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The 1981 season brings a major change to the ISCRA Camel Cup Series. Due to the global energy crisis, car manufacturers have downsized their cars, forcing ISCRA to adapt by mandating vehicles to have a 110-inch wheelbase. Testing and rumors over the winter have suggested that Pontiac's sleek Le Mans may have the best aerodynamics of all the new cars, but only time will tell if that's the case...
#9 - Eddie McCarthy - AMC Factory Racing
1980 Points Finish: 1st
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 8
Top 10s: 13
The Georgia native finally wins his first championship in convincing fashion. While he only won a single race, he made sure it was the biggest one of all, securing his first Daytona 500 with a dominating performance. His consistency set him apart from the rest of the field, and being just one of two drivers to make each race in 1980 certainly helped him in the standings. He returns to AMC Factory Racing in 1981 driving their all-new Javelin. He's the championship favorite for '81, and if this past season is anything to go by, it won't be particularly close.
#76 - Clint Kelly - Marshall Whitley
1980 Points Finish: 3rd
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 8
Top 10s: 13
With an identical statline to the champion, you'd think Clint Kelly would have been battling Eddie McCarthy all season long, but that's not the case. Failing to qualify for three races dashed his championship hopes before they could even begin. Even then, a top-three in points is something to be proud of for this historically part-time team, so maybe with some luck you'll see them on the sharp end of the standings again this season. Unocal 76 returns once again to sponsor Kelly and Marshall Whitley's team.
#91 - Frank Olsen - AMC Factory Racing
1980 Points Finish: 4th
Wins: 5
Top 5s: 10
Top 10s: 12
For a brief moment, Frank Olsen looked like he was going to steal the championship away from Eddie McCarthy, but even with five wins, you still have to show up if you want to have a shot. Frank returns to the No. 91 in 1981, but rumor in the garage is that he's unhappy with AMC's focus on the other two drivers, and he may be looking for a new ride by the end of the year.
#29 - Ken Morales - Morales Motorsports
1980 Points Finish: 6th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 4
Top 10s: 11
Despite a great 1980 season, Ken Morales spent the offseason wondering if he was going to be coming back at all after Armor All left the team. Luckily, he was able to score a lucrative deal with Gatorade for '81 and '82, which is reportedly one of the highest paid sponsorships in the series at the moment. He's looking forward to competing for the championship in his all-new Javelin.
#88 - Billy Koehler - Koehler Enterprises
1980 Points Finish: 10th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 11
1980 was a strange down year for Koehler, one of the most popular drivers in the sport. He only won a single race, the penultimate event at Atlanta, and his season was marred by hard crashes and tough luck. It's certainly not helped by the departure of his previous sponsor Caterpillar, but Budweiser has moved over to the No. 88 team with the confidence that the kid from Dunlap, Tennessee can return to form in 1981.
#55 - Darryl Forrester - Norm Snyder
1980 Points Finish: 8th
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 9
You'd think after winning 3 of the last 4 championships that Darryl Forrester would continue his reign as the most dominant driver in ISCRA. Somehow, he went winless, with two top fives and a pole at Dover being the highlights of his season. To make matters worse, Busch left the team at season's end. Some are attributing it to a championship hangover, while others think his small team has been usurped by the big factory efforts by AMC and Chevrolet. Regardless, he's back in 1981 with new sponsorship from Kendall Motor Oil, and we'll see if he can get back to dominating the series as we've seen in the past.
#19 - Steve Stewart - AMC Factory Racing
1980 Points Finish: 7th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 3
Top 10s: 13
How well do you think a road ringer with barely any oval experience did in his first full-time season in a stock car? That's right, he finished top ten in points and won the Southern 500! Steve Stewart's sudden and dramatic rise to stardom in ISCRA has been very well documented over the past year and a half, and it's safe to say he's going to keep climbing in 1981.
#7 - Jerry Walker - Donahue Racing
1980 Points Finish: 11th
Wins: 2
Top 5s: 6
Top 10s: 11
After spending the first eight seasons driving the No. 31 car for the eccentric J.T. Green, Jerry Walker has chosen to move on with a new team for 1981. He joins Paul Donahue's revamped Chevrolet outfit with an impressive sponsorship deal from Best Products. A change of scenery may be what he needs to become a championship threat again.
#31 - Chuck Magnum - J.T. Green Racing
1980 Points Finish: n/a
Rookie Chuck Magnum has big shoes to fill as he steps into the No. 31 Ford for 1981. He's already made a name for himself by winning basically every big dirt race in the country, and he's confident his skill will transfer over to stock cars.
#20 - George McCoy - George McCoy Motorsports
1980 Points Finish: 14th
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 10
ISCRA's first champion and de facto ambassador George McCoy will return to doing what he does best for 1981: winning. He didn't pick up a checkered flag this past season, but dominant runs at Darlington and Rockingham last season show that he's still got what it takes to compete against the big guns. He's entering year 3 of factory Oldsmobile support, and with the debut of the all-new Cutlass, it's not a question of if he'll win in 1981, it's how much he'll win.
#9 - Eddie McCarthy - AMC Factory Racing
1980 Points Finish: 1st
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 8
Top 10s: 13
The Georgia native finally wins his first championship in convincing fashion. While he only won a single race, he made sure it was the biggest one of all, securing his first Daytona 500 with a dominating performance. His consistency set him apart from the rest of the field, and being just one of two drivers to make each race in 1980 certainly helped him in the standings. He returns to AMC Factory Racing in 1981 driving their all-new Javelin. He's the championship favorite for '81, and if this past season is anything to go by, it won't be particularly close.
#76 - Clint Kelly - Marshall Whitley
1980 Points Finish: 3rd
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 8
Top 10s: 13
With an identical statline to the champion, you'd think Clint Kelly would have been battling Eddie McCarthy all season long, but that's not the case. Failing to qualify for three races dashed his championship hopes before they could even begin. Even then, a top-three in points is something to be proud of for this historically part-time team, so maybe with some luck you'll see them on the sharp end of the standings again this season. Unocal 76 returns once again to sponsor Kelly and Marshall Whitley's team.
#91 - Frank Olsen - AMC Factory Racing
1980 Points Finish: 4th
Wins: 5
Top 5s: 10
Top 10s: 12
For a brief moment, Frank Olsen looked like he was going to steal the championship away from Eddie McCarthy, but even with five wins, you still have to show up if you want to have a shot. Frank returns to the No. 91 in 1981, but rumor in the garage is that he's unhappy with AMC's focus on the other two drivers, and he may be looking for a new ride by the end of the year.
#29 - Ken Morales - Morales Motorsports
1980 Points Finish: 6th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 4
Top 10s: 11
Despite a great 1980 season, Ken Morales spent the offseason wondering if he was going to be coming back at all after Armor All left the team. Luckily, he was able to score a lucrative deal with Gatorade for '81 and '82, which is reportedly one of the highest paid sponsorships in the series at the moment. He's looking forward to competing for the championship in his all-new Javelin.
#88 - Billy Koehler - Koehler Enterprises
1980 Points Finish: 10th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 11
1980 was a strange down year for Koehler, one of the most popular drivers in the sport. He only won a single race, the penultimate event at Atlanta, and his season was marred by hard crashes and tough luck. It's certainly not helped by the departure of his previous sponsor Caterpillar, but Budweiser has moved over to the No. 88 team with the confidence that the kid from Dunlap, Tennessee can return to form in 1981.
#55 - Darryl Forrester - Norm Snyder
1980 Points Finish: 8th
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 9
You'd think after winning 3 of the last 4 championships that Darryl Forrester would continue his reign as the most dominant driver in ISCRA. Somehow, he went winless, with two top fives and a pole at Dover being the highlights of his season. To make matters worse, Busch left the team at season's end. Some are attributing it to a championship hangover, while others think his small team has been usurped by the big factory efforts by AMC and Chevrolet. Regardless, he's back in 1981 with new sponsorship from Kendall Motor Oil, and we'll see if he can get back to dominating the series as we've seen in the past.
#19 - Steve Stewart - AMC Factory Racing
1980 Points Finish: 7th
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 3
Top 10s: 13
How well do you think a road ringer with barely any oval experience did in his first full-time season in a stock car? That's right, he finished top ten in points and won the Southern 500! Steve Stewart's sudden and dramatic rise to stardom in ISCRA has been very well documented over the past year and a half, and it's safe to say he's going to keep climbing in 1981.
#7 - Jerry Walker - Donahue Racing
1980 Points Finish: 11th
Wins: 2
Top 5s: 6
Top 10s: 11
After spending the first eight seasons driving the No. 31 car for the eccentric J.T. Green, Jerry Walker has chosen to move on with a new team for 1981. He joins Paul Donahue's revamped Chevrolet outfit with an impressive sponsorship deal from Best Products. A change of scenery may be what he needs to become a championship threat again.
#31 - Chuck Magnum - J.T. Green Racing
1980 Points Finish: n/a
Rookie Chuck Magnum has big shoes to fill as he steps into the No. 31 Ford for 1981. He's already made a name for himself by winning basically every big dirt race in the country, and he's confident his skill will transfer over to stock cars.
#20 - George McCoy - George McCoy Motorsports
1980 Points Finish: 14th
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 10
ISCRA's first champion and de facto ambassador George McCoy will return to doing what he does best for 1981: winning. He didn't pick up a checkered flag this past season, but dominant runs at Darlington and Rockingham last season show that he's still got what it takes to compete against the big guns. He's entering year 3 of factory Oldsmobile support, and with the debut of the all-new Cutlass, it's not a question of if he'll win in 1981, it's how much he'll win.
