1971 Trans Am with Roy Woods

Ford, Dodge, Plymouth, Chevrolet, and Pontiac all pulled manufacturer support of their Trans Am programs before the start of the 1971 season. Both Penske Javelins were transferred to the Roy Woods Racing team. Roy Woods Racing received technical and parts support from the Penske team. In addition, Roy Woods Racing was sponsored by the AMC Dealers Association. Both cars were updated with 1971 Javelin body panels, and Peter Revson moved from the Penske team to the RWR team and became the lead driver for Roy Woods Racing. Tony drove for Roy Woods racing for the first four races they participated in for the 1971 season.

In 1971, I was teamed up with Peter Revson on Roy Woods’ Javelin team. We were supposed to have equally prepared cars, but the cars weren’t. Roger Penske and Mark Donohue worked very closely with Roy Woods, and they had a lot of input into what went into our cars. When you have a two-car effort, ideally, you make both cars as good as they can be, because one of the drivers should be in contention to win the race. What happened, unknown to me, was that my car became the test car for a lot of the new ideas, and Peter’s became the race car. My car was usually the fastest but, because of the experimental pieces, things on the car quite often broke.

I drove with Peter Revson in the bright yellow and black #68 and #69 AMC trans-am Javelins. We sometimes switched cars, but always set them up differently as far as chassis adjustments, etc.

ARA press release flyer

I often out-drove Peter in many testing sessions and races. Peter, having a larger-than-life image and name, was Roy’s favorite at the time. These were great looking, as were all of Roy’s cars.

May 8, 1971

Lime Rock Schaefer Trans Am

Lime Rock Connecticut

Grid: 3rd

Result: DNF – Off track (Rain)

On the first lap of the race, Peter, Mark, Parnelli, and I were running in a tight group. When Parnelli and I got to the right-hander after the hump, I was on the apex and Parnelli tried to pass me on the outside of the corner, which is a place you don’t want to be, especially in the rain. We began to lean on each other and Parnelli left the track and headed for a ditch.

When I came around again, I could see that his car was in a ditch across the track, nose down with the tail straight up in the air. Parnelli and the corner workers somehow got the car out of the ditch, over the guardrail, and back onto the track.

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Competition Press & Autoweek

Tony shows a fan his car.

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Michael Keyser photo (autosportsltd.com)

Tony and Revson exchanged places several times during the race.

Adamowicz collection – Michael Keyser photo (autosportsltd.com)

Adamowicz collection

Tony in the rain

Competition Press photo

Adamowicz collection – Pete Biro photo

Adamowicz collection – Bill Oursler photo

Follmer leads after damaging Tony’s left front fender.

Adamowicz collection

Adamowicz collection – Competition Press & Autoweek

As the race progressed, I was chasing Mark into Turn 1, and I got over my head going into the corner. I realized that I had a problem so I went down the escape road and started to turn the car around so that I could get back on the track. The escape road was very narrow, and I got the front wheels over the curb and into a muddy area while I was trying to turn around. The car got hung up on the curbing and I got stuck. I went back to the pit area to get a jack, but the officials refused to allow me to take a floor jack across the track and retrieve my car.

Kas Kastner and I enjoy a funny moment at my 30th birthday party held at Roy Woods’ race shop in May of 1971. Notice the Javelin behind us.

Adamowicz collection

May 31, 1971

Bryar 200 Trans Am Championship Races

Bryar Motorsport Park

Loudon New Hampshire

Grid: Pole (tied)

Result: DNF – Engine

Mark, Follmer, and I tied for the pole at Bryar with the exact same qualifying time. Can you imagine that? I’m not sure that situation had ever happened before, or that it has ever happened since. The SCCA decided to have us draw straws to see who would start on the pole, and Follmer won. I started second, and Mark started third. The three of us ran close together until I started to use up my tires and the oil pressure failed.

At Bryar Motorsport Park, it was the first time in a professional event that all three front row drivers qualified with identical lap times.

Mark Donohue…Javelin, George Follmer…Mustang and your truly in a Javelin… all qualified within 1/100th of one second.

Birdie Martin” from SCCA, and Charlie Rainville the Chief Steward of the event, decided there was not enough time to re-qualify us. So they said to “Draw Straws”. We did; so Mark got Pole, I was second, George was third. I made my point that since I was the leading “Pole” I should be granted the pole, but that didn’t fly.

Adamowicz collection – Joe Cali photo

Adamowicz collection – Competition Press & Autoweek

Adamowicz collection – Bob Karambelas photo

Mark, Tony and Follmer at start at Bryar Motorsport Park

Mom & Dad overlooking our pit at Bryar, New Hampshire.

My parents were there, Mom in a wheelchair, her first race to watch me. She was quite nervous about that and all the noise, etc. My Dad went to several races including a Trans Am Win at Lime Rock, CT with the 911 and Formula 5000 Eagle. He also went to St. Jovite, Canada when I drove the Eagle there. But this was the only time they were at a race together to see me run.

Adamowicz collection

Tony with “The Captain” Roger Penske at Bryar

Tony and Roger 41 years later at the 2012 Road Racing Driver’s Club banquet in Long Beach, California.

Adamowicz collection – Steve Johnson photo

Adamowicz collection – Barry Tenin photo

Adamowicz collection – Competition Press & Autoweek

June 6, 1971

Mid-Ohio Trans Am

Lexington, Ohio

Grid: 4th

Result: DNF

The Roy Woods Javelins (Adamowicz collection – Clay Carpenter photo)

Adamowicz collection – Pete Lyons photo (petelyons.com)

Adamowicz collection

Peter Revson in the ARA tent

Mansfield News-Journal 5/30/71 clipping

Adamowicz collection – Competition Press & Autoweek

July 4, 1971

Donnybrooke GBX Trans Am

Brainerd, Minnesota

Grid: 5th

Result: DNF (suspension)

At Donnybrooke, I broke the uprights on my car, and it became a very big issue with Roy Woods. Woods accused me of shortcutting the corners by going over the curb strips and I told him that that wasn’t true. He said he had proof from a photograph that had been taken at the corner but when he produced the photo, it showed Peter on the curb strips and not me. The reason for my car breaking, and not Peter’s, was that my uprights were made out of lighter material than Peter’s. Woods tried to blame everyone for the problems that we were having, and everyone was running around trying to cover their ass. As you weII know, the supposed quickest fix to any racing problem is to change the nut behind the wheel.

I had an overly full schedule driving Ferrari 512’s, Porsche 917s and McLaren Can-Am cars, so was eventually replaced. A of couple years later, Roy invited me back to drive his Formula-5000 Lola.