John Bishop joined the SCCA staff in 1955 as its director of competition. He became the club's executive director in 1956 and ran the SCCA until 1969. When politics cost the backing of SCCA board, he quit and founded IMSA.
Trans Am racing has been from 1966 to 1971 the first road racing series in the US. When introduced in the US, the series had appeared as a very attractive one. The 1966 season was a mix of under and over 2,0L cars. Alfa Romeos, Ford Cortinas, Ford Mustangs, Dodge Darts, Plymouth Barracudas were a very appreciated field. Many drivers made their debut in this series which was gaining momentum at that point. Drivers such as Jacky Ickx, Sir John Whitmore, Jochen Rindt, Hubert Hahne were the European drivers who drove the small works cars. Races were essentially small enduros, which enabled small sedans to beat bigger cars. For 1967, plans were made to limit the series to about 8 races, but finally there were 12 races run. The series became the Trans Am as the name "Sedan" was dropped. Big cars became the way to go and Lincoln Mercury entered the series with big names. Ed Leslie, Parnelli Jones and Dan Gurney were the drivers.
The first Camaros appeared in 1967. Roger Penske had a pair of them for Mark Donohue and Craig Fisher. Jerry Titus drove a Ford Mustang. Bob Tullius had a Dodge Dart and the Under 2,0L was a battle between Peter Gregg's Porsche 911 and Horst Kwech Alfa Romeo. At the end of the season, Ford won the manufacturers championship,just two points ahead of the Mercury cousin factory. Chevrolet was third with its Camaro. The 1968 saw some changes as Mercury did nof enter the series. Bigger tyres could be used and cars could use full 5,0Liter engines. Some adjustments were made on the weight, but nothing drastic. Some early races were coupled with the World Championship for Makes races. American Motors was the newcomer to this series. John Bishop had copyrighted the Can Am and Trans Am names. This well foseseen decision had helped keep the SCCA afloat with the Pontiac dollars. The 1968 season was a Mark and Jerry show and showed the Trans Am beginning to grow as a major road racing series. Roger Penske was fighting hard against the Ford factory effort, if was hard times for one of Amsrica's most renowned auto racing manager. Mark Donohue began his winning streak by winning that first championship. He would win the next year too. In 1969, Pontiac introduced the Firebird. It would be the last year Under and Over 2,0L cars would run together. The SCCA was having trouble with its staff and incessant changes would lead John Bishop to his resignment. However, the series itself provided a stiff competition between pony cars and 1970 would be the best year ever. It was the year Dodge, Plymouth, American Motors, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Ford would have a great year. Dan Gurney, Sam Posey, Parnelli Jones, George Follmer, Jim Hall, Mark Donohue, Ed Leslie and many others made the Trans Am become the reference in road racing. Mark Donohue won the championship and AMC won for the first time the manufacturer's title. 1971 was the year everything changed with nearly every works team dropping from the series. American Motors was the sole works team and Mark Donohue would dominate the series. Many independant drivers began to make for a mixed field of drivers. The Trans Am series was losing its aura quietly but surely. George Follmer had three wins to finish second overall. As the series lost its appeal, it became obvious for many team owners that gaining sponsorship would become more and more difficult. George Follmer would inherit a Javelin drive. The Penske cars had been sold to Roy Woods, who fielded them. At that point, the series provided a relative good field of drivers, but the purses remained quite poor. Quality seemed to be the real major problem. Even though talented drivers such as Warren Tope, Warren Agor or Milt Minter would start your classical race, it was not enough to attract crowds. Many race venues would be cancelled and the series really had hard times.At the end and as expected, it was Javelin who took the series honors. The SCCA Trans Am future laid in a drastic chanbe of rules. As John Bishop's new series was taking off, it was clear that things would have to change.
It actually did as cars such as Chevrolet Corvettes, Porsche Carreras, De Tomaso Panteras and the usual Camaros and Mustangs now would be the new Trans Am cars. The Trans Am series had become IMSA's far cousin! In fact, it was a period when teams and drivers would have a return on investment with their cars. Most of the top teams would participate in the two series. The cars would be adapted to the two series very fast as rules looked quite the same. It was a great benefit for the traveling fan who could see his favorite cars and drivers every week. Peter Gregg won the 1973 and 1974 Championships in the same car that he ran in the IMSA series. In 1975, a reverse of rules made the series a home series for A,B and C production cars. In fact, the series was a far cry from expected, and a total failure. John Greenwood was an easy 1975 Champion. It changed a lot from 1976 to 1979 when the SCCA introduced a new set of rules. Two categories would be introduced. The problem was that the rules were difficult to understand, even for the race teams! The category II cars would produce the winners with Porsche 935s and 934s Turbos, hairy Chevrolet Corvettes and Monzas. The same cars found in the IMSA Championship. However, the 1976 season had begun in a strange way. IMSA had not approved the 934 homologation , and Porsche's Joe Hoppen had been happy to find a home for the newly acquired Porsche 934s. The SCCA's Trans Am had regained some kind of interest as the best IMSA drivers could be found in the Trans Am. Again, the cars would be completely race ready for the two series, with some minor changes. At the end of the 1976 season, the 934 was allowed to enter IMSA. George Follmer won the 1976 Championship category II in a Porsche 934 and Jocko Maggiacomo the category I.1977 seemed to go the same way and races were quite the same as what you could find in IMSA. Ludwig Heimrath was the 1977 Champion, Bob Tullius winning Category I on his Group 44 Jaguar XJS. Greg Pickett the 1978 Champion. However, racing costs would lead the series to a new fiasco, and the attendance again began to drop to a low point. John Paul easily won the 1979 Championship Category II driving a Porsche 935, while Gene Bothello won Category I on his Corvette. Fields began to lose any consistency and the SCCA again was having bad times. In the meantime, IMSA was becoming a World Class series. Many European drivers were to be found at the start of the races. Purses were increasing and regularly paid. For the SCCA again, it was time to go another way and 1980 saw a new set of regulations. Performance-handicapping via a weight to displacement table. Largely based upon the category I from the 1976-1979 period, the series consisted of domestic and imported cars. Every car was stock-appearing and this fact made a lot for the series new health. It really seemed the way to go and quite promising. Porsche won that first season as John Bauer won over a bunch of Corvettes. Now the Trans Am was different from the IMSA series and gaining a new identity. The 1981 season would show an improvement and Eppie Wietzes emerged as the series champion. The series new appeal came from the welcome variety of cars as well as a bunch of excellent drivers. Many different winners proved the series was on the verge of success. 1982 saw a new make emerge as a winner, and one excellent driver win the Championship. Elliot Forbes Robinson won in a Joe Huffaker Pontiac Firebird. New drivers went to victory lane as Paul Newman, Jerry Hansen or Tom Gloy each won a race. You could even find a Mercedes 450SL! For 1983, was the return to big time racing, with a De Atley first class team. David Hobbs won the Championship in a highly disputed Championship. The year was a return for Lincoln Mercury, Tom Gloy fought hard to finish third in points behind Hobbs and Willy T Ribbs. For1984, they would take their revenge. Tom Gloy powered his Capri to a well deserved title. Greg Pickett finished second and Willy T Ribbs was third. From that period, the series remained unchanged, and a late wheel width adjustment was made in 1986. From 1985 to 1987, it was the Roush Racing period, Wally Dallenbach Jr won the 1985 and 1986 Championship and Scott Pruett the 1987 one. Then the Audi Quattro appeared to dominate the 1988 Championship, and Hurley Haywood won. This dominance led to another change as the backbone of the fields then consisted of domestic cars as imported cars were not to be seen. This was quite a pity as fields looked like some single make series. The series had regained a new but domestic identity. The American spectator surely liked it but it was clearly going a different way the IMSA series went. But it has remained from that period one of the best racing series in the US.
