King of the Monsters! Look Out for Godzilla as Tomy Drissi Aims to Go One Better at Laguna Seca
May 2, 2019
Hollywood, CA - May 1, 2019 - Tomy ‘The Rockin’ Moroccan' Drissi will head upstate from his Hollywood base to the fabulous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend to pilot the No. 8 Godzilla 'King of the Monsters' - in theaters May 31 - Chevrolet Camaro in Round 3 of the 2019 Trans Am Championship presented by Pirelli, May 4. Nearly twenty-two years after finishing runner up at the iconic California circuit - on that occasion driving Dick Guldstrand's Dana '67 Camaro Trans Am at a historic Carroll Shelby Tribute weekend. Drissi will be aiming to go one better than he did that day or on his most recent Trans Am race at Road Atlanta where he took podium for the runner-up spot, on that occasion behind Burtin Racing teammate Lawrence Loshak.
Drissi has undoubtedly made an impressive start to the season, qualifying on the front row of the grid both on the opening weekend at Sebring and at Road Atlanta. On the latter occasion he also notched the fastest lap of the race in 1:20:751 and it looked for much of the event like he would take the checkered flag.
Reflecting on the Road Atlanta race Drissi said this week “After the last race, I kind of let one go. It was a great race. It was a 1-2 finish again for Burtin Racing. That’s our whole goal is to be 1-2, 1-2 - as a team. If you look at all the sessions, we are right on top of each other so it looks like we are going to be friendly for the rest of the season!”
However, despite winning the 2018 West Coast Trans Am Championship, Drissi admitted this week that challenging again for the National Championship, which he won in 2009, requires a champion’s approach and mentality, “For the rest of the year I need to think about being ten-tenths. It is Trans Am. There’s no laying down a little bit or getting comfortable. Now, this year, I’m running for the championship with Burtin Racing. I haven’t run for a full championship in a few years. I’ve learned some stuff in the first two races and we’ve got to think about the big picture.”
Paying tribute to the team behind his resurgent form Drissi added, “The Burtin Racing team have come out like gangbusters. I had a little taste of it [racing with Burtin Racing] last season racing a few races. This is a great car and we are going to Laguna Seca, a race track that I love.”
Adding to the excitement at Laguna Seca this weekend, Drissi’s No. 8 Godzilla 'King of the Monsters' Chevrolet Camaro is set to debut another spectacular movie design that always wows the Trans Am fans. This time it’s Warner Brothers latest blockbuster, the spectacular Godzilla ‘King of the Monsters’ that gets the Trans Am treatment. Of the movie itself Drissi said, “The kids are going to love it. The team and the paddock is going to love this car and everyone is going to love the movie. Godzilla is one of the biggest monsters in the history of film-making!”
This latest reboot promises to out Monster them all. The film focuses on the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance!
The WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway is a glorious track, with multiple elevation changes, sweeping and tight turns, as well as straight that stretches long enough for big cars like the current Trans Am machines. The track record for Trans Am at Laguna Seca stretches all the way back to 2004 when Tommy Kendall clocked 1:26:800 (92.820 miles per hour). With the current crop of Trans Am cars being altogether quicker than the 2004 versions, there is every chance that record could be broken this weekend. Practice, testing and qualifying for the prestigious, 850BHP Trans Am cars is on Friday with the race itself scheduled for 1:05 p.m. on Saturday, May 4. Expect the spectacular!
Follow Tomy Drissi online at tomydrissi.com and on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. @TomyDrissi and the team Burtin Racing @Burtin_Racing on social media for race weekend videos, updates and a look behind the scenes from the race track!
