Archer’s Top 10 in Points after First 5 Races in Rookie TA2 Season; Consistency is Key

May 23, 2022

Dylan Archer and the MMR/FPEC Racing Group are 5 races into the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli’s TA2 series and in his rookie season, Archer continues to show that consistency in finishes has him properly placed in the top 10 of the points standings. With many of these tracks being first time experiences for the 22-year-old driver, Archer has qualified in the top 20 in all 5 races to-date and has 3 top-15 finishes in the typical 40+ car field each weekend. 

Dylan currently sits 9th in the overall points standings, 3rd in the Wilwood rookie of the year standings and 4th in the Young Guns standings, with 5 of the 12 total races of the season completed. Smart and patient driving has been a key success factor - which has been a nice complement to Dylan’s natural driving style of staying clean, taking care of the car and letting the race come to him, balanced with, being aggressive and taking the opportunities that need to happen. 
The California swing brought back-to-back race weekends in April starting at Laguna Seca where qualifying didn’t lead to where he wanted to be, starting from the 18th position. Archer was confident that the car had a lot more than that and when it was race time, he was able to take care of the car and tires – crossing the finish line in 11th position out of the 45-car field.  “It was a good weekend for us at Laguna Seca with us finishing just outside the top 10 and leaving with a clean car for next weekend’s race at Sonoma. The little grip we had here made it a challenge but overall, I’m pleased with how we left and the momentum we have going into next weekend,” says Archer. 

The Sonoma weekend started off a little shaky and on the back foot, after an incident in the early practice had the team making some critical adjustments and repairs to the car. Dylan’s 20th qualifying position had him disappointed in starting that far back in the pack, especially with a large field of over 40+ cars. At the drop of the green flag, Archer made progress towards the front of the field and immediately settled into 15th position with forward momentum and on-pace for a top 10 finish. A race ending incident with 10+ laps to-go eliminated the opportunity for the race go back to green and prevented Archer from continuing to move up the charts. “It feels like we were held back from one of our best finishes of the season and ultimately, show what a great car we had for this race. This has been a phenomenal first year for everyone on this MMR/FPEC Racing Group team and I continue to be so thankful to be the one who gets to be out here on the weekends representing FPEC,” says Archer. 

What’s Next: Dylan will be behind the wheel of the #0 MMR/FPEC Racing Group Ford Mustang on Memorial Weekend with the 68-lap TA2 race on Saturday, May 28th at 11:55am Eastern Time.  Archer’s confidence and enthusiasm is at an all-time high looking ahead to the 1.5 road course at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT. “Lime Rock for me has always been a fun track where it rewards you for smooth and consistent driving while making you pay for your errors. This track has a special place with me as it’s the first track I raced at in the eSports series, where I finished 2nd and 3rd.  While this will be a new, on-track experience for me – I’m ready to apply the knowledge both from my experience this year, the advice from my Dad and Uncle and bring home our best finish yet.”

To stay connected on the latest updates and information:
• Follow and watch the race action live on The Trans Am Facebook Page and Trans Am’s YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/TheTransAmSeries
•    Follow Dylan on Instagram – DylanArcher22 
•    Visit www.gotransam.com for the full schedule and more information about the Trans Am Series