Sunoco was one of the first sponsors of the Trans-Am Series, which was created in 1966. The series is known for competition of pony cars such as the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, AMC Javelin and Dodge Challenger in the 1960s and 1970s.

These early years were dominated by Mark Donohue, who drove for the Sunoco-sponsored Penske Camaro team. He was the leading sports car racer of the time, winning three Trans-Am championships between 1967 and 1971 and dominating the CanAm circuit as well.

Donohue also made his mark on the Indianapolis 500 – winning rookie of the year in 1969 in his Sunoco Lola T-152, finishing second in 1970, and finishing first in 1972. For that victory, he received the coveted Borg-Warner Trophy, the world’s most renowned motorsports victory award.

Donohue died from injuries sustained from a crash during practice for the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix. In 1990, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.