Mike Skeen leads practice in Trans Am return, Lawrence leads TA2

 

Skeen, a former Trans Am Rookie of the Year, last raced in the 2011 Trans Am Series in the TA2 class here at Road Atlanta, but has 10 collective Trans Am starts to his name, nine of which were in the TA class.    Skeen was quick to return to pick up on his prior success—in the past he has placed in the top five four times and won the TA2 race in 2011. 

 

Following Skeen and Ave was defending TA Champion Simon Gregg in the #1 Gregg Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, his time of 1:22.532 was just short of the front-runners but was enough to edge out Doug Peterson, in the #87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette, who currently leads the TA points and is the unanimous favorite to hoist the TA title this year.   Amy Ruman in the #23 McNichols Company Chevrolet Corvette, and the winner of the 2011 Road Atlanta race, was in fifth position for the session with a time of 1:23.723. 

 

In TA2, 2013 Champion Cameron Lawrence began his ongoing victory lap in the #11 Ctek/Motorstate/NorthStar Battery Chevrolet Camaro.  Lawrence claimed the 2013 TA2 title during Round 8 at Virginia International Raceway but shows no sign of complacency.   His time of 1:28.285 was a full three seconds ahead of TA2 runner up Kurt Roehrig, in the #04 Roehrig Enders Suspension Chevrolet Camaro, whose time of 1:31.362 just beat out the 1:31.891 of Tom Sheehan, in the #97 Damon Insulation/FixRim Mobile Chevrolet Camaro, who comes into Road Atlanta riding high from a strong podium placement at VIR.

 

In TA3 Todd Napieralski and David Seuss led their respective groups, the American Muscle Group and the International Group.   David Seuss, in the #9 Northern Light Porsche 996 GT3, set the fast lap for the class with a 1:35.836 before having a brief outing off course at turn 12, where he was forced to remain till the end of the race.  Napieralski, in the #39 TPR/SKF/ TREMEC Backstreet Performance Chevrolet Camaro, led the American Muscle Group with a time of 1:36.528 in his first session back since his Trans Am debut at Mid-Ohio earlier this year.

 

Trans Am will take to the track later this afternoon for one more practice session in preparation for the split qualifying session tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. EDT in preparation for Round 9 of the 2013 Trans Am Series which will take place at 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 3rd.