Trans Am's long line of talent set to continue into the future

September 19, 2013

Trans Am's long line of talent set to continue into the future

 When the Trans Am Race Company took the reins to the Trans Am Series nearly two years ago, they knew the expectations they would be facing in the coming seasons—expectations that go hand-in-hand with the Trans Am name, expectations that needed be met in order for the reborn Trans Am Series to be truly successful. 

 
And so the rejuvenated Trans Am Series has risen to meet those expectations head on throughout this time of rebirth.  The Series has put on show after show over the course of the 2013 Season, with multiple car counts pushing the 40 entry mark—most recently a 38 car tour de force at Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course alongside NASCAR Nationwide. 
 
The iconic makes and models are all present as well.  The paddock is now bustling with Fords and Chevys, Mustangs and Camaros, muscle cars and supercars, purebred racing machines and production-based iron; it is all there—a representation of automotive greatness in a singular show. 
 
But another factor must be accounted for.  Just as impressive as the Trans Am Show currently is, the Trans Am legacy has another vital component that sets it apart from others: the legendary drivers that have graced it time and time again over the course of its 47 year existence. 
 
After all, car count is one thing and beautiful powerful cars are another—and when you put them together they’re quite the sight, but there has to be that vital final element to bring everything together.  You need drivers of a special breed.  Drivers who make you lean forward in your seat when they swing through a corner or go in for the pass.  Drivers who you know will do something special on a regular basis, who have that rare trait that separates them from the pack. 
 
Trans Am has always had drivers who meet those standards and more, and those qualities helped them find their way into the winner’s circle time and time again and eventually make their way into a select group: Trans Am Champions.
 
Throughout the years plenty of racing legends have lifted the Trans Am Championship, setting themselves apart from the hundreds of drivers who have participated in the Trans Am Series.  Each left their own mark and in turn added to the legacy of Trans Am and racing.  They built the mystique around Trans Am, race-by-race and lap-by-lap, shaping everything we have come to know, and love, today. 
 
It began in 1972 when the first driver’s Championship was awarded; with George Follmer and John Morton capturing titles in the Over 2.5-Liter and Under 2.5-Liter classes.  They became the first in a long line of racing legends to carry the title of Trans Am Champion. 
 
The list of drivers who followed them is as impressive as any in motorsports: Peter Gregg, Bob Tullius, Greg Pickett, Wally Dallenback, Jr., Scott Pruett, Hurley Haywood, Dorsey Schroeder and Tommy Kendall—to name a few.  But it is worth stating, as many will point out, these are all names from Trans Am’s past, both recent and distant, but still the past.  And while the past should always be honored, you have to build for the future as well—and for that a new line of Trans Am drivers need to carve out their own legacies.  
 
In the modern Trans Am era both Tony Ave and Bob Stretch have come forward as repeat champions, separating themselves from the growing fields and car counts with performances worthy of the Trans Am name.  Then in 2012 Simon Gregg and Chuck Cassaro added their names to that list alongside Stretch, joining ranks with prior Champions. 
 
So the question becomes, “Who’s next?” Who are the drivers to lead Trans Am into a new era? For the duration of the 2013 Season, the answer to that question seems evident.  Two drivers, Cameron Lawrence and Doug Peterson, have had absolutely dominant seasons.  They’ve each faced their fair share of challenges and competition, which they have both successfully fended off. 
 
The numbers speak for themselves, five wins for Peterson and the #87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette and five wins for Lawrence and the #11 Ctek/Motorstate/NorthStar Battery Chevrolet Camaro.  Those wins have developed quite a berth in the point standings for both drivers, and now Championships, in both of their cases, seem far more probable than not.  They’ve earned their breathing room, keeping the competition at least a car length away over the course of the year.
 
Both Lawrence and Peterson have the potential to clinch their title at VIR, but circumstances will have to play out just right for that level of security so early.  But their other achievement is already set, completed over the course of the year, for they’ve led and fueled competition throughout the Series.
 
In the TA class Peterson has raced within one of the deepest talent pools in years.  The #87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette has raced alongside the likes of Paul Fix, Amy Ruman, Tony Ave, Cliff Ebben and more.  Each driver has pushed one another time and time again, racing with vigor and determination. 
 
TA2 is a similar story, with Lawrence leading the tight knit pack of Stretch, Pete Halsmer, Robert Huffmaster, Gregg Rodgers, Tom West and Kurt Roehrig—a pack that should only grow in talent as 14 rookies have participated in TA2 so far this year, and many other talents are starting to emerge within the rest of the field. 
 
What these fields have done is brought the competition of old back to the Trans Am Series.  Now Trans Am is more than just exhaust, engine noise and beautiful burly cars—there are drivers with real talent and real ability, and Peterson and Lawrence are leading the way. 
 
Does one Championship make a Trans Am legend?  No.  But Lawrence and Peterson know that it’s a start—but they also know there are still three races to go.  And in Trans Am, anything is possible.  
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