March 1991, MuscleCars magazine 197O LIME ROCK TRANS-AM RE-CREATION Going back in time is a fun! BY PETER SESSLER Photos: Peter Sessler, James Resnick ----------------------- The Boss 302 at top was driven by Parnelli Jones in 1970; Dale Sale brought it home second in the re-creation. Just prior to the race (above), the cars line up on the "false grid". ----------------------- At first glance, Trans-Am racing today doesn’t seem much different from Trans-Am racing 20 years ago. It’s still a slugfest between the major auto manufacturers. Yes, the cars look different; that’s to be expected. But, there are other changes. The Trans-Am cars of today deviate considerably from their production counterparts. The tags may read Oldsmobile, Beretta or Mustang, but under the skin they are pure race car. The Oldsmobile and Beretta', for example, are rear-wheel drive, unlike their production counterparts, which are front-wheel drive. Today, there is considerably more latitude when it comes to body modifications. If you took away the stripes and graphics, the old Trans-Am racers looked like the production cars you could buy at your local dealer. Not so today. For the uninitiated, the Trans-Am Series began in 1966 under the auspices of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Competing cars were grouped in two classes: those with engines under 2 liters (120 cubic inches) and those between 2 and 5 liters (302 cubic inches). In 1966, there were only three different models competing in the under-5-liter class: Dodge’s Dart, Plymouth’s Baraccuda and Ford’s Mustang. The Ford won the series. The first race, though, was won by a factory-sponsored Dodge Dart. In the series’ second year, a Dart once again won the opening race (thereby accounting for the only two wins that Chrysler cars ever earned in the series). But again, Ford dominated the series with the Mercury Cougar and Mustang (which again won the series). Chevrolet announced in early 1967 that it was producing a special Camaro model for competition in the Series. This, of course, was the famous Z/28. Although the Camaro earned three wins in 1967, it ended that season winning the last two races, foreshadowing what was to come in 1968. Competition between the Mustang and Camaro was heated, to say the very least. The Z/28, driven by Mark Donohue, won eight of the nine Trans-Am races in 1968. The Mustang grabbed only one victory, the season opener at Daytona. Throughout the year, the Mustang teams would be plagued by engine, suspension and driveline problems. Determined to recapture the Trans-Am crown, Ford developed its own Z/28 for 1969-the Boss 302 Mustang. The Mustangs were quick, but once again, the Roger Penske Z/28 Camaros won the series, winning eight of the 12 contests. The 1970 series proved to be a high point. Ford was still alive with the Boss 302 Mustangs, but in 1970, Chrysler rejoined the series with two cars-the AAR ’Cuda and the Challenger T/A. Pontiac had the Trans Am Firebird, but the biggest change in the series was the defection of Roger Penske and Mark Donohue to the AMC Javelin. Taking their places in the Chevrolet camp was Jim Hall of Chaparral fame. The Chrysler cars were strong, but like the newly redesigned 1970 Camaro, they lacked development time and often broke on the track. In the end, the Mustang won the series, winning six races to Javelin’s three. The Camaro managed to take two victories, while the best the Chryslers could manage was several second-place finishes. ------------------------------------ Eventually, the Javelin retired with a blown engine. ------------------------------------ The Chapparal Camaro at speed. ------------------------------------ The Sunoco Javelin was a strong competitor in both 1970 and 1990. ------------------------------------ The first Penske/Donohue Camaro, a 1967 Z/28, looked better than ever. ------------------------------------ It was an exciting year, with all four domestic manufacturers competing head-to-head on the track. Although most of the same cars would compete again in 1971, it wasn’t the same. Ford, Chrysler, Chevrolet and Pontiac withdrew their support, with only the Penske Javelins (which won the series) receiving factory backing. With factory support, you can afford to blow engines and push cars to their limits. Not so when you’re bankrolling the operation yourself. Just as interest in musclecars has blossomed during the past few years, race cars, too, have become more popular. It’s nice to see these cars at shows, but wouldn’t it be great to see them on the track again? Based on that premise, the major sanctioning bodies-SVRA (Sportscar Vintage Racing Association) and VARA (Vintage Auto Racing Association)-have been promoting races at various tracks around the country since the mid-1970s. As you might expect, it is not a free-for-all. Entrants are grouped to compete with similar cars, but some classes may overlap if there aren’t enough competitors. Because most of these ex-race cars have a significant history (and thus great value), the races are not long, usually 20-30 miles. Even so, their owners don’t pussyfoot them around the track. These hot shots run within one or two seconds (and sometimes faster) of their times 20 years ago! ------------------------------------ 1970 LIME ROCK TRANS-AM RESULTS Position Driver/Car 1- Parnelli lanes/Boss 302 Mustang 2- Ed Leslie/Camaro 3- Sam Posey/Dodge Challenger 4- Jim Hail/Camaro 5- Paul Nichter/Camaro 6- Vince Gimond/Camaro 7- Warren Agor/Camaro 8- Craig Fisher/Firebird 9- Dick Young/Camaro 10- Gerald robinson/Barracuda 1990 LIME ROCK TRANS-AM RE-CREATION RESULTS Position Driver/Car 1- Sam Posey/Boss 302 Mustang 2- Dale Sale/Boss 302 Mustang 3- Patrick Ryan/1967 Camaro 4- Terry Bookheimer/Boss 302 Mustang 5- Michael Sedlak/Boss 302 Mustang 6- Bob Grossman/Plymouth Barracuda 7- Samuel White/1968 Camaro 8- Jack Boxstrom/1968 Camaro 9- A. Ross Myers/1966 Mustang 10- Ed Mueller/1967 Camaro ------------------------------------ Rules and regulations After you’ve seen such a race, you may think it’s fun (which it is), and that it wouldn’t be very hard or expensive to buy a Mustang or a Camaro to modify and race. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. SVRA or VARA will allow only cars that actually competed and have a verified race history. And the cars must be restored to the condition they were originally raced in, which means any updated bodywork (airdams, huge flares, etc.) must come off. Cars must also be updated when it comes to safety equipment (such as fuel cells and fire extinguishing equipment). The drivers, too, must show they can handle the car on the track, and are usually required to take courses at an acceptable drivers’ school. With all this in mind, it was decided to try to recreate the Lime Rock 1970 Trans-Am race during Lime Rock’s annual Vintage Fall Festival, Aug. 30-Sept. 3, 1990. Lime Rock is located in the northwest corner of Connecticut and the circuit has a long road-racing history. A great effort was made to have as many of the original cars as possible come to Lime Rock and race again. The original.1970 race was 146 laps on the 1.53-mile circuit. But as with other vintage races, the 1970 recreation was limited to just 15 laps. The original race was won by Parnelli Jones driving a Bud Moore-prepared Boss 302 Mustang. Second, at more than a lap behind, was Ed Leslie driving the Jim Hall Camaro. The Sam Posey-driven Dodge Challenger was two laps behind second. Interestingly, it was Mark Donohue driving the Sunoco Javelin who qualified the fastest, but he was forced to drop out at lap 72 with no oil pressure. Jones took the lead from the beginning and never relinquished it. ---------------------------------- At the end of the straightaway, it is sometimes a game of chicken – who’ll brake first, letting the other car pass. ---------------------------------- Seems like old times In the re-creation of the race, the results were not much different from those in 1970. The winning Mustang was driven by Sam Posey, while Dale Sale, driving one of the original Bud Moore Mustangs, came in second. Patrick Ryan, driving the Chapparal Camaro, came in third. The Plymouth Barracuda managed a sixth-place finish while the Javelin, which ran strongly in the beginning, finished in 26th position. It was amazing that it ran as well as it did, considering the amount of blue smoke coming from the engine. It was obvious the engine needed a rebuild before the race began. I saw several of the original Trans-Am races and seeing the cars again at Lime Rock was just great. The sounds, the sights and the excitement were all the same as they were 20 years ago. It was as though I was given an opportunity to travel back in time. In doing so, I didn’t really care who won, but just felt lucky to be there. If you live near a road race circuit, don’t miss the opportunity to see these old racers compete once again. As they say, you’ll be glad you did!