high-performance Camaro

If you were to check your rearview mirror and find this hunkered-down Camaro behind you, there’s no question it would get your attention. And when it pulled alongside you, the brilliant red paint would certainly require a double-take, although there would be little time for anything more as it speeds toward the horizon. This is what a well-built super rod does to people.

One look at a car is generally all it takes to determine pretty much what it’s made of—whether it’s fast, incredibly slow or falls safely somewhere in between. There are always typical small details that reveal a car’s true identity, whether it’s a huge exhaust, healthy underpinnings, aggressive rubber on wide wheels, a large, efficient cooling system, a well-laid-out induction with appropriate fuel delivery, sturdy engine mounts and/or mounting, the size and scope of the ignition, as well as the inlet air system.

If you’ve attended a Goodguys event in the past couple of years, chances are you’ve seen this blue ’69 Camaro, owned by Stacy Tucker of Detroit Speed & Engineering. The car rarely sits still at a rod run, especially if there’s an autocross event on the grounds—then it’s time to race.