CarTech® - The Cars of Trans-Am Racing: 1966-1972

The SCCA Trans-Am Racing Series launched in 1966 and was designed to showcase a new class of sporty domestic cars racing on road courses. Each major automotive manufacturer participated heavily in the Trans-Am Series, and in a few short years, it became the ultimate American automobile showdown. When the modified muscle cars of the series were seen performing well on the country's finest tracks, fans wanted a model of their own in the driveway. These "pony cars" boasted a new look and style not seen before, and their all-around performance eclipsed anything accomplished by production-based American GT cars up to that point.

This softcover edition of The Cars of Trans-Am Racing is unique in that it focuses on the cars used in this legendary series. These vintage Mustangs, Camaros, Challengers, Barracudas, Firebirds, Cougars, and Javelins all are extremely popular with collectors and enthusiasts today. Seeing them in their full-competition versions when they were new will bring back many fond memories for those who were fans of this series. In addition, enthusiasts who enjoy these cars today look to the Trans-Am Series cars for styling inspiration and performance hints as part of the growing Pro Touring trend.

Many of these historic cars have been restored to race-ready condition. Additional insight and interviews from the original builders and the teams that maintained the cars provide an insider's viewpoint never before seen in print.

Table of contents

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Foreword

• by Walter "Bud" Moore

Introduction

Chapter 1:

• The Perfect Storm
• Caretaker Report: Herb Adams' 1964 Tempest, The Gray Ghost by Mike Sedlak

Chapter 2:

• Technical Specifications of the SCCA Trans-Am

Chapter 3:

• 1966: The Birth of Trans-Am

Chapter 4:

• 1967: From Sedans to Race Cars
• Caretaker Report: 1967 Prototype #3668 by David Tom

Chapter 5:

• The Engineers and the Builders

Chapter 6:

• 1968: The Year of Muscle

Chapter 7:

• 1969: The Trans-Am Turns Pro

Chapter 8:

• 1970: The Beginning of the End
• Caretaker Report: Dodge Challengers and Plymouth Barracudas by Bryan Skanes
• Caretaker Report: 1970 Chaparral Camaro by David Tom
• Caretaker Report: The Jerry Titus TG Racing 1970 Firebird by David Tom

Chapter 9:

• 1971-1972: Racing Without Factory Support

Chapter 10:

• The Legacy

Chapter 11:

• Recapturing the Storm
• Caretaker Report: My Dad's Plymouth Barracuda by Gary Savage
• Caretaker Report: The Former Kaplan Javelin by Buzz Dyer
• Caretaker Report: In Memory of Warren Tope by Doug Rudy
• Hunting for Cars and Clues by Neil Karolek

David Tom
David Tom is the Founder and Registrar of the Historic Trans-Am Registry. He has also owned more than ten historic Trans-Am Camaros, including the 1968 Smokey Yunick car, the Chaparral Camaro of Jim Hall, and one of the 1968 Penske/Donohue Camaros. Additionally, David restores historic racing cars in his Apache Junction, Arizona headquarters. He recently finished the restoration of Bud Moore's 1966 Mercury Comet, just in time for it to be on-hand for Moore's induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tom is the winner of a 2013 International Automotive Media Award for The Cars of Trans-Am Racing.