Back In Black
In years past, Camaros vying for Street Machine of the Year consisted of a rainbow of colors with red being on top of the list. This year that all changed as if someone sent out a hobby-wide memo. Only three of the competing Camaros wore a hue other than black, and all the black cars shared one other tidbit: Bright silver rollers. Is this a new trend, or a strange cosmic coincidence? We'll let you decide.
Bill Panouses decided to set...
Bill Panouses decided to set his black '68 apart from the crowd by employing a healthy dose of carbon fiber panels from Anvil Auto and a few splashes of red paint. His ride, which goes by the name Evade, managed to weave through the cones in 36.081 seconds. Look for the full feature on page 78.
Douglas McDonald Senior's...
Douglas McDonald Senior's Camaro wasn't vying for SMOTY, but it was certainly nice enough to have done so. The LS7 powered '67 did manage to win the Trendsetter's Builders Choice award.
Built at Greening Auto Company...
Built at Greening Auto Company in Cullman, Alabama, Jesse Greening's '71 was the only second-gen competing for the SMOTY this year. The nice thing about Jesse, is that he never hesitates to thrash this show car around an autocross or road course. His best time was a very respectable 33.004 seconds. See more of this car beginning on page 66.
Fesler made the long trek...
Fesler made the long trek from Arizona to show off their extensive line of billet widgets. They also brought along their tricked-out '10 SS. The Camaro sports huge Baer brakes wrapped in equally massive 24-inch Fesler billet wheels. The LS3 under the hood has been treated to a power-boosting Magnuson supercharger.
With a supercharged LS engine...
With a supercharged LS engine under the hood, and a host of suspension upgrades, Harold Chapman's '69 certainly had a great combination for slicing through orange cones. Harold hails from Andice, Texas, and knocked down a best lap of 35.660 seconds.
In addition to 2009 being...
In addition to 2009 being the year of the black car, it also seemed to favor drop tops. Jeff Kainz's '68 ran one of the top times of the event thanks to its DSE suspension and LS1 powerplant.
One of our favorite Camaros...
One of our favorite Camaros at the event was this '69 build by Detroit Speed for gearhead Jason Stanola. The car was super fresh, but wheelman Kyle Tucker still managed to whip it through the pylons in quick fashion with a best time of 32.448 seconds.
Sporting the biggest mill...
Sporting the biggest mill of the group, Paul Carlevale's '69 had an abundance of power. The 707ci engine is said to put out around 1,300 hp. That's one pony for every three pounds. Built by Carlevale Custom Cars, the aptly named Zeus, knocked down a best time of 38.103 seconds.