Model Specific Discussions > Trans-Am Camaros
Tracks of the '66-'72 SCCA Trans-Am series
Jon Mello:
Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI began hosting Trans-Am events beginning with the 1970 season. I was in attendance at all the Trans-Am races at this track from 1970-1974 and it was one of the premier tracks in that series. Very picturesque setting and very challenging high-speed 4-mile track.
Jon Mello:
Riverside Raceway in Riverside, CA was a challenging course that was a home track for some of the most competitive drivers that raced in the Trans-Am series. Those names would include Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Jerry Titus and George Follmer. There was a Riverside Trans-Am every year until 1972 when it was cancelled due to George Follmer wrapping up the championship (for himself and for the AMC Javelin) just after midway through the year.
Riverside's turn 1
Jon Mello:
Laguna Seca near Monterey, CA has been famous for many years and especially for the Historic Race Festival that takes place there every August. Only two Trans-Am races were run there for the big-bore Pony cars in the '66-'72 timeframe. That would be the August 24, 1969 race won by Mark Donohue and the April 19, 1970 race won by Parnelli Jones. Interestingly, both drivers who won at Laguna Seca also won the championship for their manufacturer that year. This track is world famous for its challenging "corkscrew" turn 6 and 6A and it also has some interesting elevation changes. The layout of the track has been changed nowadays and this was done to lure the World Superbikes there. I think the original layout was not long enough to fit World Superbike criteria.
Here's a map showing the current layout of the track.
A fast lap around Laguna Seca with Mark Donohue (1970)
oldtransamdriver:
Thanks Jon, for posting these layouts. Unfortunately I never got to race at RA in those early T/A days - the track was just too far away for us to get back in time for work on Mon. AM and our budget was usually depleted by the time the race was held. I have spectated there many times starting in the early sixties. The town of Elkhart Lake is a neat resort town close to the track. I was last there in 05 I think when they had the big group 6 crash on Sunday during the Kohler vintage wknd.
I did get to Laguna but not until the 80 T/A race in the first ex Dick Hoffman 71T/A camaro. It was that original layout that Jon has posted. I remember some transmission shifting problems in practise and only got a few practise laps in. As a result qualified way back and got involved in a big crash that ended our day. I remember a very challenging and very fast layout. The crash also meant we couldn't race at Riverside the next wknd so I missed out there, although Dick Hoffman drove the 67 camaro at the 69 T/A race. He was the "camera car" that you have seen a photo of.
Robert Barg
Jon Mello:
You're welcome, Robert. I'll post many more and hope to get them all on here eventually. Thanks for some additional backstory to your driving career. I haven't been to RA since 1979 and it's different now with much more cement and catch fencing but it sure would have been nice to go back there this year since the Historic Trans-Am cars will be there in July. Just doesn't fit into this years plans unfortunately.
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