McAllister Clinches TA2 West Coast Championship With Win at COTA
October 8, 2019
The sizzling Texas heat didn't slow down Wired Motorsport’s TA2 driver Brad McAllister. The Cope Ford Mustang sponsored by Periodontal Associates, www.PortlandImplantDentistry.com, claimed victory in the final race of the Trans Am presented by Pirelli West Coast Championship Series. Wired Motorsports entered the weekend trailing the championship leader, Anthony Honeywell, by two points and only a few points ahead of third place, Michael Mihld. Only a perfect weekend would guarantee a shot at the championship. McAllister’s first place finish gave the team a thin three point advantage, enough to win the championship.
COTA, host to the only US F1 race in a few weeks, is an extremely demanding track in the TA2 race cars. Drivers get an intense workout with no traction control or ABS, speeds of over 160mph and G forces in excess of 2 G’s, all while belted into a cockpit with temperatures near 150 degrees. After McAllister qualified P2 in the West Coast group, the top three drivers McAllister, Wilson and Honeywell had a close battle with multiple lead changes during the 65 minute race. McAllister took the lead on lap 2 only to get passed back on lap 6. With the top three nose to tail for a good portion of the race it was lap 17 where McAllister’s Wilwood brakes prevailed and he was able to take the lead for the duration as Wilson’s pace slowed due to overheated brakes. This opened the door for West Coast Rookie of the year, Mathew Buttson, to finish third. For most of the race there were 4 West Coast based drivers in the top 10, but at the checkered flag it was McAllister, Alan and Honeywell from the west coast that finished in the top 10 of the combined 32 car TA2 field.
The record heat took its toll during the weekend as McAllister’s crew chief Chris Rhom, www.RhomInnovations.com, and mechanic Kevin Craig had to go the extra mile to keep the MCS shock clad Mustang running in top form. Team engineer, Gary McAllister dialed in the setup using the IR surface tire temperature data, which showed the Pirelli tire surface temps exceeding 250 degrees in the blistering heat. The team is marketing the IR temperature sensor system they have developed (www.IR4MaxGrip.com). The drivetrain was the only aspect of the car that did not seem bothered by the heat as the Austin Texas built Sampson Racing Engine with Mobil 1 oil along with Tilton Engineering and Quartermaster components took the heat and went the distance to give McAllister his fourth win of the season.
For several years McAllister has supported the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), helping raise funds towards its efforts. He and his Driven To Find a Cure teammates, www.JDRFbrad.com, have generated thousands of dollars in donations towards the effort while using race cars as a platform for increasing awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. McAllister took action after seeing the impact of Diabetes first hand during his day job with Periodontal Associates, where he routinely treats the oral ramifications of Diabetes with dental implants and other reconstructive surgeries. The team is already looking forward to JDRF promotional activities and kicking off the 2020 West Coast Trans Am Championship Series at Thunderhill Raceways.
