Riverside Int. Raceway: 1968 Camaro RS/SS Convert. Pace Car for NASCAR Jan. 1968

[SMKZ28]

A 1968 Camaro RS/SS Convertible was used as the pace car for both the Permatex 100 and Motor Trend 500 NASCAR race events held at Riverside International Raceway in Riverside, California in January 1968.  This car looks to have been painted Tripoli Turquoise with a white nose stripe and white lettering on the doors and front fenders.  The wheels look to have been aftermarket, chromed Krager SS wheels shod with red wall tires.  While I'm not positive, one of the color pictures seems to show that it had a black rear tail panel suggesting that it was an SS 396.

The Permatex 100 was a 100 mile NASCAR Late Model Sportsmen race held on Saturday, January 20, 1968. This was a supporting race that featured older stock cars.  It took place the day before the main event.  It was won by Jerry Titus in a 1960 Ford.

Permatex 100 photos:

1) https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/permatex-100-riverside-nascar-the-chevrolet-camaro-pace-car-news-photo/163091557
2) Notice the drivers side headlight door has opened!  https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/permatex-100-riverside-nascar-the-race-field-files-in-news-photo/163091633
3) https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/permatex-100-riverside-cars-sit-parked-lined-up-on-the-news-photo/163091594
4) cropped version of the above photo

[SMKZ28]

This amateur movie footage of the 1968 Permatex 100 demonstrates that a completely different Camaro was used to control the race cars during a caution period.  A 1968 Camaro RS/SS coupe was used instead of the convertible that had paced the start of the race.  This car appears to also be a blue SS 396.  It wears Rally Wheels and a rear spoiler.

See the Camaro coupe pace car at 3:22 in the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVJnYnNW0c8

[SMKZ28]

I found one other picture of the Camaro convertible pacing the Permatex 100 at the Peterson Auto Museum SEMA digitization project web site: https://archive.petersen.org/pages/home.php

[SMKZ28]

The 1968 Camaro RS/SS convertible also paced the Motor Trend 500 on Sunday, January 21, 1968.  Dan Gurney was victorious in this 500 mile NASCAR Grand National event in his Wood Brothers Ford.

Motor Trend 500 photos:

1) See a larger version of this photo here: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/motor-trend-500-riverside-nascar-the-official-pace-car-for-news-photo/163091690
2) Event Program Cover: www.worthpoint.com
3) Camaro/Corvette advertisement inside Event Program
4) Ticket Stub: www.worthpoint.com

[SMKZ28]

More than 5 years ago I found color footage of the 1968 Motor Trend 500 on a web site that no longer exists.  I took digital photos of the Camaro while watching that footage.  They appear here.

[SMKZ28]

Here are four more from that lost web site.

[SMKZ28]

Here is a picture of a 1968 Camaro sitting inside Century Chevrolet with a placard on its window that states "Camaro...Official Pace Car Motor Trend Riverside 500 January 21" From the looks of the license plate surround this dealer was in Inglewood, California.  That's approximately 70 miles away from Riverside. 

I found this at www.annualmobiles.blogspot.com  This is a collection of "Automobilia frozen in time courtesy of your high school yearbook."

[SMKZ28]

Check out this article on the 1968 Camaro SS 396 convertible pace car located inside of the souvenir program for this event.  It mentions that "the Raceway recently took delivery of five spanking new Chevrolet Camaros..."  It goes on to say that "the cars are all the same shade of Corvette Blue and they're all equipped the same; 396 cid porcupine mills, the Chevrolet hydro-type trans, handling kits and disc brakes."

Notice that the door decal/stickers differ in this picture from the ones that are on the car during the actual race weekend.

posted by Bruce Ward at the Remembering Riverside Facebook page