Nitro Motorsports Wins at Lime Rock Park

May 28, 2024

Double podium for Matos and Annunziata

May 28, 2024 – It was a quintet of Nitro Motorsports drivers who descended on Lime Rock Park this past weekend for the fifth round of the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli and it was a familiar team and driver on top when the final checkered flag flew on Saturday. Adding to his win total and Trans Am Series legacy, Rafa Matos earned his 22nd series win as he celebrated on the podium with Nitro Motorsports’ Thomas Annunziata in third. Nitro Motorsports put three drivers in the top-five and four in the top-ten in Lakeville, Connecticut this past weekend to continue to flex their muscles.

In qualifying, Rafa Matos led the way earning the pole position and inside front row starting spot for Saturday afternoon’s main event. To his right was scheduled to be Thomas Annunziata in a Nitro Motorsports one – two, but a post qualifying penalty for unapproved work in the session dropped him to the tail of the field. Behind him Ben Maier would move from fifth to fourth to start the wheel-to-wheel race from the fourth position with Gio Ruggiero in tenth and Michele Abbate 13th overall, but fourth in the Pro / Am class.

“Good qualifying for the team but really disappointed in the ruling on Thomas,” explained Nitro Motorsports’ Nick Tucker. “We had a fuel pump issue and worked on the car to get it back on track, but apparently that is not allowed. He will be starting from the back tomorrow, but he has the speed to drive forward. Congrats to Rafa on another pole position!”

Back to the track on Saturday for round five of the season, it was another Nitro Motorsports victory and double podium performance. Adding to his Trans Am legacy, Matos was able to convert his pole position into a win on route to the fastest lap of the race. Thomas Annunziata overcame his qualifying issues to drive forward and join Matos on the podium, making it a one – three finish for the team. If that wasn’t enough, recent race winner Ben Maier put a third Nitro Motorsports driver in the top-five crossing under the checkered flag in the fourth position while Gio Ruggiero put a quartet in the top-ten in tenth. Michele Abbate finished one lap behind the leaders in 19th, but her drive netted her a seventh-place classification in the Pro / Am class after her podium performance at Road Atlanta earlier this season.

Tucker added, “Rafa keeps winning and proving why he is the all-time win leader in Trans Am history. Thomas is proving why he is going to be a champion in this series in the future and Ben continues to impress with his speed and maturity at such a young age. Gio maintained his qualifying position to grab a top-ten while Michele had some bad luck. We will celebrate the results, and then we will move on and begin prepping for the next one.”

Next up for the Nitro Motorsports Trans Am program will be a trip to the Pittsburgh International Race Complex over the June 7-9 weekend.

For more information on Nitro Motorsports, please visit them online or contact Nick Tucker via email HERE or visit them online at www.RaceNitro.com.