something else followed me home and I just can't keep them all.  If anyone wanted to get involved with the BEST vintage racing group, you can't beat the HTA group.

Here's the link:

http://www.fantasyjunction.com/cars/1199-Chevrolet-Camaro%20SS/RS-302%20c.i.%208-Cylinder
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oldtransamdriver

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #26 on: February 16, 2012, 08:56:27 PM »
Lots of good parts and pieces, but where is the fuel cell? Can't race it without a cell unless some vintage groups allow it.

Robert Barg

Pickle

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #27 on: February 16, 2012, 09:37:26 PM »
Lots of good parts and pieces, but where is the fuel cell? Can't race it without a cell unless some vintage groups allow it.

Robert Barg

Fun car to open track, very nicely done, as always, by McGee (they maintain my car) but it's not going to get into any top tier events due to it's lack of period history...and fuel cell.
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naparsei

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #28 on: February 16, 2012, 09:38:28 PM »
Robert,
Anything you recall about racing with Petersen would be great. I bought the car from Lance, and hope to have it out at the PreReunion/Reunion as well as Coronado this year.
Thanks,
Alex

oldtransamdriver

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Re: For All of You That Want to Own A Trans Am Race Car
« Reply #29 on: February 17, 2012, 04:32:44 AM »
Hi Alex,

Jerry is a lawyer in the Cleveland area and you can probably find him thru Google.  I did speak to him briefly a few years ago but did not keep his number.

He was one of those guys who we met in the paddock and had some rapport with.  When you go to the track you are busy doing your own thing, so you don't get to meet everyone.  He had a motorhome which was not common in those days, especially for a privateer guy.

Robert Barg

 

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