Page 1 of 1 Chevrolet and its Camaro won the prestigious Trans-Am championship for the second year running in 1969. Primarily responsible for the success was builder and entrant Penske Racing and the team's principle driver Mark Donohue. Penske caused quite an upset at the end of the year when the team announced it would switch to the AMC Javelin, which had not been particularly successful. Replacing Penske would be Jim Hall and his Chaparral team, which also constructed Chevrolet-engined Can-Am cars.
Chaparral built up three cars in Midland, Texas around factory supplied shells of the second generation Camaro. Already stripped to its bare bones, the bodies were acid-dipped to further reduce weight. Koni-supplied adjustable shock absorbers were fitted as were large diameter ventilated disc brakes. The small-block 302 V8 was stretched as close to the five-litre displacement limit as possible. Breathing through a single Holley carburettor, the finely tuned engine produced around 440 bhp. It was mated to a sturdy four-speed Borg Warner gearbox.
Finished in white with large blue 'bowtie' roundels on the door, the three Chaparral Camaros were raced by Jim Hall himself, Ed Leslie, Joe Leonard and Vic Elford. Not quite as fast as the Ford Mustangs or Penske's new Javelins, the Camaro was nevertheless a very effective machine. At least one of the Chaparral cars finished in the top ten in each of the Trans-Am rounds. Leslie placed his car on pole at Mid-Ohio, while Elford scored the Camaro's only victory of the season at Watkins Glen. Thanks to his consistent results, Jim Hall ended the year sixth in the standings.
Of the three cars built and raced by Chaparral in 1970, only one is known to have survived. Page 1 of 1
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Chevrolet and its Camaro won the prestigious Trans-Am championship for the second year running in 1969. Primarily responsible for the success was builder and entrant Penske Racing and the team's principle driver Mark Donohue. Penske caused quite an upset at the end of the year when the team announced it would switch to the AMC Javelin, which had not been particularly successful. Replacing Penske would be Jim Hall and his Chaparral team, which also constructed Chevrolet-engined Can-Am cars.