AMC Javelin SST Mark Donohue
When Mark Donohue was signed up as driver for AMC's Javelin team, it showed American Motors was getting serious. They also brought on board a real power house team noted for brutal efficiency in organization and tactics. The Roger Penske team was responsible for putting Z28 in the winner's circle most often in 1969 with their blue Sunoco-Penske coupes. Ford was breaking in their new BOSS 302 that year and learned a lot about the car, including their valves being a bit too big for street use. Mark Donohue took the wheel of a Javelin for the 1970 season and got the car moving in the right direction. By the fall of 1970, Donohue made a solid impression of Javelin among race fans even though Ford won the series that year with the BOSS 302 piloted by George Follmer and . 1971 became AMC's year to shine in the series as a winner.
Donohue didn't just sign on as a pilot. He held and engineering degree and was pivotal to improving the car's performance. The Donohue spoiler is for real. AMC had it working and adjustable by 1969 but it wasn't doing the job. Donohue revised it using his experience from the Camaro spoiler development and got the unit creating real downforce. Donohue's ability to explain what was going on with the car to mechanics and suspension gurus helped dial in the Javelin better. To make the spoiler legal for competition, AMC had to release a street going version of the car with the unit. So the Mark Donohue Edition Javelin was born for 1970.
Information from:
phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com/2018/06/american-classi...
AMC Javelin SST Mark Donohue
When Mark Donohue was signed up as driver for AMC's Javelin team, it showed American Motors was getting serious. They also brought on board a real power house team noted for brutal efficiency in organization and tactics. The Roger Penske team was responsible for putting Z28 in the winner's circle most often in 1969 with their blue Sunoco-Penske coupes. Ford was breaking in their new BOSS 302 that year and learned a lot about the car, including their valves being a bit too big for street use. Mark Donohue took the wheel of a Javelin for the 1970 season and got the car moving in the right direction. By the fall of 1970, Donohue made a solid impression of Javelin among race fans even though Ford won the series that year with the BOSS 302 piloted by George Follmer and . 1971 became AMC's year to shine in the series as a winner.
Donohue didn't just sign on as a pilot. He held and engineering degree and was pivotal to improving the car's performance. The Donohue spoiler is for real. AMC had it working and adjustable by 1969 but it wasn't doing the job. Donohue revised it using his experience from the Camaro spoiler development and got the unit creating real downforce. Donohue's ability to explain what was going on with the car to mechanics and suspension gurus helped dial in the Javelin better. To make the spoiler legal for competition, AMC had to release a street going version of the car with the unit. So the Mark Donohue Edition Javelin was born for 1970.
Information from:
phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com/2018/06/american-classi...