Sportsman Spotlight: Keith Caviness’ 1968 Camaro

Keith Caviness 4

There’s something to be said for working on your own car. There are many aspects of car ownership that come to light when you’re the one turning the wrenches. First off, you don’t have to worry about someone else screwing up your car. Secondly, you don’t have to wait on a shop to work on your car.

For Rockwell, Texas’ Keith Caviness of KC Racing, “I’m too poor to have someone else do my work”, Keith says. He’s owned this Camaro for 20 years, and most of its life, it was a streetcar. That is, until he found No-Prep racing. “I remember when all the promoters and track racers called it dumb and said it would never go anywhere”, he says.

This is the 588-inch big block Chevy combination, but the engine is out at the moment, getting punched out to 612 cubic inches. To help Keith keep up with the current crop of chassis cars and Pro Mods, he'll be spraying three stage of Nitrous Express goodness.

This is the 588 cubic-inch big-block Chevy combination, but the engine is out at the moment, getting punched out to 612 cubic inches. To help Keith keep up with the current crop of chassis  and Pro Mod cars, he’ll be spraying three stages of Nitrous Express goodness.

Until recently, this Camaro was powered by a 588 cubic-inch big-block Chevy on two kits of Nitrous Express goodness. Currently, the engine is out of the car as Keith opens it up to 612 cubic-inches. His plan is to run three stages of nitrous through the new engine. With the 588 cubic-inch combination, two kits delivered 700 horsepower, and even though he wouldn’t give us the power number he is planning get with the 612ci engine, he did say it would be substantially more than that.

Keith chuckled as he told us, “The car is an old-school build, featuring only a back half narrowed frame, and it will stay that way.” The body is all-steel with a factory firewall, and according to Keith,  “It’s a street car that is setup for street and No-Prep racing.” Keith acknowledges that it’s hard for a back half car to stay competitive with the current trend of using Pro Mod-style cars, but he believes the fans are drawn to the good, old fashioned street cars. “Pro Mods are cool, don’t get me wrong, but I like to represent the small guy that builds his car in a garage with good friends, and keeps it fun,” Keith says.

This was he result of a Cash Days crash when another car came over into Keith's lane, causing both cars to hit a tree and light pole, and wind up in a ditch. Thanks to good friends, Keith's Camaro was back together in six weeks.

This was he result of a Cash Days crash when another car came over into Keith’s lane, causing both cars to hit a tree and light pole, and end up in a ditch. Thanks to good friends, Keith’s Camaro was back together in six weeks.

One thing that wasn’t fun for Keith was a crash in February of 2015 at a Cash Days-type event. He was racing another 1968 Camaro when the other driver “got loose” as Keith puts it, sending both cars through a tree and a light pole. Luckily, both drivers walked away, and Keith’s friends ‘Barefoot’ Ronnie Pace and David ‘Bird’ Jones, just to name a few, helped him get the Camaro back in racing shape in just six weeks.

For Keith, it doesn’t sound like he’ll join the current crop of Pro Mods hitting the street. “I will continue to try and go faster, but I will definitely stay with the old-school back half chassis”, he says. “I will continue to give the chassis and Pro Mod cars hell.”

Keith tells us the Camaro will always be a back half car, because he feels that's what the fan really want to see. Something that will also never change is the support from his wife Tami, and four kids.

Keith tells us the Camaro will always be a back half car, because he feels that’s what the fan really want to see. Something that will also never change is the support from his wife Tami, and four kids.

About the author

Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson brings his years of experience in the Mustang aftermarket and performance industry to StangTV. He has been passionate about cars since childhood, with a special affinity for the Mustang.
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