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1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 Drag Races 1969 Corvette L88, It's a Photo Finish

Built in only 69 units, the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 is so rare that most of us will never get to see one in the metal. And you can forget about spotting one at the drag strip because most of them are garage queens nowadays. Unless you attend Factory Stock Drag Race events because that's where some owners take their COPO-spec ZL-1s to stretch their wheels.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 vs 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 drag race 6 photos
Photo: Cars And Zebras/YouTube
1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1 vs 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 drag race1969 Chevrolet Corvette L881969 Chevrolet Corvette L881969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-11969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL-1
And to make things even more interesting, this blue Camaro was filmed while racing against another mean Chevrolet from 1969: the Corvette L88.

Fitted with an all-aluminum, 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8 designed for motorsport, the COPO ZL-1 was roled out as a special drag racing package. Conceived by drag racer Dick Harrell and ordered through Fred Gibb Chevrolet, the ZL-1's original purpose was to tackle NHRA Super Stock events.

The race-spec ZL-1 engine was among the most powerful mills available at the time. Chevrolet claimed it was good for 430 horsepower, but the mill was actually capable of around 550 horses.

The Corvette L88 also came with a 427 V8 under the hood. The unit was actually similar to the ZL-1, but it didn't have an aluminum block and lacked the Camaro's more aggressive cam. But it was also underrated at 430 horsepower on paper and good for more than 500 horses when the gas pedal hit the floor.

While not as rare as the Camaro ZL-1, the Corvette L88 also left the assembly line in limited numbers. Chevrolet put together only 116 in 1969, so they're notably rare and expensive nowadays. Seeing them together at the drag strip is a rare event.

Now before you hit that play button, you should know that both cars have been optimized for factory stock drag racing, as the series allows a few upgrades. But while they're no longer 100% factory stock, they still have their standard automatic gearboxes and, as the result suggests, still crank out similar output.

The result is incredibly close, the kind of outcome that would require a photo analysis in the absence of modern technology. I won't spoil it for you this time, but I will tell you that the winner's ET was only 0.05 seconds quicker. Hit play to watch the drama unfold.

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About the author: Ciprian Florea
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Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer.
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