Todco and McConnell Racing, Canadian Trans-Am racers

[Jon Mello]

Thanks for the link and letting us know about the current state of the car. Some larger photos of the car can be seen here...

http://www.burn-out.ca/content/chevrolet-camaro-ss-1967-par-ksp-productions-0?size=grand

[69Z28freak]

Here is a recent picture of Ken 's car as of last year.The car is being stripped and rebuilt for the track (Vintage trans-am)All of the original front sheet metal that Ken had from
Smokey is still intact and on the car.
Check at this link.
http://www.burn-out.ca/sites/default/files/images/IMG_0925_0.mini%20galerie%2075x75.jpg

Norm

Wow what a great history on this car. I still can't believe it was the same car I saw back in the late 70's. Very cool.

[Jon Mello]

photo: Dwight Brainerd Collection

In the words of Ken Ulrich...

     "The Camaro (in the photo above) is the first Todco road race car. Derek Johnson is driving. It was built in 1968 and was dark green and yellow. It was bought as a used car by John Todds already in those colors when acquired. I do not remember it being a Z car or being a repaint. The first race it was in was after many all nighters and before it even had a wheel alignment. I was not an employee of Todco when this all began but hung around there lunch hours and after hours from my normal job as a draftsman. My best friend Peter Darlington, and Lee Michelson were the mechanics at Todco which was a HP garage working on muscle cars and club race cars at that time. Dwight Brainerd was a customer and friend of John, as were Derek Johnson and Ken Hall.

     JT wanted to beat Gagnon Spring in club races and I think things just started to fall into place when the Camaro became available. Derek needed a ride, John had some young guys like me hanging around helping for free just to be involved, and JT was talented and ambitious.

     I started extending my lunch hours everyday at Todco to weld the roll cage in the Camaro and getting to my real job late every afternoon until they fired me. I went back to Todco to get advice on telling my parents about what happened and JT hired me.

     Don Duncan purchased this car from JT and raced it in club races.  It was rolled end over end in '69 or '70, repaired elsewhere, and sold."

[Trans Åm]

Found pictures just now of what is my favorite (favourite?) looking T/A car ever in use, love the color scheme. But could never find any pictures. "Roll bar leans forward at top" in Ken Ulrichs words in the second post or so.

I think they are the same car


https://revslib.stanford.edu/catalog/js599pf0649

https://revslib.stanford.edu/catalog/qs405qy4216

[1109RWHP]

[1109RWHP]

[Trans Åm]

Thank you for doing that, I actually forgot you could go to another page and use that image link. I'll do that from now on.

[1109RWHP]

When you hit "reply" and the dialogue box appears click on the icon second from the top all the way to the left. If you hover over it is reads "insert image". Just copy/paste the picture you want to post in the middle of the brackets and hit post.

[kgu]

With reference to reply  # 63-65 : I believe that the color on #7 was the same paint formula as my street Camaro (dark metallic blue) but without the metal flake in it causing it to have a purplish hue. Someone please correct me if I am wrong about that. The rollcage, grill, and wheels were all done on the road between races with rattle can red. This car was the 2nd car Todco built in 1969 and driven by Craig Fisher.
                                    Ken Ulrich

[VINCE Z28]

Ken you said the roll bar on the 69 leans forward at the top.... something like this?

[kgu]

      The top of the roll bar is in same forward position but the legs of the Todco roll bars are straight and welded to floor close to side of car. The whole Todco roll bar leans forward and has only two bends in it.

[Jon Mello]

Here's a brief 1970 Todco press release, courtesy of Ken Ulrich.


Ken Ulrich Collection

[Trans Åm]

Pontiac might have been a threat if they could have gotten that darn Ram Air V ironed out...


[disgruntled Pontiac fan, coming to you here...]

[Jon Mello]

Photo of (L to R) Derek Johnson, John Todds and Dwight Brainerd after a win with the original '67 Todco Camaro.


Dwight Brainerd Collection

[kgu]

     Great photo Dwight, and not one I remember ever having seen before. A lot of late nights and all nighters to build and prepare the car.  Those were great times when we started to gel as a team.   
And "DUCHESNE",  that rings a bell, I am pretty sure he was the used car dealer where JT acquired the Camaro.