Tony Ave Racing Geared Up for Trans Am at the Glen
September 6, 2017
The 2017 Trans Am Championship presented by Pirelli rolls into Watkins Glen International this weekend showcasing what is arguably the very best in American road racing. Just as the history of Trans Am is steeped in names of racing legends, the history of this iconic upstate New York track continues to be written more than 60 years later.
Tony Ave Racing will feature Paul Fix back in the No. 4 Stop Flex Corvette, while providing customer support for Vinnie Allegretta in the No. 41 TA Sights And Sounds Chevrolet Corvette, and Chris Dyson in the No. 57 Kryderacing Cadillac CTSV.
But Ave’s hand in Trans Am doesn’t stop with providing team support. Drivers, Andy Lally, Richard Grant, Tim Rubright and Jim McAleese will all be driving Ave Racing built Trans Am cars.
“Trans Am is in our blood,” said Tony Ave. “My personal history with the Series goes back to 1994. Like most drivers who get in a Trans Am car, once I felt that horsepower under my foot, I was hooked. There’s a purity and rawness to the power of a Trans Am car that’s lost on much of today’s high tech racing. This is a format where the driver is still an integral part of the formula. We can give a driver the car and build in plenty of horsepower, but he or she better be ready to get up on the wheel and drive it. You do that… and you’re going to have more fun in a race car than you’ve ever had in your life.”
Ave speaks from experience. In 2010 and 2011, Ave drove to back-to-back Trans-Am Series Championships. He ranks sixth in all-time wins with 18. In 2012, Tony captured his fourth consecutive pole position of the season. Even more remarkable, it was his twelfth consecutive pole — a streak dating back to 2011. With that, he surpassed Tommy Kendall’s Trans Am Series fast qualifier streak record of ten consecutive poles.
“What we’ve always tried to do at Ave Racing,” added Tony, “is help other drivers pull together all the pieces for a successful program. Obviously, we think we build a great car. But it doesn’t stop there. We want to partner with our customer… it would be disingenuous to build the car and let them go off on their own. We’re here to help them find the way to the podium. That’s how we all win.”
“We’re here this weekend supporting Paul Fix, Vinnie Allegretta and helping with Chris Dyson in Kryderacing’s Cadillac CTSV,” Tony continued. "Of course we provide support for all of our customer cars, but Vinnie’s been in the mix all season and we think he is on the verge of a break through run. We’re working with Paul in our LMP3 program and he’s always fast in Trans Am. Plus the Glen is his home track. The Dyson outing is a special occasion for us all. Chris is a great racer and hails from a great racing family. They’re up the road in Poughkeepsie New York, so we’re excited to see how he’ll do in a Trans Am car. David Pintaric has been tearing up the track in that No. 57 Cadillac, so Chris has his work cut out for him.”
“A weekend like this is a lot of fun for us,” said Tony. “This is the type of weekend that embodies what we do and why we do it. It’s a challenge and it’s family. You put your heart and soul in it and you hope you come out the other end feeling accomplished and surrounded by friends. It’s really satisfying.”
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli will take to the 3.4 mile natural terrain road course at Watkins Glen International as part of the US Vintage Grand Prix Weekend on Sunday, September 10th at 11:00AM ET for 100 miles/30 laps of racing.
Tony Ave Racing:
Known for it’s AR-1 Trans Am race cars and its AR-2 LM P3 prototype coup, Ave Motorsports Inc is a privately held company in Maiden, NC. Ave Racing’s AR-1 has won four of the last five Trans Am championships. The company has produced 23 customer cars in recent years. The AR-2 is a competitive solution for several North American series, including National Auto Sports Association (NASA) Super Unlimited and SCCA SPO (Super Production Open) classes.
Ave Motorsports Inc
4486 Providence Mill Road
Maiden, NC 28650
Trans Am Series:
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is America’s Road Racing Series and dates back to 1966. Throughout the years, some of the greatest names in motorsports have participated in the Trans Am Series. Names like Tommy Kendall, Mark Donohue, Peter Gregg, Bob Tullius and Wally Dallenbach, Jr. have all won multiple championships under the Trans Am name.
The iconic Trans Am Series – America’s Road Racing Series – is operated by the Trans Am Race Company, LLC. Through a 25-year agreement, the Trans Am Race Company manages the marketing rights to the series and is responsible for Trans Am Series public relations and promotions. SCCA Pro Racing sanctions Trans Am events and provides event operations services to the series.
