Chevrolet Z28 Camaro 1980 ATCC Sandown First Race Win

The 1980 Australian Touring Car Championship was a CAMS motor racing title for drivers of Group C Touring Cars. The Championship, which was the 21st running of the ATCC, began at Symmons Plains Raceway (Tasmania) and ended at Oran Park Raceway (New South Wales) after 8 rounds. There were two classes; Class A: the open class consisting of the Holden Commodore and Torana, Ford Falcon and Chevrolet Camaro. Class B: the Under 3 Litre class consisting of the Alfa Romeo Alfetta, Ford Capri and Escort, Isuzu Gemini, Mazda RX-3 and RX-7 and the Toyota Celica and Corolla. Both classes combining to make some exciting racing over the eight rounds of the Championship.
In 1980 the Chevrolet Z28 Camaro was the first really new car to challenge the Holden and Ford establishment in the ATCC since the radical rule changes of 1973. Under those rules, the Camaro might have had no trouble running disc brakes on its rear wheels. Under the 1980 rules, however the Camaro, like the Torana hatchbacks, was stuck with
its production drums, as featured in our 1/18 model.
Thanks to the Camaro, in this under-supported, under-prepared year, it was the only car to offer the HDT Commodore of Peter Brock any sustained challenge. Who knows what the Camaro could bring if it had the benefit of an extra year of Australian racing. It might have been sufficiently developed to have been faster than
all the Commodores.
By Round 4 at Sandown, Kevin Bartlett was chasing Peter Brock in the VB Commodore for the points lead. Like Round 2 at Calder, the Sandown race was run as two heats, and looked likely to become another Brock benefit when he won the first heat fairly easily from Bartlett. But, for the second and deciding heat Bartlett jumped into the lead from the start and held off all Brock's efforts to get by. Overall, the Sandown Round 4 had Kevin Bartlett first, from Peter Brock, whose fastest lap was set in the first heat, at 1.15.2. Bartlett's fastest lap was also set in that race, two tenths slower.
But for the Z28 Camaro, the Sandown Round was its first race win and Chevrolet's first round win in eight years.
For the 1980 ATCC season, Kevin Bartlett kept the Z28 Camaro well up in the results for most of the season, only beaten for the 1980 ATCC Championship by Peter Brock in the VB Commodore.

Features

A nice feature is the clear headlight protectors.

Interior fully detailed. Race seats, switch box, fire extinguisher, roll cage and more.

Racing seats have monogrammed soft harnesses with individual buckles for that realistic look.

The cabin interior features unique dash instruments that cover the original road car gauges.

The engine bay has an outstanding level of detail. This small block 350 Chev sits below the removable air box tray.

The air box tray is striking with the bright green air filter that uses real woven metal mesh. Soft rubber edges the tray to represent the seal.

Sprung loaded etched metal hinges hold this bonnet aloft. Note the lower cowl panel and windscreen wiper detail.

Boot interior looks very neat and tidy with the fuel filler contained and few parts to clutter the area. The cabin roll bars continuing into the boot are a nice touch.

The fuel filler assembly is a work of art fitting all the necessary componentry into such a compact housing.

The chassis is no exception, plenty of detail here too! Note the finely wound flexible cooling ducts connecting the front spoiler intakes to the front disc brakes. Annodised fittings adding that splash of colour.

The mid-chassis features the drive-shaft, custom exhaust and M22 Mucie type gearbox.

We have replicated the fibre glass leaf springs, anti-tramp linkages, axle and large capacity fuel tank.

Item includes certificate and production number plate, mounted to the chassis.