1968 Sunoco Team Penske Camaro is a Rare One

One of Six

Virtually from day one, the first-gen Camaro was a popular target for racing teams. Famed team owner Roger Penske and legendary driver Mark Donahue went on to build and campaign six of them for Trans Am duty, in fact. And this '68 that crossed the block at RM Sotheby's a couple of years ago is one of that famed bunch.

Photos: Hemmings

Rough Start

The Camaro landed on the Trans Am scene just in time, as Ford dominated the 1967 season by winning 8 of 12 races. Donahue kicked off the season with a DNF. But by race #2, he scored a second-place finish. He managed a couple more podium finishes that season, but the best was yet to come.

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Overbuilt

Donahue won three of the last six races of the season, which gave team Penske great hope for 1968. And they responded by "overbuilding" their '68 cars, specifically to handle the punishment endurance races put these cars through.

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Learning Lessions

This particular car, chassis 9908H046, was the very first body-in-white delivered to Penske Racing. From there, they wasted no time building it, using the knowledge they had gained in the 1967 season.

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Stiff and Light

That included giving the car a new rollcage that extended through the firewall to the frame upfront and further in the rear, which helped stiffen the chassis. They then acid-dipped the body to make it as light as possible.

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Unfair Advantage

The Camaro was so light, in fact, that Penske had to add ballast in targeted areas to get the weight above Trans Am requirements. And that was just the start of Donahoe's self-described "unfair advantage."

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Innovative Solutions

The other key advantages this Camaro sported were a series of innovative upgrades to the car's 302 V8. They included things like an oil "quick fill" system that allowed pressurized oil to be added during pit stops. This saved the car precious time in the pits.

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Experimental Parts

With an experimental cross-ram intake manifold and twin carbs, the small block produced an estimated 420 horsepower. And the results of all those tweaks were immediately felt in the 1968 season.

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Winning Ways

Donahue finished second in the first race, only because of a brake issue. After that, he secured 10 wins out of the next 12 races, bringing Chevrolet its first Trans Am championship. So it's no surprise that this rare slice of racing history sold for nearly $1 million on its latest trip across the block.

>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Team Penske Camaro right here in LS1 Tech Forum!

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