That’s me in front of De Anza Chevrolet in Riverside with Bert Everett’s No. 14 Porsche 911 after the 1967 Trans Am race at RIR. I help out in the paddock on the car. Pretty cool stuff for a 18 year-old.
This documentary about the first 30 years of the SCCA Trans-Am Championship features interviews with Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, Sam Posey, Bob Tullius, and Parnelli Jones. There is a brief scene showing Pete Klain’s Group I Corvette at 44:40, and an interesting interview with David Hobbs about the Willy T. Ribbs incident in the 1984 Trans Am while driving for Neil DeAtley’s Budweiser Corvette team (50:04). Interesting and candid interviews with Sam Posey and Roger Penske shed a lot of light on several facts and myths about the preparation of the cars and insights on some rule stretching that went on. A must see. Great Stuff.
About the photo. I had befriended the service writer at DeAnza Chevrolet in Riverside, and somehow he was connected with Bert Everett’s TA Porsche effort, possibly as a local contact/caretaker of the car, although he traveled to the next race at Stardust in Las Vegas (I couldn’t go). The car must have been stashed at the Chevy dealer after the race waiting for transport. Anyway, I got to be around the crew at the race and help out a bit. I drove the car about 200’ in the paddock. And I remember being really surprised that the front bumper was filled with concrete.
Thanks, Tom.
Note: The original video (Yt8ETck0V6I) is no longer available. But I recently found this as a substitute.
I was at RIR for several Trans Ams, and recorded those races and many others on 8mm movie film. They aren’t the best quality, but still interesting if you haven’t see it. There are scenes from RIR, Stardust, OMS, Mid Ohio, and many others. An hour of home movie racing excitement.
I now know what you looked like at 18.
As an SSCA member for only 2 yrs, ’68, ’69, with a class H Triumph Spitfire, I remember my only race was in Watkins Glenn, where I won setting a lap speed record that lasted some 19 years for the class.. ah. In Elkhart Lake, WI, I won a race that was pre-lim for a’69 Trans-Am.. I had rebuilt the Spitfire from ground up.. got drafted, sold car for less than the price of the tools in the trunk to a college coed. sigh. A young hitch-hiker stole my windbreaker with SCCA patch, which i still miss today. (sold my firesuit with patch in place per buyer).. The U2 cars were certainly fun to watch, especially rubbing up again O2 muscle cars. I was very proud to meet all my heros back the, especially Penske, and others pictured here, great video!
i just read the comments about your video on early trans/am competion between over 2 liter and under in which i competed. thanks