The early years

Back in the early 70’s Vince Tosto bought a 1967 camaro 327 3 speed manual because his dad had told him no 4 speeds, insurance will be too high. Vince wanted more speed, so he tore into the car changing the cam to the GM white sheet cam, 461 heads, headers etc. Vince threw a set of slicks in the trunk and off to the track he went. Alton Dragway in Illinois was a AHRA track, he ran 2E which in today’s classes would be Super Stock E and ran a best of 12.70’s at 109. He was not able to powershift the car due to the clutch sticking to the floor at high rpm. They have come along way from then, but 12.70’s was pretty quick for a small block 327 3 speed back in 1971 that was driven everyday on the street.

Tim, Vince’s son tell us his dad had sold that car in the 70’s, but always had a muscle car or drag car of some kind, always a 4 speed too. Tim was at the track every weekend with his dad growing up. Early 2000 Tim’s dad sold his Bickel built Pro Stock Grand Prix and found a gold 67 Camaro street car totally stock. Vince made a clone of the Camaro that he bought and raced in the early 70’s. He updated the Camaro with the latest parts of the day. He had the car painted the correct gold and added the black vinyl top and basically restored the car, and added a roll cage.

Vince Tosto

Vince ran the Camaro in S/ST with a 355 sbc 4 speed and no electronics, he actually won a national open at KCIR. Tim drove the car several times and always was very comfortable in it and did very well in the car. Tim and his uncle Tony were running stock the time. Tim had turned his 99 LS1 Camaro into a stocker in 2009 and he loved stock eliminator, he was hooked. Tim then talked his dad into putting the 396 out of Tim’s uncles car into the gold Camaro. Tim’s uncle had sold his car and was building a 69 Camaro for B/S so the 396 was available. They ran it for a couple years and they all had allot of fun driving it, Their best pass was 10.47 at 127.50 in A/S.

Tim Tosto

Tim’s dad decided to sell the gold Camaro to become an NHRA tech inspector for Division 5 where he still is today and having a blast doing it. Tim still owning his orange 99 Camaro that his brother and him raced on the T.V. show PINKS and was voted #1 by viewers choice was not able to purchases the gold Camaro. Even though Tim loved driving the gold Camaro, the timing was not right for him to buy it. The 99 Camaro is a great car and Tim even set the C/S record at 10.48 at 127.50 mph with it. Tim learned allot with his 99 Camaro and had a ball in stock. Tim realized stock eliminator is where he wanted to be, he met a lots of great people and loves the heads up racing in class.  In 2013 Tim was ready to part with the 99 Camaro that had treated him so well. Tim put the Camaro up for sale with no luck. He re-listed in 2014 and got a call from a guy that was interested in it. Tim was not really looking for another car and was thinking about teaming up with his uncle and just driving his uncles car for the 2015 season. The same week the gold Camaro happened to go up for sale, and it was the same guy that bought it from Tim’s dad. The guy called asking if anyone wanted to buy it. Tim’s first thought was this is to good to be true, “I gotta buy this car back now!” says Tim. Tim knew he had to sell the 99 Camaro in order for this to work. He did everything in his power to try and make this deal work knowing everything happens for a reason. Tim sold the 99 Camaro and bought the gold Camaro back the same week in November of 2014. Tim has since redid the gold Camaro making it a complete frame off, and  shooting for that 9 sec pass someday. Tim has a build thread going on at the classracer.com build section right now showing progress and photos, click here> classracer.com. It will be a 396 alum head with a 4 speed combo. Tim tells us its family tradition to run a 4 speed.  As Alan Reinhart says “I’ll bet there grandma drives a stickshift”. Tim always wonders why he was born left footed and right handed. He’s guessing it all makes sense now. What better combo for a stick racer than a 396 4 speed Camaro.

The next generation, Trent Tosto learning the 4 speed.