Trans Am Series to join NASCAR Nationwide at Road America

 

And it shows.  The Trans Am Series will be visiting Road America this coming weekend and bringing with it a 35-car field; the highest to visit the fabled track since 2000.

 

Within that 35-car field will be a total of 17 TA2 cars, a record high for the Trans Am Series, passing the prior record set at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park earlier this year.  The TA2 class has grown by leaps and bounds since its installment in Trans Am during the 2011 season as more and more drivers have committed to the Chevrolet Camaros and Ford Mustangs that make up the class. 

 

But this year’s trip to Road America is more than simple numbers and classes.  There are points to be had and trophies on the line—for all three Trans Am classes.

 

Many will expect, and rightfully so, to find Doug Peterson near the top of the pack come race day.  Peterson and the #87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette have won three of the four Trans Am races so far this year and have generated a sizeable points lead in the TA class.

 

“When set up, these cars are very easy and very fun to drive, and Tony Ave and his crew do a great job of getting them ready from track to track,” Peterson said.  “I never have to worry about the car; I just go out and drive—and so far the results have been fantastic.”

 

Peterson will not be without challengers at the top.  Both Tony Ave and Cliff Ebben are seeking their third Trans Am Road America win.  Between them, the two drivers have won the last four Trans Am races at the track, with Ebben winning in 2009 and 2011 and Ave winning in 2010 and 2012.

 

Cliff Ebben will be making his ninth Road America start in the #36 Stumpf Ford/McMahon Group Ford Mustang.  It will be his fifth appearance of the 2013 campaign, which has positioned him third in the point standings.  He can use his substantial knowledge and prior success at Road America, his hometown track, to try and boost his position and solidify a top three standing.

 

Tony Ave will be returning to the driver’s seat in the #4 Lamers Motor Racing/PME Engines/RPX Chevrolet Corvette.  Ave has opted over the last few races to stand aside and focus on his plethora of other responsibilities in the Trans Am paddock; key amongst them is the new juggernaut that is Tony Ave Racing.

 

Between the efforts of Paul Fix and Doug Peterson, Tony Ave Racing has claimed all four TA victories so far this year.  If you look further back and venture into the 2012 season, Tony Ave Racing has won eight of the last nine Trans Am races, a streak that dates back to Road America last year. 

 

That Road America win was logged by Ave himself.  His return to the #4 car will come just in time, as the 2010 and 2011 Champion will want to extend the Tony Ave Racing streak even further. 

 

Amongst the other drivers in the 13-car TA entry will be defending Champion Simon Gregg.  Gregg and the #1 Gregg Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette are currently riding a streak of three podium placements, but it’s no secret that Gregg will have to pick up the pace to catch up with points leader Peterson if he wants a shot at retaining his title—and with Road America being the fifth race of the season, roughly halfway through the year, it is as good of a time to start as any.

 

Cameron Lawrence, driver of the #11 Ctek/Motorstate/NorthStar Battey Chevrolet Camaro, will be finding himself the center of the attention in the TA2 paddock on race day.  After one victory and several flirtations with the podium in 2012, Lawrence’s first true season with the Trans AM Series, he has returned in 2013 to place first or second in every competition so far this year, with two victories coming at Sebring International and Watkins Glen. 

 

Last year at Road America Lawrence finished second to eventual TA2 Champion Bob Stretch, but it has his first of several podium appearances that year.  This year Lawrence will want to build on his momentum in a similar fashion, as he attempts to defend his point lead against challengers.  Stretch will want to replicate last year’s victory at Road America to help close the gap between him and the current leader. 

 

Stretch is currently tied with Robert Huffmaster for second in the points.  Stretch, driver of the #98 Wheels America/Fix Rim Mobile Chevrolet Camaro, had a rough start to the year, uncharacteristically finishing 11th and 13th.  However, Stretch has recently regained the form that allowed him to capture the 2011 and 2012 TA2 titles—placing first and second in the last two races, including an overall win at Lime Rock Park. 

 

Huffmaster, on the other hand, is a rookie to Trans Am and the TA2 class.  He’s made two podium appearances so far in the #27 Kryderacing/VIRsec Chevrolet Camaro and, discounting a mechanical failure at Lime Rock Park, has placed in the top five at each race this year.

 

“These are great cars to drive,” Huffmaster said. “They have a lot more power than anything I’d driven competitively before—but they’ve been a blast.  I’ve done well so far, but the competition is fairly intense and that’s great to see.” 

 

Also running in the TA2 class will be Lawrence’s teammate Pete Halsmer, driver of the #12 Ctek/Motorstate/NorthStar Battery Chevrolet Camaro.  Halsmer has two Trans Am wins at Road America to his name; coming in 1986 and 1987.  Those two victories are the most of any driver in the TA2 class. 

 

In TA3, defending Champion Chuck Cassaro in his #76 Cassaro Enterprises/Stack Data/Aeromotive/Metallica Ford Mustang will have his hands full with the likes of Rich Jones and Rob Bodle.  Cassaro won the TA3 class, formerly GGT, at Road America last year and still holds the points lead in the American Muscle subgroup in TA3; but it will be interesting to see if the defending champ can fend off his new challengers.  Jones and Bodle placed second and third, respectively, at Watkins Glen in Cassaro’s absence; and Road America will be the first time that Jones and Cassaro have raced as the Glen was Jones’ first ever appearance in the Trans Am Series.

 

Mickey Mills and Tim Gray will headline TA3’s other subgroup, the International group.  Mills, in the #43 Mills Racing BMW M3, placed second at Watkins Glen within his group and will try to better that result against the #60 Ryan Companies Porsche GT3 Cup 997. 

 

Trans Am first takes to the track with a practice session at 5:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, June 20th.  The series will then qualify on Friday, June 21st at 10:10 a.m. with the race following later that afternoon at 5:45 p.m.

 

You can keep up on all the action this weekend, and every other, at www.gotransam.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam and by following Trans Am on Twitter @gotransam.