It was the days before Datsun became Nissan. The days when Sam Posey was still an active professional racing driver at events around the world, and the days when SCCA sports car races were packed with the types of cars that reflected their times. This film, paid for by Datsun is an amazing recounting of the 1977 SCCA Champion Spark Plug Road Racing Classic. This event served as the finale of the SCCA season and was where champions were crowned. We call them the Run-Offs now but back then, this was the deal.
Posey is a brilliant (as always) host and his racing chops definitely were definitely not lost on the viewers of the time. There’s plenty of great Datsun Z-car footage in here as well wheel to wheel racing fun. Bob Sharp Racing is a featured team and while not over the top, the Datsun influence in the film cane be felt throughout.
One of the neatest things about the film is the simulated lap that Posey walks us through over the twists and turns of Road Atlanta. This course, which is still one of the most famous and challenging in the country had been hosting the finale of the SCCA season for some 14 years by the time October of 1977 and this event started.
The action, the footage, the sound, and the call by Posey are all perfect. Now we want a 1970s Datsun Z-car racer. Damn this is cool.
