Trans Am Hall of Fame: Jack Roush

February 9, 2025

After forming Jack Roush Performance Engineering and providing parts and engines for dragsters, oval-track racers and Hillclimb cars, Jack Roush answered the call from Ford Motor Company to bring his talents to the Trans Am Series. Ford’s brands went from being winless in 1983 to the Roush Protofab Mercury Capris winning 11 times in 1984 with drivers Tom Gloy and fellow inductees Greg Pickett and Willy T. Ribbs, while also taking the top-three spots in the standings and giving Mercury the manufacturers’ crown. The following season, Hall of Famer Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Ribbs tallied 12 victories, and in 1986, Roush Protofab’s Mercury Capri and Merkur XR4Ti won the manufacturers’ title. Fellow inductee Scott Pruett won the driver championship and manufacturers’ title for Roush in 1987, and Dorsey Schroeder won the 1989 championship in a Roush Ford Mustang. Roush sent Ford to the manufacturers’ title in 1994, 1996 and 1997, while Tommy Kendall won the driver championship with Roush in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Photo Credit: Roush Archives