The quality of cars being built these days is impressive. As parts development and availability has improved dramatically in recent years, enthusiasts are diving into the deep end of the pool. This is especially true for cars like first gen Camaros and Firebirds, where world-class parts are available for every aspect of the car including suspension, brakes, drivetrain, accessories and more.
That’s only part of the story, though. People are the real driving force behind these builds. Efrain Diaz is one such example. He has built up his 1969 Camaro over time using top-tier parts. Along the way, Efrain has worked equally hard to improve his driving skills, too. In addition to some of the well known pro-touring specific events such as USCA, Efrain competes in SCCA Solo II competition in the recently created CAM class. CAM, which stands for “Classic American Muscle”, is a class that was created to attract cars participating at Goodguys Autocross events as well as at Ultimate Street Car Association events.
This is big news; it means that the venerable Sports Car Club of America is taking hot rod muscle cars seriously. It also means that enthusiasts like Efrain Diaz have a truly national playground as well as a formal yardstick with which to measure their cars’ performance. Cars like Efrain Diaz’ 1969 Camaro compete in the CAM-T class. The T stands for “Traditional”. Historically, the SCCA has taken stock vehicles and allowed limited levels of performance modifications such as shocks, tires and brake pads to create classes. As no two pro-touring cars are alike, the radical differences contradicted the SCCA’s core philosophy. Times have changed and the SCCA wrote CAM rules to welcome a diverse range of cars and components.
Efrain Diaz is thrilled to have a multitude of competition events at his disposal. He recently placed fourth in CAM-T at the SCCA San Diego CAM Challenge, then he dashed up to Las Vegas to compete in the USCA event. He placed second in the GTV class. Just last weekend, Efrain was back racing in California at the NMCA/SCCA Pro Solo double header, where he finished third in CAM-T. It would be nice to see how his car stacks up at a Goodguys autocross; we’d love to see him find his way to Scottsdale in the fall!
The Car:
Efrain’s 1969 Camaro is as homegrown as they come. A true hands-on guy, Efrain handled the welding and paint work as well as the wrench-turning. The front suspension consists of a Scott Mock tubular subframe with Corvette C5 suspension, and the rear suspension consists of a RideTech Bolt-On Four-Link. A Chassisworks mini-tub accommodates extra wide tires. Like most top competitors these days, Efrain runs RideTech TQ Series triple-adjustable coil-overs with remote reservoirs. A RideTech TigerCage helps to tie the chassis together and provide shoulder mounting points for his racing harness.
Under the hood, Efrain sourced an LS7 and worked diligently to mount the dry sump system without undermining his RS hidden headlights. The engine is backed by a McLeod RST clutch and an Tremec T-56 six speed manual transmission. Wilwood disc brakes can be seen peeking through the Fikse FM5 modular forged wheels. Last but not least, the cockpit consists of Recaro seats from a Mitsubishi EVO.
RideTech encourages its customers to get their cars done, then get out and drive…and guys like Efrain Diaz do just that! For those who are thinking about escalating their driving experience by competing at events like Goodguys, SCCA CAM, and USCA, follow Efrain’s example. It IS possible to have it all!
To learn more about SCCA Classic American Muscle Class, click HERE
For up to date news on Competitive Pro-Touring events, visit AutoX and Track HERE
