The Sports Car Club of America was the governing body for some of the most memorable racing venues in North America. From F5000 to the Canadian-American Cup (Can-Am) the S.C.C.A, was a key place to race or be a happy spectator. One the favorite venues was the Trans America Championship or Trans-Am. The cars were sedans and coupes that everyone would recognize driving down their own street, at least from the outside. Underneath the bodies was pure racing machines. Cashing in on the pony-car craze, the Trans-Am series was the place to watch the classic Mustangs, Camaros, Firebirds, Barracudas and Challengers battle it out on road courses across the country. Auto World has captured the series in the latest Thunderjet Release #32 (SC362). Continuing the momentum from the previous T/A releases, this group has some of the big names and historic liveries that led the pace when that series jumped to life in the 1960’s and on through the next several years.
SC 362 #1 1968 Chevrolet Camaro – Sunoco – Mark Donohue
The 1968 Trans Am Camaro prepared by Penske Racing gave Mark Donohue another “Unfair Advantage” over his other Trans Am rivals. Although the Camaro looked like a street ready car, it was anything but that. Traco Engineering built the 302 cubic inch motor to an impressive 420 horse power. Fed by an experimental cross ram, dual four barrel intake, it even had a unique quick fill, pressurized oil filler that dramatically shortened pit stops. The body was acid dipped and lightened, including a slick air feed system of drilled holed throughout the lower sections of the side panels and doors. The concept allowed air to pass through the front fenders, through the doors and out the rear fenders to reduce drag. Although never proven, it may have created down-force, or even cooling for the braking system. The 1968 Sunoco Camaro was truly a piece of automotive racing art.
SC 362 #2 1970 Plymouth Cuda – Swede Savage
Dodge and Plymouth jumped into Trans Am early on in 1966 with Cudas and Darts and then promptly dropped out of the series after the first season. Finally, in late 1969, they announced plans to get back in during the 1970 season. But alas, the Penta-star’s efforts looked promising but were half-hearted. They enlisted great drivers in Dan Gurney, Swede Savage and Sam Posey and even developed a variant of the potent 340 block, destroked to 304 cubes. It gave about 500 horse power at a high revving 8500 RPMs. But those were the high points. All American Racing never got much financial backing and even had requirements to drop one driver to save costs of prepping no more than two cars. Gurney left after the first races to pursue Can-Am with McLaren, leaving Swede Savage to make the Cudas look good. And he did! The Cuda had a series of mechanical woes, but when it held together it showed much promise. Savage managed to snag three pole positions and finished second at Road America. With a little more backing, Plymouth could have dominated the series in it’s final glory years.
SC 362 #3 1970 Chevrolet Camaro – Chaparral Racing
So you are the head of Chevrolet Racing, it’s 1970 and you just found out that Roger Penske is pulling up roots and leaving Chevy for AMC for the next Trans Am season…Who do you go to, to get your new, hot Camaro design for 1970 to the race track? Chevy only considered two options, Smokey Yunick and Jim Hall. With only six months to get the new Camaro race ready, Jim Hall and Chaparral Racing were given the task. Three Trans Am Camaros were built, numbers 1, 2 and 3 and raced for the 70 season. There were some serious contenders behind the wheel of these Camaros as well. Jim Hall himself drove the number 1 car, and Ed Leslie piloted the #2. Number 3 was the spare standing by if needed. Versatile Vic Elford and Joe Leonard also drove the #1 car with Vic Elford taking it to victory at Watkins Glen. Seeing Elford in the Camaro convinced Hall to put him in the seat of the Chaparral 2J as well (but that’s another story). The Camaro was a 304 cubic inch block, cranking out about 475 horsepower. The 1970 Chaparral Camaro finished third in the points that season with a total of 40, just behind the 59 of AMC’s Javelin and Ford’s 72 point winning total.
Below is the packaging for the newest Auto World release.
As with the previous releases in the Trans Am series, Auto World has done their homework and produced another hit series of cars to add to our stables. Capturing those historic liveries and getting another bit of racing nostalgia for all of our home raceways. Look for these to be in the local hobby stores or your favorite online vendor in June of 2021.
