Brooklyn Heavies Article with a DH 70 Camaro

[RichSchmidt]

Here is the deal on what happened to the 70 camaro and a little confusion about the wrecked 68.First off,there were rumors that the 68 camaro was sold to a guy named Rodger Sylvertry,fell off a trailer,sat outside a shop on Long Island and rusted into junk back in the 70's.The whole story is true except the car in question was Heavy"s 1970 car.The 68 was supposedly taken by the cops when they raided his shop back in the day,but witnesses said the car was in a shop somewhere else when the raid took place and that the car was never taken by the cops.There was a rumor that Heavy said the car was at his "down south house" and was taken from there,but that is some third hand info to me.When asked about the 68 there are sources that say that Carmine Rotunda knew exactly where the car was,but who knows if maybe the car he was talking about was the green car that Carmine raced himself.Carmine closed his shop about 3 years ago and I have no way of finding him now.

[Salvatore]

Carmen closed his shop about 3 yeras ago??? I thought he has been in Florida for about 15 years now. I heard he was down there selling hot dogs after him and Heavy broke things up. I also heard the rumor back in the day that Carmen was taking alot of the credit for the Vega running so good and it was really Heavy's car and money.

[RichSchmidt]

I was out there since I moved to my current house which was 2001,and he was open and doing well.I went down there about 3 years ago and the place was a newly opened Mattress store.He may have had a house in Florida for a while,but he was still up here until a few years ago.The speed shop didnt have anything to do with Heavy,and you are right that he did a lot of talking about how much he did on that Vega.As for the Camaro,I am Mentioning converastions that people had with him in the late 70's or early 80's about Heavy's old car sitting in a garage somewhere near his store and the owner refused to do anything with it.Who knows about that though.

[Salvatore]

Thanks for that update Rich! I loved those lazy Sunday afternoons at Raceway Park when they ran their weekly Pro Stock eliminator with Heavy, Carmen, Zul, Blevins and all the NY, North Jersey based racers competed and bet. Carmens dad was the ring leader what I remember in the pits! A great era!!

[cammer427]

So, Heavy owned TWO 1968 Camaros? One which was previously owned by Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins (a Rally Sport car). One car was orange, the other green. The green car was prepped and raced by Carmen Rotonda, the other by Heavy's crew. Which was the ex-Jenkins car? Which one was sold to this Roger Sylvestry (spelling correct?), which one fell off the car trailer and thus rendered scrap? Where is the other one (whichever of the two it may be)? Oh man, the confusion...

[cammer427]

Also, were the "London Heavy" cars (or was there only one?) in England related at all to Heavy's cars? Or was it just a fun name choice on the England racer's part?

[Salvatore]

Was Rotunda's green car ever Heavies car? Or just sponsored by him?

[COPO_Anders]

Of the two original "Heavy"-cars this one came to Sweden from England, and it is still here.


The other one, the Challenger,was shipped back to the US. if my memory serves me right. Pic is from Colorod #8 1974.

[Salvatore]

Still stealin our race cars arn't you Anders?

[cammer427]

Hmm, are you sure that '72-'74 Challenger was a Brooklyn Heavy car? Or did it originate in England and then later ship to the U.S.? I know he had a '71 Challenger, but not that late.