Motorsport Profiles

Trans-Am Championship (1967)

Steve Natale
Mark Donohue and the Penske Camaro (seen here at Daytona) proved a formidable combination, but not until late in the season. Photo: Pete Luongo

The inaugural 1966 Trans-Am season turned out to be a great success for the S.C.C.A, and for American road racing in general. The season featured lots of close racing, recognizable cars and a host of great drivers including A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, Jerry Titus and even a young up-and-comer named Jochen Rindt. After enjoying much success in 1966, it was only natural that Ford would continue its Trans-Am program with the 1966 championship-winning Shelby American team. But the brass at Ford also decided to cover their bets by supporting a team of factory-sponsored Mercury Cougars prepared by Bud Moore, as well. The manufacturer mix in 1967 also saw the debut of a G.M. effort with sponsorship filtering down through a Camaro fielded by Roger Penske. Chrysler’s efforts were switched to the Dodge Dart, as the Plymouth Barracudas of the previous year had been uncompetitive for most of the season. The Darts were to be prepared by Bob Tullius.

As for drivers, the Cougar driver line-up that Fran Hernandez, the Cougar Competition Director, had come up with was truly impressive: Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, David Pearson, Peter Revson, Ed Leslie, Lee Roy Yarborough and Cale Yarborough on the roster.

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