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Franklin, TN - May 15, 2020 - The postponement of the annual muscle car excursion to the legendary 'Brickyard' Indianapolis Motor Speedway originally scheduled for June 19-21 means that the resumption of the 2020 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season is now slated for June 26-28 at Mid Ohio.
However, the sporty and enterprising Franklin Road Apparel Showtime XGT team headed by Ken Thwaits have found themselves a fantastic opportunity to see action for the Audi R8s in race conditions this weekend with a visit to the exciting new facility at The Thermal Club, near Palm Desert in California for the newly established GT Celebration event.
It should be stressed that the organizers of GT Celebration have taken every precaution with regards to the Coronavirus situation, with the health and safety of participants of paramount importance. As the organizers have shared online, "We are eager to race, but more eager to make sure everyone is safe inside and out of the car."
GT Celebration has more than a little in common with the new Xtreme GT Class in Trans Am, taking the newest class in sports car racing, namely retired FIA GT3 class cars and giving them their own space to race and compete. As the series organizers themselves say, "Our series gives [GT owners and drivers] a no-pressure environment to hone driving skills and enjoy friendly competition in some of the world’s most capable machinery at some of the best race tracks in the country. Across seven events, including pre and mid-season testing sessions, you will have access to a purpose-built platform for you to enjoy your GT3 car on race tracks that also host F1, IndyCar, IMSA and NASCAR."
Always happiest behind the wheel, Showtime XGT pilot Ken Thwaits is taking the opportunity to head out to California this weekend to take part in what is in fact the inaugural GT Celebration event. When we spoke to him earlier this week, his enthusiasm was evident, "This is a fantastic extra opportunity for us to race and I love the whole GT Celebration concept. It will be competitive for sure, but also fun. We will get the opportunity to really put the Audis through their paces and have some fun driving out West.”
Established in 2012, The Thermal Club is a private motorsport country club surrounding one of the longest and most distinct racing circuits in North America. Members have access to three racetracks, kart track, autocross, skid pad, tuning shop, garage, detail shop, club house and spa. One of the defining attributes of The Thermal Club are the luxury villa-homes that overlook the facility. Honored to be named “Professional Motorsport Facility of the Year -2017” at the Professional Motorsports World Expo in Germany, Thermal is also home to the West Coast BMW Performance Center.
Ken will be piloting the Audi R8 GT3 Ultra and joining him in California is Kevin Long, who will be behind the wheel of the white Audi R8 LMS Ultra. The format for the weekend is similar to Trans Am. On Friday there are 3 practice sessions of 30 minutes each. Saturday also has 30-minutes of practice, followed then by 20-minutes of qualifying before a 40-minute race, a format repeated on Sunday for what should be an exciting double-header.
To learn more about Showtime Motorsports, visit showtimemotorsports.net and for the complete calendar of events and news from the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli see the website at gotransam.com. GT Celebration is online at gtcelebration.com
About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwait's racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.
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