A special seven-car display will pay tribute to the history of the Player’s/GM Motorsport Challenge Series at this year’s Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo presented by eBay Motors. The historic stock cars will join a large assortment of vehicles found in the Gulf Race Fuels Racing Zone presented by Stoneridge Specialty Insurance, in Hall 1B.
The Player’s/GM series ran from 1986 to 1992, with races at notable tracks and events across the country, including Mosport, Trois-Rivières, Shannonville, Cayuga, Indy Toronto and Indy Vancouver. Drivers piloted Chevrolets and Pontiacs that General Motors produced specifically for the series.
Pascal Giguère will bring a 1991 Chevy Camaro Z28 1LE, raced by Kenny Wilden and Peter Cohen, and a 1992 Chevy Camaro Z28 1LE that never hit the track.
“Our display will feature both a raced and an unraced car, allowing people to compare them side-by-side and better understand how a showroom-stock car was built and used,” said Giguère. “Showing these cars at Motorama is especially meaningful because such a large and passionate fan base is located in Toronto.”
Doug Kemp will bring a 1987 Chevy Camaro IROC, raced by Ray Coffey, and a 1989 Chevy Camaro, raced by Paul Lawler before undergoing upgrades in various racing divisions over time. The series brings back fond memories for Kemp.
“I was 20 years old when that whole series started,” he said. “That was the car to have in the day. Living in this area – we’re right between Mosport and Shannonville – and a big GM town where we are, you’d see the cars driving around every once and a while, because they were street-able cars back in the day.”
Mike Richard will bring a 1991 Chevy Camaro Z28 1LE, originally raced by Terry Douglas before being upgraded for use in a street stock class at an oval track. Richard restored the car as a tribute to the late driver Joe Lapcevich Jr. and crew chief Mike Knowles, who both died in a crash when driving home from a race in 1992.
“I’m most looking forward to sharing the car’s history and resurrection with people who truly appreciate what it represents,” said Richard. “Seeing others connect with the story, the tribute behind the build, and the effort that went into bringing it back is what excites me the most. It’s a celebration of the car, the people it represents, and the community that keeps motorsport history alive.”
Bruce Pudsey will bring a 1992 Chevy Camaro LT1 R7U that he purchased from Ron Fellows, who was going to race the car in 1992 before a Trans-Am opportunity came along. Craig Priddle drove the car instead. The entry-level nature of the series is something that stood out to Pudsey.
“Anyone could get into it if they were willing to finance a race team,” he said. “I watched it almost from day one, so when I had a chance to be involved and purchase a car, I jumped on it.”
And Mike McGraw will bring a 1987 Chevy Camaro that Peter Lockhart raced in 1987 before it was wrecked and written off. After about a decade in a scrap yard, it was fixed up and used as a company car for an auto shop before later being restored. McGraw has an extensive collection and many memories from racing’s past.
“I’m a huge Camaro and Chevy fan,” he said. “I remember seeing these cars at the Molson Indy back in the day, when the Player’s series raced on the Saturday. I’m a big stock car fan. I’ve raced at Sunset, my mom raced at Pinecrest.”
Motorama takes place March 13, 14 & 15 at The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson Airport. For tickets and show info, and to read more about the seven cars, visit MotoramaShow.com.
ABOUT THE TORONTO MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The 11th annual Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo presented by eBay Motors takes place March 13, 14 & 15, 2026 at The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. The show features more than 330,000 square feet of custom cars, hot rods, racing vehicles of all kinds, trucks, tuners, displays and exhibitors. Motorama is Canada’s biggest late-winter celebration of automobiles and motorsports. For information about the show, including tickets, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more, call (416) 962-7223, email info@MotoramaShow.com or visit MotoramaShow.com.
