TA Cup’s John Moore Earns Pole for Western Championship Season Opener at Buttonwillow

March 15, 2025

Brody Goble Fastest in CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, JD Koos Fastest in XGT, Simon Asselin Best in SGT

Buttonwillow, Calif. (March 15, 2025) – Practice and qualifying are complete for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship’s inaugural event at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. TA Cup competitor John Moore in the No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang was the fastest qualifier overall, earning the pole in Trans Am’s first event at Buttonwillow with a lap time of 1:40.347. He will be joined on the front row by TA Cup’s Ken Sutherland in the No. 85 Kallberg Racing Dodge Challenger.

Brody Goble in the No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford Lincoln Ford Mustang was fastest in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, qualifying third overall with a best time of 1:40.818. JD Koos (No. 12 Nicole Douglas Design Porsche GT3 Cup 991.1) was the fastest in the XGT class with a 1:47.827, and Simon Asselin (No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup) was the quickest in SGT with a time of 1:46.699.

“It's my first time at Buttonwillow and it's been awesome driving this Chris Evans, Jeff Jefferson, TA Cup monster,” said Moore. “It's so fun. You've got to experience it to understand it. It's been a lot of fun, and I really like the track; I just took to it. I know Buttonwillow is old and it's got that old reputation, but there's a lot of history here and I'm just glad to be a part of it now. Tomorrow, I've got take care of the tires. I've been on the pole before and I didn't win, so I'm still learning about these racecars. Hopefully, it's not a jinx. The goal is to manage the tires, knowing it's a long race, and see where we end up. I want to thank my family for always supporting me and all the customers at JM Environmental for trusting us to do their work, which makes it possible for me to be here and have a good time.”

The Western Championship season opener will be contested tomorrow at 12:20 p.m. PT.

TA Cup Qualifying Top Five:
1. John Moore, No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang (1:40.347)
2. Ken Sutherland, No. 85 Kallberg Racing Dodge Challenger (1:40.498)
3. Michelle Nagai, No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro (1:41.740)
4. Ken Thwaits, No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro (1:42.928)
5. Chris Evans, No. 92 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang (1:44.766)

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Qualifying Top Five:
1. Brody Goble, No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford Lincoln Ford Mustang (1:40.818)
2. Mia Lovell, No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:41.768)
3. Barry Boes, No. 32 Accio Data/TRB Autosport Ford Mustang (1:41.801)
4. Stein Frederic Akre, No. 98 TeamTrysil.com Chevrolet Camaro (1:41.804)
5. Tim Carroll, No. 46 CRDMFG.com Chevrolet Camaro (1:41.936)

XGT Qualifying:
1. JD Koos, No. 12 Nicole Douglas Design Porsche GT3 Cup 991.1 (1:47.827)

SGT Qualifying:
1. Simon Asselin, No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup (1:46.699)

Full qualifying results can be found here.

TA Cup Practice Top Five:
1. John Moore, No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang (1:41.110)
2. Ken Sutherland, No. 85 Kallberg Racing Dodge Challenger (142.266)
3. Michelle Nagai, No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro (143.009)
4. Ken Thwaits, No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro (1:43.827)
5. Chris Evans, No. 92 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang (1:44.757)

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Practice Top Five:
1. Mia Lovell, No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (1.41.597)
2. Cole Moore, No. 99 Moore Motorsport/JM Environmental Ford Mustang (1.41.640)
3. JC Meynet, No. 28 B-Bar Ranch/Killer Shrimp/RTR Chevrolet Camaro (1:41.752)
4. Barry Boes, No. 32 Accio Data/TRB Autosport Ford Mustang (1:41.837)
5. Tim Carroll, No. 46 CRDMFG.com Chevrolet Camaro (1:42.359)

XGT Practice:
1. JD Koos, No. 12 Nicole Douglas Design Porsche GT3 Cup 991.1 (1:47.737)

SGT Practice:
1. Simon Asselin, No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup (1:44.947)

Full practice results can be found here.