Thwaits Thwarted at Mid Ohio but Heads to Road America Unbowed

June 28, 2021

Lexington, OHIO - June 28, 2021 - Ken Thwaits' rookie season in the prestigious TA Class took a dramatic twist in the race at the Mid Ohio Sportscar Course when brake failure at Turn 4 gave Ken no option but to drive through the gravel and into a tire wall at express speed. Though the car was damaged, fortunately Ken emerged unscathed and lives to fight another day, with the next round at Road America just a few days away.

Round 5 of the 2021 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season was proceeding according to plan for Ken, who was holding his starting position of P7 when disaster struck but Team Franklin Road Apparel chief mechanic Gary Selix was quick to come on camera and confirm that the car, and Ken, would be back in action at Road America next weekend.

2020 XGT Champion Ken had originally planned to run in both the TA and TA2 races and posted a time in testing of 1:28:863 in the No. 26 Franklin Road Apparel Ford Mustang. "I decided that I wanted to focus on the TA car. I was driving the TA2 car really to get more track time. We just do not get enough testing time on a Trans Am weekend."

Ken went on, "For Saturday's first official practice the car was really bad. We were slow and as a team we had a ton of work to do with the racecar. Mid Ohio is a low grip race track. We needed to approach things differently and get more downforce going. So we made adjustments and the crew guys did their thing and it worked! We picked up five seconds in the next session. I was encouraged by our qualifying results and our pace at the beginning of the race."

Despite the disappointment, Ken is still in P7 in the TA Class Drivers Classification, level with David Pintaric on 90 points. Fifth placed Amy Ruman is just 3 ahead, so there remains everything to play for as the season heats up.

Reiterating the team's professionalism and commitment, Ken added, "The car will be fixed up and ready to go at Road America! Gary Selix is a master at rebuilding these cars."

The Road America Independence Day Weekend begins for the TA Class racers on Friday July 2 at 8:30 a.m. in the morning when there is a 90-minute testing session. That's followed by two 30-minute official practice sessions at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.. Qualifying is on Saturday at 8:40 a.m. with the race itself in another redeye time slot at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Located in Wisconsin's scenic Kettle Moraine, Elkhart Lake's Road America, Inc. is one of the world's fastest permanent road racing tracks. The 640-acre, park-like grounds offer amazing viewing opportunities, fantastic concessions and high-speed excitement to thousands of spectators each year. The Trans Am action forms part of a bumper program, billed as the NASCAR CUP JOCKEY MADE IN AMERICA 250 PRESENTED BY KWIK TRIP AND NASCAR XFINITY SERIES HENRY 180 and will feature incredible wheel-to-wheel and door-to-door racing from various NASCAR Series, as well as the Trans Am Series. The NASCAR Cup Series JOCKEY Made in America 250 presented by Kwik Trip features thrilling door-to-door action through stage racing, which ensures more highlight-reel moments during a race, increases the sense of urgency, and emphasizes aggressive racing and strategy.

However, it will likely struggle to compete with the intensity and raw power of Trans Am, America's iconic muscle car series!

 

Visit the team’s website for Showtime Motorsports, showtimemotorsports.net. Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Franklin Road Apparel, at franklinroad.com and keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at gotransam.com. #GoTransAm

 

Check out the Showtime Motorsports Facebook page: facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/ and @ShowtimeMotorsp on Instagram.

 

About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwaits' racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.