Damon Racing Pays Tribute To Trans Am Stalwart Carl Wegner Ahead of California Showdown
April 23, 2019
It is often said that it’s the people and the relationships as well as the racing that brings us back to Trans Am year after year. Trans Am teams are very much extended families and sadly the Damon Racing clan has lost one its most cherished members in recent days with the passing of Carl Wegner.
The No. 97 LTK Insulation Technologies Ford Mustang piloted by Tom Sheehan is one of 25 cars currently scheduled to compete in the TA2 class as the 2019 Trans Am Championship presented by Pirelli heads west to California. The return of the Trans Am Series to the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca next month will end a 15-year absence for the series and Tom Sheehan will be looking to turn his top-ten speed into points with the LTK Damon Racing team gaining more knowledge and experience of the Ford Mustang in only its third race. The team from the Granite State have been making steady progress with the new car, qualifying at Atlanta in 9th place, but that was not on driver Tom Sheehan’s mind when he spoke to us earlier in the week as he remembered his friend and the founder of Wegner Motorsports, Carl Wegner.
“In the days between Atlanta and Laguna, we lost a great man, Carl Wegner, our long time friend, supporter, and engine builder passed away at his home in Markesan, Wisconsin,” stated Tom Sheehan. “Like many, our team has deep ties to Carl. Damon Racing crew chief Jamie Aube started working for Carl while racing and winning NASCAR Busch-North Championships in the 1980’s. Carl took in Jamie, a kid from Vermont with talent and work ethic. Jamie worked for Carl in exchange for engines, Season after season the kid came back to Markesan, first with a wife, then with a daughter.”
“Carl and his Family, Jamie and his family. Lots of winning, lots of life shared. Our first season as Damon Racing, Carl welcomed the new formed team back into his Markesan headquarters. We showed up with an unfinished car and days to our first race. We needed an engine, plumbing, headers, ignition, a tune, and wiring. Carl set us up in a garage at his shop in Markesan, sent over two of his guys and told us this race car is going to get finished. It’s going straight from here to Florida for a race, whatever it takes, whatever it needs, you get it, make it happen! The car was finished and driven through the night to Sebring.
On a personal note Sheehan added, “Many years, memories good, great, wild and funny. Carl called us after every TA2 qualifying session. Carl Wegner never disappointed, always spoke his mind and outworked everyone. Our thoughts go out to Carl’s family and employees. Carl will be missed. Unmatched character, great presence, and the booming voice expressing a direct uncomplicated message. Godspeed Carl, we won't find any better.”
Carl will no doubt be in the team’s thoughts when testing gets underway Saturday morning, May 4, at the famed circuit near Monterey. The only practice session is the is the same afternoon with qualifying on Sunday morning and the TA2 race powered by AEM scheduled for 1:20 p.m. Sunday. Laguna Seca is an 11-turn, 2.238-mile jewel of a road course on California's beautiful central coast. The inaugural Trans Am race at the raceway that counted toward the series championship was held August 24, 1969, although the Trans-American Sedan Championship — as it was originally known — had competed at the circuit as far back as 1966 during events such as the U.S. Road Racing Championships.
Fans can keep up with Trans Am driver Tom Sheehan on social media – Facebook page is Damon Racing; Instagram is TomSheehanTA97 and Twitter give us a follow @TomTA2_97. For more information on LTK Insulation Technologies please visit the website online at https://ltkinsulationtechnologies.com/.
