The Chevrolet Camaro was built in response to the wildly successful Ford Mustang and was Chevy’s entry into the pony car wars of the mid-1960s and beyond. Borrowing the long-nose, short-deck dimensions of the Mustang, the Camaro was an instant hit. Not only was this market segment extremely popular but the Camaro was also a great way for General Motors enthusiasts to get into the game with an arguably superior chassis and a myriad of powertrain options.
In the drag racing ranks, seasoned professionals, including Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, “Jungle” Jim Liberman, Dick Harrell, and the team of Reher-Morrison, helped Chevy dominate the competition in several categories.
Quarter-Mile Camaros 1967–1981: The History of Chevrolet's Pony Car at the Drag Strip covers all drag racing exploits of the Camaro’s first two generations chronologically. The 1967–1969 first-generation Camaros were wildly successful right out of the gate, with potent small-block category options as well as big-block and COPO category options.
While the first-generation Camaros continued to perform well in the Super Stock and Sportsman categories throughout the 1970s, the second-generation cars took control in categories such as Pro Stock and Funny Car moving forward. Emerging stars, including Lee Shepard and Warren “the Professor” Johnson, redefined success for Chevrolet at those levels, especially keeping in mind that Chevrolet did not provide factory support.
This book covers the years through race results and driver/team biographies, highlighting the success that Chevrolet had with its pony car at the drag strip. No drag racing library would be complete without it.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: 1967–1969: The Dawn of an Era
1967: All New and Something to Prove
1968: Racking up the Wins
1969: The Camaro’s Extended Season
Chapter 2: 1970–1973: Building on Success
1970: Peak Performance
1971: Performance Takes a Hit
1972: A Year of Change
1973: Change—Not Always for the Better
Chapter 3: 1974-1977: Facing Change
1974: A New Look
1975: Loyalty Wins Out
1976: Something to Celebrate
1977: Return of the Z28
Chapter 4: 1978-1981: Ending on a High Note
1978: A New Look and Fresh Results
1979: High Hopes
1980: A New Decade with Renewed Hope and Optimism
1981: Ending an Era on a High Note
Epilogue
Appendix
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