Maybe you were off on vacation last week, maybe you are hoping that you’re on vacation this week. Either way, we have a film for you that’ll let you zone completely out for nearly 40-minutes and be entranced by some of the greatest wheel to wheel racing footage known to man. This video is a documentary that catalogs the 1970 and 1971 season in the famous SCCA Trans-Am series. Many people agree that those two seasons represent the high water mark of Trans Am and it was most certainly the time of the biggest investment by the OEM manufacturers. The Ford contingent was represented by a host of great drivers, Chevrolet was in the mix, and of course AMC was front and center with the tandem of Roger Penske and Mark Donohue. These truly were the good old days of road racing in America and as you’ll see in the video, this series absolutely packed fans in and there’s not a lot of rocket science mystery as to why.
When you combine screaming V8 motors, talented drivers with personality, grit, toughness, and an unyielding will to win, some of the most challenging and difficult courses that the USA had to offer, and big factory money backing it all, you’ll have a winner. As much as fans were rooting for drivers back then they were rooting for the AMC underdogs to beat the heavies from Detroit or they were pulling for Parnelli Jones to hammer Jerry Titus late in the race for a fender bashing win.
The best stuff in this video is the actual racing footage because it shows how entertaining these cars were to watch. They slide and skid and scream around the courses. The rules stated that the maximum cubic inch displacement for Trans Am racing was 305ci and that’s why you saw Ford develop the Boss 302 and Chevrolet the same. AMC used a bombproof version of the 304 to propel themselves to victory while independent teams like the Herb Adams and his boys with the Gray Ghost came up with a 303ci version of a 389 (ok, the factory came up with it and threw it out the back door, but you get where we’re going).
Today’s road racing has evolved to a point where it no longer has the panache and excitement of these cars. The machines are too composed, the suspensions too advanced, and the technology too secretive to be as fan friendly. When we compare our experience at the ALMS race last year to what these people were seeing back in 1970/71 there’s just no parallel. Their show was way better!
LOCK THE DOOR, PULL THE SHADES, CRANK THE VOLUME, AND PRESS PLAY FOR 40 MINUTES OF 1970S ERA TRANS AM GREATNESS!
When someone writes an post he/she retains the thought of a user in his/her brain that how a user
can know it. Therefore that’s why this paragraph is perfect. Thanks!
Trans Am , CanAm , Pro Stocks were modified stock , NASCAR still had a semblance of stock underneath them , Funny Cars still looked pretty much like the cars they were based on … and an independent team with the right people could still win Indy , F1 and LeMans …. … oh ….. and there was no John Force & Family back then blathering on forever like idiots during every interview as humility was still considered a positive personality trait
Yeah …. those were the days …. when men were men …. cars were cars [ even when they were racing cars ] the women were somehow more beautiful … and Rock music still meant something 😉
..agree…and to think how loud and exciting these open header/push rod/Detroit muscle cars must have been to see at the time -modified street cars- if you go to Lime Rock historic race you only get a mere sample of it in between all the Aston-martin Euro stuff… and Mark Donahue’s loss remains a gigantic loss to all auto racing…great video!
This post offers clear idea designed for the new
viewers of blogging, that truly how to do blogging and site-building.
I am sure this paragraph has touched all the internet people, its really really fastidious paragraph on building up new website.
Completely EPIC! This made my week and I favorite’d it to make sure to watch anytime my car dude batteries need a recharge.
Thank you.