TRB Autosport Presents its Driver Lineup for the 2017 SCCA Pro Trans Am Road Race Series, presented by Pirelli.
February 20, 2017
TEAM RELEASE - Tim Gray will return to Trans Am's TA2 class in the No. 60 Ryan Companies Ford Mustang. New to TRB for 2017 is racing veteran Mel Shaw. Shaw will be driving the NO. 22 Chevy Camaro.
Gray is back for his fourth season in the TA2 class and his sixth season in Trans Am overall. Again this season he will participate in most but not all of the 2017 Trans Am schedule. Business commitments keep him from being a fulltime participant, but he loves competing in the series.
“The series is full of great people, great tracks and its fun, said Gray.”
Team Principal, Troy Benner, describes Gray as, "A pleasure to have on the team. He loves to race."
Gray will be driving a brand new car at the season opening race at Sebring. Like many Trans Am Series drivers, Gray started his 2017 season with the SCCA Club Racing Majors races at Sebring in early January. This year he was taken out by another competitor and suffered serious damage to his Ford. As a result TRB built a brand new TA2 Mustang to be ready to start the Trans Am season.
"Troy and his crew are great and they really worked hard to get a new car together for me and I am looking forward to getting it on track,” commented Gray.
Shaw is new to the team. He started racing in Trans Am in 2011 and has driven cars in several classes, TA2, TA3, and now TA4.
"I've been racing since 1968 and this is my 7th year in Trans Am." Shaw said. "We intend to run the full season with an eye on the championship. I am extremely impressed with Troy and his team. Rick my crew chief and I have great chemistry and I am very confident in the car. I drove a Corvette in TA3 last year but I am really excited about driving the new Camaro in TA4.”
"We have been with Tim in the series for a while now and when the opportunity came up to add a production class car to our stable, it made a lot of sense." Benner said. "Mel is a mellow character. He always has a smile and something funny to say. He keeps the guys loose."
TRB Autosport has a second TA2 Camaro that is available as part of an arrive and drive program for a full Trans Am season or for select races.
"We have been racing this car very competitively in the GT2 class in SCCA club racing,” said Benner. “We have increased our capacity to get our cars to the race track for 2017 and that allows us to make the seconnd TA2 car available."
TRB also announced a new partnership with Red Line Synthetic Oil. https://www.redlineoil.com/.
"Red Line Oil will be our exclusive provider of synthetic oil and other fluids and lubricants for 2017,” commented Benner. “We are very excited to be able to work with them.”
The 2017 Trans Am Season begins March 5, 2017 at Sebring International Raceway. Practice and qualifying begins on March 3. See GoTransAm.com for team news and timing and scoring from Sebring.
Contact Troy Benner at 952.210.6184 or email at Polecatmazda@aol.com
