Riverside: 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 Conv. Pace Car USAC Rex Mays 300 Indycar 1968

[SMKZ28]

A week after appearing during the ARRC at Riverside, the white 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible was used as the pace car for the Rex Mays 300 event held at Riverside International Raceway on Sunday, December 1, 1968.  This was the last race of the 1968 USAC Championship Trail (Indycars) and it was won by Dan Gurney from the pole.

Color pictures:
1) www.worthpoint.com
2) cropped version of #1
3) www.ebay.com
4) cropped version of #3

[SMKZ28]

Notice the placement of the license plate in these pictures.

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These photos of the Camaro on the pace lap came from the Petersen Automotive Museum Digitization Project: https://archive.petersen.org

[SMKZ28]

These pictures show the car in pit lane.  Notice the car in between drivers Jerry Titus and Mario Andretti.  They can also be found here: https://archive.petersen.org

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These 4 small photos came from the Dave Friedman Collection.  They are no longer available on the internet.  I downloaded them many years ago.

[SMKZ28]

There is some cool color footage of the event that originally aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports.  In it you can see ABC announcer Jim McKay riding in the back of the 1969 Camaro RS/SS 396 convertible pace car during the pace laps.  From the back seat of the speeding Camaro, McKay announces the lineup for the race as the camera man shows the field behind them.

See the pace lap from 1:20 to 2:43 here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljmfIhrSRdA

[SMKZ28]

1) Souvenir Event Program cover: https://mgb1967.com/1968-rex-mays-300/
2) Event poster: https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0116-236911/rex-mays-300-poster-riverside-december-1/
3) Event ticket: https://mgb1967.com/1968-rex-mays-300/

[ZLP955]

Great photos. Wonder why the front license plate was mounted on the driver's side bumper and not on the factory plate frame.....