2nd Generation Camaro Pace Cars!!!!!

[ScottZ28]

While searching ebay the other day for "Camaro Photos" I came across a picture of a 2nd generation Camaro that was the Pace Car for the 1971 Schaefer 500 at Pocono International Raceway, which was a 500 mile USAC Indycar race won by Mark Donohue in a Penske McLaren on July 3rd. This was the first race ever held at Pocono. I had never seen this picture before so I decided to do some more research on the internet and I found a couple of more pics and a documentary of the actual race showing a white Pace Car Camaro RS (SS?). I think the 3 pictures are actually festival cars used by track officials because the Pace Car in the documentary has a rear spoiler where as neither of the cars in the pictures have one. The first picture is a standard Camaro with wheel covers that would not have been used to pace a race because of the possibility that they might come off. The 2nd picture looks to be an RS (SS?) with Rally Wheels but it seems like it is painted a darker color, not white like the Pace Car in the film of the race. You can see a documentary of this race at the following two links: and . In the first link the White Camaro can be seen briefly at 3:28, 6:07. The first pace lap shows the Camaro from 6:47 to 7:56 and during the first caution at 10:00 to 10:23. In the 2nd link you can see the Camaro during a caution from 4:39 to 5:07. The 2nd & 3rd pics came from: http://herecomesfleckey2.com/dickfleck_com/3.html.

While searching for info on the 1971 Camaro Pace Car I came across a couple other 2nd Generation Camaro Pace Cars.

The next set of pictures shows an orange 1980 Camaro Z28 that was the Pace Car for the Miller High Life 150 Indy car race at Phoenix International Raceway on October 20, 1979. The car was recently auctioned at Russo and Steele: http://www.russoandsteele.com/collec...Pace-Car/17291

In addition, the PPG CART Indycar series used a modified 1980 Camaro Z28 to pace their races during the 1980/1981 series. The following is a quote from the 1981 book "Camaro! From Challenger to Champion" by Gary L. Witzenburg. He states on page 154 that, "one of the most striking modified Camaros of recent years was PPG Industries' Z-28 "Cheverra," the official Pace Car at all 1980 CART Indy-car races. Besides its gorgeous two-tone burgundy and beige paint job--in experimental lacquer developed by PPG's Automotive Finishes Group--it featured a huge IROC look front air dam, a "whale-tail" spoiler, beefed suspension and a 400 hp, 355 cubic-inch V-8 engine for the 100-plus mph speeds required of the Pace Car. It also paced CART's opening 1981 event at Phoenix International Raceway, where it was fitted with special TV viewers, and then remained in the PPG pace-car lineup through 1981. The name, of course, is a derivation of "Chevrolet" and Porsche' most revered performance label, "Carrera."

I also came across a 1978 Camaro Z28 that was pacing a Super Vee race at the Phoenix International Raceway on March 18, 1978. It is shown in a documentary that can be seen here: . The dark colored Camaro Z28 Pace Car can be seen from 5:13 to 5:58 and 8:04 to 8:06.

If anyone has any pics of the proceeding Camaro Pace Cars or knows about any other 2nd Generation Camaro Pace Cars please post a response. I'm going to keep researching to see if any more paced races between 1970 and 1981. Enjoy!

[73camarolt]

Wow awesome info! I never knew they had 2nd gen pace cars

[ScottZ28]

Originally Posted by 73camarolt

Wow awesome info! I never knew they had 2nd gen pace cars

Me neither, that's why I was so excited when I found these pics.

[73camarolt]

Originally Posted by ScottZ28

Me neither, that's why I was so excited when I found these pics.

I'd love to know what happened to those early 2nd gen pace cars

[ScottZ28]

Originally Posted by 73camarolt

I'd love to know what happened to those early 2nd gen pace cars

I posted a link to this thread on nastyz28.com which is the forum for 2nd generation Camaros and maybe someone there will know what happened to them.

[ScottZ28]

I found another picture of a 2nd generation Camaro Pace Car. It's a 1979 Camaro Z28 that paced the first ever CART Champ Car race on March 11, 1979 at Phoenix International Raceway. The race was called the Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 and it was won by Gordon John****. I found the picture on pages 38/39 of my 2002 CART Grand Prix of Chicago program in a section talking about the history of CART Champ Car racing. Notice how the front spoiler is damaged. This is a different car than the orange 1980 Camaro Z28that paced the CART race at the same track in the fall of the same year.

[Zspoiler]

My 1979 Z-28 RS Camaro Pro-Touring Car resemble those pace cars.And I remember those Car Magazine articles And helped to inspired me to build my own version.