PACE YOURSELF

Maybe Chevy got that 69 camaro color palate from this one?

 

Another interior color I just couldn't wrap my head around. Not to mention the wheels.

 

1930 Cord paced the Indy that year. I bet there's a golf club door on the other side.

 

I had one of these in 1993 BC (before Cell phone cameras).

 

I'm skeptical since the '55 is red and white while the '69 Camaro is orange and white.

 

My computer made that look orange...ish.

 

1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car and Crash

 

I have a Revell model kit of this one.....

 

Oh, I don't know..... I kinda like it.....

 

What’s the story behind the crash?

 

I also like that Daytona Yellow paint.... Gotta put your shades on to look at it in the sun....

 

I remember that one. Pace car slammed into the press box. This from the internet

• The race was marred by a crash involving the pace car at the start. Eldon Palmer, a local Indianapolis-area Dodge dealer, lost control of the Dodge Challenger pace car at the south end of the pit area, and it crashed into a photographers' stand, injuring 29 people, two seriously.

 

OUCH!!!!!.....

 

I would venture a guess that this is the car he wrecked.

 

Got a Monogram model kit of this also.....

 

Of course, it wouldn't be the last time someone wrecked a pace car. Senior VP at GM, Mark Reuss, put this vette into the wall in 2019 in Detroit. Looks like one of the Snickers bar commercials, "need to get away?"

 

Evidently the Cap'n and Tenille were in town for the race.

 

Video of the crash.

 

Mr Palmer said he was going much faster than expected and faster than the practice sessions, estimated around 125mph when he entered the pit, he lost control and hit the press box. The car passengers were not injured, several in the press box were injured but no deaths. I believe after that wreck, they started mandating the pace car would be driven by former racers or experienced drivers; not sure if it is still a requirement though.

 

I have also read that the brakes either heated up and faded, thus making it impossible to stop in time as well.

Im not sure what Dodge did prior to the race to prep the car. I know Chevy with the 67 and 69 Camaro's pretty much took the first 2 cars for the pace car run off the line and then took them to another department where they were stripped down and rebuilt by senior employees. The engines were assembled after every part was shotpeened and X-rayed for flaws. Those 2 main pace cars (maybe a 3rd) were built to make sure there were no issues prior to the race. I think that was the case for the later Camaro pace cars as well. I think it wasnt until the 5th gen Camaro were they just took it right of the line and set it out.

 

There are some people in the video heading for the hills and others calmly waiting in their seats thinking "he's got this".

 

I like it, I like it!!!!!....

 

I like these - took a couple more years for Ford to get the legendary 5.0 lineage going for real, but great looking cars.

 

I remember a couple of these local.

 

There were a few Camaro and Corvette Indy pace cars but was this the only T/A Indy Pacecar? I can't say I have actually encountered one in the wild.

 

Good friend from the old hometown had one of these. His folks might have bought it new. Stripe delete, added champ 500 type wheels, was a nice, fast handsome car. Family of hot rodders so I’m assuming mom and dad hopped up the turbo V6. Met its end at 5 points intersection sadly.

 

Nice shoes ! No more comments from me I’ll get banned !