The Roaring Season

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I'm really pumped about this chapter of the Walt Etten Collection. This is not only an era I can relate to, but an era I also find completely fascinating.

By the mid-1970s, US sedan racing was going through some major changes. The Sports Car Club of America had created the Trans-Am sedan series in 1966, for production vehicles with a strict number of allowable modifications. The Trans-Am quickly snowballed, and by 1970, had representatives from each of the US automotive manufacturers, with factory backed teams for Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, American Motors, Plymouth, and Dodge. And then the series completely imploded. Other than American Motors, each manufacturer who'd poured vast sums of money to compete in the Trans-Am, all pulled out. The Trans-Am quickly went back to where it all began; a series for amateur racers.

The Trans-Am was the brainchild of SCCA executive director John Bishop. But by 1968, Bishop had become disillusioned with the direction the series, its rules, and the bickering within the SCCA had all taken, and he left, eventually forming the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) in the early 1970s. Just as he did when he created the Trans-Am in 1966, he adopted international FIA rules for IMSA, in this case, FIA Group 2 and Group 4. Additionally, within a couple of years, he created a special class to allow American based tube-frame cars to compete against the thoroughbred European machines that had dominated the category from the outset. This new class he called All-American GT. And in it, cars such as Chevy Monza's and Corvettes with wild bodykits could compete head to head with the Porsche's and BMW's.

And as IMSA grew, so the Trans-Am slipped into decline, and by 1973, the SCCA had adopted the same set of rules as IMSA, only, with less prize money. But for the amateur racer, there was now a great selection of events in which to compete, whether in a Porsche 911 Carrera, or an old Trans-Am Camaro.

This collection of images are from the 1977 Watkins Glen 6 Hour, which combined World Championship for Makes Groups 2, 4, and 5, along with Trans-Am. The array of machinery is vast, from the latest Porsche 935's, through early '60s Corvette's, and everything else in between. In a few short years, sedan racing had changed almost beyond recognition, but importantly, there was still a place for the amateur enthusiast to compete, and maybe even collect a few bucks prize money running against the pros.

Enjoy these images. This is a really interesting collection.

Lets start this off by taking a look at the rear of the field, as this really sums up what US racing was all about during this period. While at the front end of the grid are a squadron of Porsche 935s and BMW 320 turbos, run by well equipped professional racing teams, down the back are the weekend warriors in their older Trans-Am Camaro's, B Production Corvette's, and the like. But its these guys that make these events so interesting, and keep many of these older cars running as the rules move away from them. Note the C2 Corvette on right of picture. By this stage nearly 15 years old, but still being put through its paces.

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This is the pace lap, with the first six rows of cars coming towards where Walt is standing.

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Our opening image, as the field chugs past Walt on its pace lap prior to the race going green. 13 cars are pictured. 9 are Porsches! Just goes to show how popular the marque was during this period, for offering turn-key race cars that anyone could buy. This is something Porsche have built their reputation on.

The cars pictured in the first six rows are as follows, from the pole winning Porsche 935:

1: Porsche 935. Martini Racing. Jochen Mass/Jacky Ickx
2: BMW 320 Turbo: McLaren North America. Ronnie Peterson/David Hobbs
3: Porsche 935: Vasek Polak Racing. George Follmer/Brett Lunger
4: Chev Corvette: John Greenwood Racing. John Greenwood/Dick Smothers
5: Porsche 934/5: Bob Hagestad Porsche Audi. Hurley Haywood/Bob Bondurant
6: Porsche 934/5: Brumos Racing. Peter Gregg/Claude Ballot-Lena/John Gunn
7: Porsche 935: Jim Busby Racing. Jim Busby/Tom Frank
8: Porsche 934/5: Interscope Racing. Danny Ongais/Ted Field
9: Porsche 934/5: Heimrath Racing. Ludwig Heimrath/Paul Miller
10: Porsche 934/5: Dick Barbour Performance. Dick Barbour/Johnny Rutherford
11: Chev Monza: Pickett Racing. Greg Pickett/Tom Gloy/Dave Mock
12: BMW 320: BMW Faltz Assen. Hans Joachim-Stuck/Benny Parsons

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Unsurprisingly, there are a few photos of the Martini 935. What a weapon! The number 1 car qualified fastest, and went on to win the race.

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The little normally aspirated BMW 320 of Stuck/Parsons failed to reach the finish.

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The fabulous Group 44 Jaguar XJS, run by Bob Tullius, who shared the driving duties with Brian Fuerstenau. This beautiful car was built as a Category I Trans-Am car, and won the championship in 1977 and '78 before Group 44 switched to running a Triumph TR8.

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How cool is this! Team Apple Chev Corvette, driven by John Huber/Ron Weaver. Qualified 26th, finished 23rd. Bet they had a great time with it.

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From one extreme to another. This was the latest creation from John Greenwood. Its amazing looking at how radical many of the Greenwood Corvettes appeared to be, and particularly the 'wide body' cars, almost all of them utilised the original Corvette chassis, albeit, with modifications. Only two Greenwood Corvettes, the last two produced, used a tube-frame chassis. They were also the last race Corvettes built by Greenwood. This is the first of the two tube-frame cars.

Greenwood/Smothers qualified an impressive 4th, but suffered engine dramas and failed to reach the finish.

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There were only two Chevy Monza's in the race, the DeKon car of Pickett/Gloy/Mock, and this car, Agor AM2, owned and raced by Warren Agor, and shared here with Paul Nichter. Here the Chevy chases one of the Porsches on its way to a 17th place result.

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Very cool photo here through the trees of a couple of the Porsche's battling. #61 of Busby/Frank finished 12th after delays.

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Not sure who the flag marshall is holding the blue flag out for, as the leading car in this group, the Greenwood/Smothers Corvette, is the quickest of the three. The Porsche of Bob Lazier/John Wood qualified 30th and came through to finish an impressive 9th.

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During the early laps, the Follmer/Lunger 935 battles with the Peterson/Hobbs 320 Turbo, and Greenwood/Smothers Corvette. These guys are all fighting over second place, with the Mass/Ickx 935 out front.

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And a little way behind those guys is the Janet Guthrie/Randy Lewis Porsche 934, leading a crossed-up Stuck/Parsons BMW. This BMW, unlike the car pictured above, is normally aspirated.

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This is the Danny Ongais/Ted Fields Interscope Porsche 934/5, which had an excellent race, qualifying 8th, and finishing 5th. Interscope did a lot of racing in the 1970s, including Can-Am and F5000.

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Something a little different! The Lancia Stratos of Brian Goellnicht/Anatoly Arutunoff didn't have a good race, qualifying back in 41st, and retiring early, to be classified 44th. But what a pretty car it was!

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Corvette versus Porsche. In fact, the Panzer was coming up to lap the American big-banger. The #76 Corvette is a John Greenwood built car, driven by Paul DePirro/Buzz Fyhrie, and Burt Greenwood. It qualified 15th but didn't reach the finish, and Greenwood didn't get a drive.

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