Each time I attend the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, there are few things I look forward to more than seeing historic Trans-Am cars take to the track.
Watching dozens of these V8-powered pony car racers running laps at the same time is simply magical. It overwhelms the senses and I simply can’t get enough of it. The cars are awesome looking, their sounds are amazing and the racing itself gets quite competitive.
While the majority of the cars running in the Trans-Am group are Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros, there’s also the distinct red, white and blue AMC Javelins. Then there’s this Sublime Green 1970 Dodge Challenger.
It’s the famous Sam Posey Classic Wax car – easily one of my favorite entries from the huge vintage Trans-Am group. This year I decided to take a closer look at this legendary Mopar.
Compared to other factory-backed teams, Chrysler’s participation in Trans-Am was undertaken on a much smaller scale. This car was built at Dan Gurney’s AAR shop and finished at Autodynamics just in time for the start of the 1970 season.
Under the hood sits a variant of the Chrysler small block V8 displacing 303 cubic inches. The street version was larger at 340 cubes, but Trans-Am rules required the use of a smaller, de-stroked motor. Even so, output is an impressive 460 horsepower.
The body doesn’t look much different from the production Challenger, but like a lot of Trans-Am cars there were many tricks used to make the thing as light as possible.
In fact, at the 1970 season opener at Laguna Seca the car failed tech inspection after an official accidentally dimpled the roof with his elbow. The body had been excessively acid dipped in the name of weight savings, and the officials would not allow the car to race unless the roof was changed.
A call to Dodge HQ was made and shortly afterwards Sam Posey was out on track using the roof panel sawed off a Challenger from a Monterey Dodge showroom.
Although the car couldn’t quite top the big dogs of the Trans-Am series, it still turned in three third places and finished fourth overall in points behind Ford and AMC. Not bad at all for a small-scale effort!
It’s just one more of those cool stories from auto racing in the 1970s.
Mike Garrett
Instagram: japanifornia_media
mike@speedhunters.com
OFFICIAL SPEEDHUNTERS SUPPLIERS
I've seen this car pop up everywhere, but I've never seen an article completely focused on it. Thanks for the write up!
Trans-Am has to be one of my favorite series. Brutish, fat tired pony cars sliding all over the place, gutsy overtaking, screaming V8s. The cars are extensively modified, but they're still wearing the factory sheet metal (perhaps with a few acid baths, but no fiberglass or aluminum). I mean, this thing still has both bumpers on it!
RobbyChamblee You should look into Touring Car Masters out of Australia. Same kind of racing with a few more Aussie only vehicles thrown into the mix. You can find all the races on YouTube.
RobbyChamblee You should look into Touring Car Masters out of Australia. Same kind of racing with a few more Aussie only vehicles thrown into the mix. You can find all the races on YouTube.
I always find this Challenger amazing because while it was competitive to an extent it never won and wasn't a contender for the championship and yet it has somehow become the most visible and maybe the most iconic Trans-Am car ever.
There are other Icons like the Penske Sunoco Camaro and Vic Edelbrock's Warpaint Mustang but this Sam Posies Challenger is just more visible.
I love the Trans-Am Historic racing and wish it would be broadcast along side some other series so that more people could enjoy it.
I always find this Challenger amazing because while it was competitive to an extent it never won and wasn't a contender for the championship and yet it has somehow become the most visible and maybe the most iconic Trans-Am car ever.
There are other Icons like the Penske Sunoco Camaro and Vic Edelbrock's Warpaint Mustang but this Sam Posies Challenger is just more visible.
I love the Trans-Am Historic racing and wish it would be broadcast along side some other series so that more people could enjoy it.
Love this car - PLEASE do more historic trans am stuff!!
Would love to see some more pics and details of the 67/68 Camaros!
Thanks for the continued coverage of the Reunion! Whenever I see this Challenger it constantly reminds me of how massively ugly the current Challenger is. Long, Low Wide. It's simple.
PowerTryp I know the old BTCC was like that too, and NASCAR if you go back far enough. Watching old stock cars hustle around a road course is just gleeful. Tires squealing, flames belching out of the exhaust, just really fun to watch.
Great car and amazing how the header pic and the next image down look like stills from a driving game.
I thought this might be a sneak peak at a new NFS racing game!
Is that a special filter or just the light and colours at the time?
Good ol' Mopar.
Good ol' Mopar.
@SW1 So true!
@SW1 So true!
PowerTryp RobbyChamblee Yes! So many tough as nails cars. We've actually run a story featuring the series in the past:
http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/09/muscle-car-masters-australian-historic-racing/
Gorgeous car. Thanks for the future!
Gotta love Trans Am racing back then. They just don't make them like this any more...
I was lucky enough to work for McGee Motorsports running 5 or 6 TransAm cars this year........selection of images below.
Jim Grant.....Australia.
First race meeting for the 25 car since restoration.
Props to Challenger owner Richard Goldsmith ...... Great guy.
BatfettlerSonoma Are those twin dominators on a tunnel-port 302?
I was lucky enough to work with McGee Motorsports at Laguna again this year.
I crew chiefed for Nick DeVitis in the 28 car. Nick also ran 40 car in Shelby group and the Baja Boats IMSA Chev Beretta.
Thanks Mike Thomson and Nick.
Jim Grant .... Australia.
Class NC in Australia is the closest thing to classic racing, even though they run 600hp which back then would get you tried for which craft.
The Touring Car Masters is pretty much a Trans-Am class with slightly looser rules. Personally the TCM is too "Sheep stations" (bad Aussie phrase) for me, NC is for the gentleman racer.
Hence the photo, don't matter what you have you can win.
Class NC in Australia is the closest thing to classic racing, even though they run 600hp which back then would get you tried for which craft.
The Touring Car Masters is pretty much a Trans-Am class with slightly looser rules. Personally the TCM is too "Sheep stations" (bad Aussie phrase) for me, NC is for the gentleman racer.
Hence the photo, don't matter what you have you can win.
BatfettlerSonoma Looks like a great time!
jay8393 Agreed!
GregoryS Glad you liked it!
@VMC Just a CPL filter and some basic touchup in lightroom.
@SW1 I like the new Challenger quite a bit. I do wish it was about 20% smaller though. That's one of the big things that drew me to the Mustang.
PowerTryp It's well worth coming out to an even just to watch these guys run!
Dill Pickle No problem at all!
Yes....homologated for 1970 I think. I got no idea how a small block could suck enuf air to make them work!??!
Yes....homologated for 1970 I think. I got no idea how a small block could suck enuf air to make them work!??!
1968. This was the precursor to the Boss 302 that debuted in 69. The tunnel port 302 had ENORMOUS intake and exhaust ports and wouldn't make power until 5,500-8,000 rpm. They were much more complicated and unreliable compared to the Boss engine but they are exceedingly rare and it's awesome to see one racing.
Just did a little more research. The typical shift point was 8,500 but they'd occasionally turn them past 9 grand.
With pushrods
And two valves per cylinder
47 years ago
Insanity
Thanks Mike!
Sp correction......... historictransam.com .......
Thanks for the great throwback Mike! Always loved those Challengers. And the sound was amazing!
Chris 'Haffy' Hafner How about an actual Trans-Am tribute series in Australia, the Australian Trans-Am Series. Group N doesn't cater to many American models, only those that ran in the ATCC. ATA is open to any American 2-door, 4-seat, real wheel drive V8 sedan and we currently have on our list plenty of Mustangs, Camaros, but also a Plymouth Cuda, AMC Javelin, Falcon Sprint, Pontiac Firebirds and even a Mercury Cougar on the build. A few of them ran as a sub-category to TCM at Queensland Raceway earlier this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJTUT5PZzlg
the car was very good
really really like to see the car that shiny new car fits like made for walking trailsthe car was very good http://utamadomino.com/app/img/peraturan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/peraturan.html and very fast http://utamadomino.com/app/img/jadwal.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/jadwal.html mix of colors http://utamadomino.com/app/img/promo.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/promo.html from which to http://utamadomino.com/app/img/panduan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://utamadomino.com/app/img/panduan.html make want pobud http://utamadomino.com/ see hatnya http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/peraturan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/peraturan.html kecepatanya http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/jadwal.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/jadwal.html was very nice ,http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/promo.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/promo.html suitable for a "http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/panduan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://dokterpoker.org/app/img/panduan.html sharp bend http://dokterpoker.org or not sharp I guess motorists http://633cash.com/Games like this is http://633cash.com/Pengaturan" very skilled in the speed I hope I can membilinya someday will whether http://633cash.com/Daftar http://633cash.com/Promo there are http://633cash.com/Berita new cars http://633cash.com/Livescore are better I http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/peraturan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/peraturan.html 'll wait for it , with a stylish car classic http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/jadwal.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/jadwal.html style I http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/promo.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/promo.html also like http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/panduan.html" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://raksasapoker.com/app/img/panduan.html to see would be http://raksasapoker.com/ whether there is a http://yakuza4d.com/peraturan" rel="dofollow" target="_blank">http://yakuza4d.com/peraturan car that is http://yakuza4d.com as fast and forius http://yakuza4d.com/home like in the "http://yakuza4d.com/daftar movie , the car very http://yakuza4d.com/cara_main good car http://yakuza4d.com/hasil designed a way apparently hopefully http://yakuza4d.com/buku_mimpi there will be new cars more good and the price is quite pantastis then chances are I can membilinya the same as you have at this time