|
|
|
|
| Author |
|
|
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 928
|
408 pics from 1967 Green Valley Texas Trans-Am
The ONLY Trans-Am race Dan Gurney ever won. It was mid-April but a warm afternoon. Gurney almost couldn't take the heat.
NOTES: Jerry Titus in yellow #17 Mustang missed the right-hander at the end of the long dragstrip straight thereby naming the dry creekbed "Mustang Creek". I was a spectator that day. None of the local teams needed pit crew and the race itself didn't get much local support. Pics from Benson Ford Research Center at The Henry Ford Museum. ETA: One of the Camaros (car #3) is the fourteenth Z-28 ever built. It showed up with a HUGE fuel cell that hung down below the rear bodywork. Race officials made the team reduce fuel capacity, so they put plastic balls in the tank to take up space. Worked great for about half the race then the plastic balls disintegrated into goo in gasoline and gummed up the fuel system. DNF. This was the finish. Dan Gurney beat Parnelli Jones (both in Bud Moore prepared Mercury Cougars) by 3 feet. Closest finish in Trans-Am history. https://www.flickr.com/photos/thehenryford/sets/72157631175084150/  Here's the Z-28 #3 with the fuel cell hanging down in the rear. Z-28 with big fuel cell Last edited by Borders Reivers; 12-11-2017 at 05:01 AM.. |
||
12-10-2017, 03:17 PM
|
|
|
Guest
Posts: n/a
|
That's awesome! I drove my 69 327 Camaro from Stephenville to Green Valley a couple of time to run the 1/4. Great times!
|
||
|
12-10-2017, 04:18 PM
|
|
|
Registered
|
Nice photos, thanks Reivers. Interesting to see Ol Shel working on the front brakes.
1967 was a very good year for Dan Gurney
__________________
1986 Mazda Rx-Vetten LS1 swap street / track car 2007 MX-5 Roadster, Cinnamon, MC STR champion (sold) 2013 Scion FR-S, MC STX champion (sold) 2002 Roush Stage 2 (traded) 1979 GP White 911SC coupe, aka "Bruce |
||
|
12-10-2017, 06:39 PM
|
|
|
Functionista
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: CO
Posts: 7,717
|
I took my 73 Camaro to Green Valley a couple times when I lived in Plano. I heard this track hosted a few CRRC motorcycle races before they became the CMRA. Dangerous.
This was pre-Ennis.
__________________
Jeff 74 911, #3 I do not disbelieve in anything. I start from the premise that everything is true until proved false. Everything is possible. |
||
|
12-10-2017, 06:47 PM
|
|
|
Control Group
|
Wow, look how close the spectators and trees are to the track. I have some pics from Laguna Seca from the 60's that show the same thing
__________________
She was the kindest person I ever met |
||
|
12-10-2017, 08:11 PM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Fullerton,Ca
Posts: 5,463
|
Milt Miltner who raced Trans Am in '67 took me for a ride in my '67 mustang around the Sreets of willow Springs. He wasn't easy on cars! But I dropped 3 seconds a lap after he showed me what could be done.
__________________
" Formerly we suffered from crime. Today we suffer from laws" (55-120) Tacitus |
||
|
12-10-2017, 08:34 PM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Linn County, Oregon
Posts: 48,514
|
Great stuff! Thanks.
__________________
"Now, to put a water-cooled engine in the rear and to have a radiator in the front, that's not very intelligent." -Ferry Porsche (PANO, Oct. '73) (I, Paul D. have loved this quote since 1973. It will remain as long as I post here.) |
||
|
12-10-2017, 09:47 PM
|
|
|
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 928
|
Quote:
Yes trees and corner workers were very close to the racing surface. Here's a pic from 1966 with the factory Vetta Ventura and Tom Johnson driving. Tom was Delmo Johnson's (original Corvette Grand Sport owner/driver) older brother and owner of Performance Incorporated in Dallas, the place I worked turning wrenches building Vettas. Those tires and barrels were not very reassuring from a safety standpoint but it was the 1960's and who cared?  That close... 
|
||
|
12-11-2017, 04:52 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Watsonville, Ca.
Posts: 732
|
Quote:
__________________
'78 Targa Sold! '84 Carrera Sold! '01 996 Wrecked |
||
|
12-11-2017, 07:05 AM
|
|
|
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 928
|
Quote:
|
||
|
12-11-2017, 08:03 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Watsonville, Ca.
Posts: 732
|
Quote:
__________________
'78 Targa Sold! '84 Carrera Sold! '01 996 Wrecked |
||
|
12-11-2017, 08:24 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: La Crosse, WI
Posts: 1,327
|
I was taught to watch the blue flagger's eyes. If they got real big, run! Don't wait for him to tell you. I've stood that close to the track during ice racing, but that's because the drivers kept cutting into the snowbank and moving the track to the pallet we were standing on to keep our feet dry.
|
||
|
12-11-2017, 09:31 AM
|
|
|
Registered
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Watsonville, Ca.
Posts: 732
|
I was working Blue Flag at the leads of turn 8 (Laguna Seca) during an IMSA race. A car had dropped a wheel out the pavement driver's left and came back across track right at me and the guy working yellow. Without saying a word I just pushed him and I behind the wall. Once the car had passed he just said thanks and we stepped back into position. Welcome to marshaling.
__________________
'78 Targa Sold! '84 Carrera Sold! '01 996 Wrecked |
||
|
12-11-2017, 10:05 AM
|
|
2011 
Blue Gt
2004 Mazda Miata
