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TransAm
Nov 25, 2018 9:05:35 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Nov 25, 2018 9:05:35 GMT -8
After winning the SCCA Trans-Am Championship in '68 and '69 in Chevrolet Camaros, Mark Donohue and Roger Penske switched to AMC for the '70 season. Here he is in the No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Javelin. Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am Championship for Ford driving a Mustang.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 25, 2018 9:25:36 GMT -8
Trans-Am St. Jovite, Mont Tremblant, August 3, 1969. George Follmer stands in disbelief looking at his crashed No. 16 Bud Moore Engineering Ford Mustang Boss 302. Two Shelby Mustangs driven by Peter Revson and Horst Kwech were also taken out in the wreck.
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Post by truenorth on Nov 30, 2018 6:11:18 GMT -8
Watkins Glen, New York, August 16, 1970. Parnell Jones (No. 15 Bud Moore Engineering Ford Mustang Boss 302) leads Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Racing Sunoco Javelin) and Swede Savage (No. 42 AAR Plymouth Barracuda) in the Trans-Am. Vic Elford (No. 1 Chaparral Camaro) won that day.
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Post by truenorth on Dec 5, 2018 18:47:34 GMT -8
Tony DeLorenzo in the No. 3 Owens/Corning Fiberglas Chevrolet Camaro during the 1970 St. Jovite Trans-Am.
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Post by truenorth on Dec 8, 2018 9:46:08 GMT -8
1969 Bryar 250 Trans-am - Parnelli Jones (Mustang boss 302) Mark Donohue (Camaro z28)
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Post by truenorth on Jan 1, 2019 10:01:26 GMT -8
Bryar Motorsports Park, Loudon, NH, 7-20-69. Mark Donohue (No. 6 Penske Chevrolet Camaro) stalks Parnelli Jones (No. 15 Bud Moore Ford Mustang) in the Trans-Am. Donohue won, Ed Leslie (No. 9 Penske Chevrolet Camaro) was 2nd and Peter Revson (No. 1 Shelby American Mustang) 3rd.
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Post by truenorth on Jan 4, 2019 7:30:46 GMT -8
Sebring, Florida 3-31-67. Dan Gurney gets in the No. 16 Bud Moore Engineering Mercury Cougar before the 4-Hr Trans-Am race. Dan qualified fourth but DNF. Jerry Titus (No. 17 Terlingua Racing Team Ford Mustang) won, Mark Donohue (No. 6 Roger Penske Chevrolet Camaro Z/28) was 2nd.
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Post by truenorth on Jan 20, 2019 9:26:45 GMT -8
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Post by truenorth on Feb 10, 2019 9:07:40 GMT -8
"specially prepared stock vehicles", not hi-tech chassis with plastic wrappers
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Post by truenorth on Mar 4, 2019 7:38:02 GMT -8
Loshak flag to flag in Sebring Trans Am opener Images by Chris Clark A late-race restart proved to be no problem for Lawrence Loshak, who drove to a flag-to-flag victory in the opening race of the Trans Am presented by Pirelli championship at Sebring International Raceway on Sunday. Defending champion Ernie Francis Jr. pressured Loshak for the opening six laps before pitting with a transmission issue, costing him 12 laps. A late caution set the stage Chris Dyson’s charge in his Plaid Ford Mustang, but Loshak prevailed in the five-lap shootout and won his third career TA class race event by 3.047 seconds. Completing the podium was R.J. Lopez, who wheeled the No. 06 TinaBazucaCraftAle Corvette. “Finally, I won at Sebring! This place has always been bad luck for me,” said Loshak, driver of Burtin Racing’s Pennzoil/GoShare Chevrolet Camaro. “We’ve been fast all weekend, but we’ve been fast here before, only to have some gremlins take us out. “To start the season with a win — well, that’s what this team deserves.” Memories of his past misfortune at the historic but bumpy 3.74-mile circuit came flooding back when the late-race full-course caution cost him his advantage. “It’s always nerve-wracking when you build up a lead, dial back into conserve mode, and then have to start all over again,” said the Milwaukee driver. “Especially with [Chris] Dyson in P-2! Who has more laps and experience at Sebring than Chris? “I knew he was coming, so it was all about not making mistakes. I made a handful out there, but they weren’t big ones. “Hey, it was tough for everybody out there today, but we were able to bring the Axalta gold car home for the gold,” a happy Loshak exclaimed. Dyson started fifth but charged up to second early on, closing his day out with a podium start to his 2019 Trans Am campaign. “We struggled with the car until qualifying, to be honest,” Dyson said. “We missed it a little bit in the race, but we kept digging out there. We were starting to make up ground, but those darn yellows … They were a bit quicker on the restarts than we were. “This shows you that the racing in this series is tremendous, along with the quality of the cars that are coming out. We’re absolutely fighting at it tooth and nail out there.” The race featured three classes in action, with SGT and GT class entries also doing battle on Sunday. The second of two full-course cautions proved to be the key for Lee Saunders, who scored a come-from-behind victory in the SGT class driving the No. 84 V10PWR Racing Dodge Viper. Polewinner Mark Boden lost his advantage to Saunders at the start, but managed to work his Beverage Flavors International Porsche 911 GT3 Cup back into the lead by lap 18 – shortly before the caution gave Saunders another opportunity. “It was a good, clean, amazing race,” Saunders said. “My hat’s off to Mark [Boden]. He had a flying car, but we were just a little stronger on the restarts. On the long runs, he was definitely faster, so we probably got a little lucky at the end with the restart. “This win is for my crew: They did a heroic rear-end swap just before qualifying.” Jeff Courtney’s Matrix/RecStuff.com/Kendra Maserati GT4 took the GT victory, besting Steven Davison’s Davinci Plastic Surgery Aston Martin Vantage. “Actually, there was more drama out there than I expected,” Courtney said. “I thought Steven jumped the restart after the first caution [on lap 10]. Then, on the next caution, he kind of overcooked it in Turn 17. Kind of a give-back, but I would rather have raced for it. “We were catching him, but I had to go to the dirt to avoid two TA cars. I got a lot of debris on the tires, but then I was able to click off a few good laps.” Kerry Hitt won the Masters award in the TA class following a 10th-place finish in the Advanced Composite Products Inc. Cadillac CTSV, while Milton Grant won SGT Masters, placing fifth in the SentrySelfStorage/Fairfield Inn Porsche 991 GT3 Cup. The Coolshirt Cool Move of the race went to Jon Leavy. The Trans Am presented by Pirelli next travels to Road Atlanta, for the Atlanta SpeedFest Tour event on March 29-31.
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Post by truenorth on Mar 4, 2019 8:06:04 GMT -8
Sebring Trans Am Victory is Rafa’s Redemption March 3, 2019 SEBRING, FL (3 March 2019) – Rafa Matos enjoyed sweet revenge in Trans Am presented by Pirelli competition at Sebring International Raceway on Sunday, leading flag to flag to win the 25-lap season-opening event in 2019 TA2 powered by AEM competition. The race was the first of a double-header Trans Am event at Sebring. The first race is reported above. One year after losing the TA2 race at Sebring to Marc Miller in the closing minutes, Matos kept the field in his rear-view mirror to win in the No. 88 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Camaro after being chased all the way by Miller’s No. 40 Prefix/Stevens-Miller Racing Dodge Challenger. Miller finished second, with Scott Lagasse coming home in third ahead of two-time Sebring Trans Am winner Doug Peterson, as Tony Buffomante finished fifth in the No. 12 Mike Cope Racing Mustang “Today was a redemption race, definitely,” said Matos, the defending TA2 champion. “I was determined I was not going to lose the race this year. I knew that Marc (Miller) was saving his tires. He was being smart like he did last year. I did everything I could do in the middle of the race to save my car in case I needed it at the end. And when I needed to push the 3Dimensional car, it responded perfectly. It was a great day for everyone on our team. It’s been an amazing time.” Debuting a new No. 40 machine, numbered to celebrate the 40th anniversary for sponsor partner Prefix, Miller was hoping to replicate his last lap pass for the victory from 2018 but was still pleased to bring home a podium to start the season. “When the yellow came out, I was thinking back to last year and had to laugh thinking that Rafa was thinking the same thing!” said Miller. “But we didn’t have the balance that we needed with the car to get him. It is a new car and we learned a lot this weekend with it, we are just getting everything sorted. I’m really happy with the show we put on— we have a lot of Stevens-Miller guests here from Prefix, Liqui-Moly and Piper Aircraft, which is right up the road. The team did an awesome job with this car!” Lagasse ran fifth in the early laps but worked his way up to third by lap 10 in the No. 92 SLR/Fields Tacing/M1 Racecars Camaro. He maintained that position the rest of the way for a podium finish. “It was solid; it was what we needed.” said the second-generation driver from St. Augustine, FL. “I owed it to the guys, because I gave up a little too much too early. That’s my fault, because we were just as good – or better – than anybody at the end. It’s what we needed. Last year, Sebring was hands-down my worst race track. I still have some things to work on as a driver – but we did a lot better and I’ll keep working.” Peterson finished fourth in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Camaro, improving his position throughout the event to earn Masters honors. “I wasn’t happy with 11th place in qualifying, because the car was better than that.” Peterson said. “I knew I would be able to move up a little bit in the opening laps and I got a good launch. I kept moving up and moving up. Fourth place is amazing, but Sebring is my kind of track. You have to save the tires, and the only driver aids are your right foot and the steering wheel. It was amazing to see my teammate win. Rafa is a racer’s racer.” Elias Anderson, a 17-year-old from Driftwood, Texas, finished 11th in his TA2 debut driving the No. 31 AccioData/Sampson/Harris Hill Mustang. The forward progress earned the youngster a new Coolsuit after earning the “Cool Move of the Race” award. “It was pretty cool,” Anderson said. “ It is great to win a Coolsuit, because I had to borrow one for this race! I rented this car, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. Now I need a sponsor so I can continue. My only other time at Sebring was at 2 a.m, in a Porsche 935 (in the Classic 12 Hours), and it’s quite a bit different today driving a front-engined car against such great competition.” BC Race Car driver Misha Goikhberg missed the pre-race grid and was forced to start at the back of the 27-car field in the No. 10 BC Race Cars Camaro. He was up to 10th by the 39-minute mark, when he suddenly slowed in the Gurney Bend on lap 18 following a puncture. The first full-course caution waved on lap 20. Three laps after the restart, Curt Vogt had an off course excursion entering the Hairpin in the No. 23 Cobra Automotive Mustang, causing the race to end under caution. While the opening round win puts Matos in the championship lead, that was the last thing on his mind after a champagne shower as he congratulated his teammate Peterson on the Masters win. “We can’t be thinking about the championship, it is way too early to be thinking about that. It is a long season, there are 13 races. Our approach is race by race, qualifying by qualifying. If you start looking at the big picture you lose your focus. That man (teammate Doug Peterson) is very special the way he is driving and pushing himself and improving his skills is really impressive,” said Matos.
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TransAm
Mar 28, 2019 6:25:10 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Mar 28, 2019 6:25:10 GMT -8
Trans-Am Preparing For Road Atlanta Invasion By SPEED SPORT Staff - March 28, 2019 Chris Dyson is the defending race winner for Trans-Am at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. BRASELTON, Ga. – The second chapter of the Trans-Am presented by Pirelli championship story will be written this weekend as the series returns to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta March 29-31. The event will feature two races on Sunday, kicking off with the TA class race that will also see the SuperGT and GT class machines in action. The TA2 powered by AEM class race will close out the weekend. Lawrence Loshak opened his Trans-Am account with a TA class pole and win at Sebring as his Burtin Racing squad debuted an all-new livery for his No. 3 Pennzoil/GoShare Chevrolet Camaro. “After a rough rookie season and a long winter break, we started the season with a clean slate and winning at Sebring showed what the team and car was really capable of doing,” said Loshak. “Scoring the win didn’t make us complacent, it made us work even harder. Road Atlanta is Burtin Racing’s home track, so I know we are expecting the same results as Sebring.” Coming off a second-place TA class finish in the season opener at Sebring Int’l Raceway, Chris Dyson will be looking to complete his family’s Road Atlanta dynasty and drive his No. 20 CD Racing Plaid Ford Mustang into the winner’s circle. “Last year was a real special victory for us,” said Dyson, a veteran second-generation driver who scored his first Trans-Am triumph at Road Atlanta. “It was only our second race as a team in the series, and my second Trans Am race ever, and to go out, have a very competitive weekend and race head-to-head with Ernie France Jr. was a real boost in the arm for our entire effort. Ernie is a great young champion with a lot of experience. Winning that race put us in the championship chase all year, and it was a great start to our program.” Road Atlanta has been a favorite track of the Dyson family. Chris’ father, Rob Dyson, won the SCCA GT2 National Championship there in 1981 in a Datsun 200SX, and Chris Dyson clinched his first IMSA championship there in 2003 in an LMP675 MG-Lola at the Motul Petit Le Mans. “Last year’s victory was particularly special because it was the first race on the car for our branding partner, Plaid, and they are headquartered only 40 minutes from Road Atlanta,” Dyson added. “We had a lot of their key staff there to enjoy the race, and I hope we can repay it this year. Road Atlanta is one of my favorites – it’s one of those rare tracks that’s fantastic to drive in just about anything.” Ernie Francis Jr. will return in the No. 98 Breathless Racing Frameless Shower Doors Ford Mustang, looking to make up TA class championship ground after a mechanical setback at Sebring as he defends his 2018 Trans Am title.The two-time Road Atlanta Trans Am winner hopes to add to his impressive win tally with another run to victory this weekend. “Last year, we had a really good battle at Road Atlanta with Chris Dyson that went all the way to the finish,” Francis said. “We had some contact at the end of the race and wound up finishing the race on his back bumper. This year, I want to take home the win. Road Atlanta is an extremely fun track to drive, especially in these TA cars. We’re carrying so much horsepower down that back straight. It’s crazy fast.” In addition to Sebring winner Loshak, there are several drivers who have their eye on the Road Atlanta victory, including three-time Road Atlanta winner Amy Ruman in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette; and last year’s third-place finisher, Simon Gregg in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Corvette. Gregg will look to add to the robust family legacy, as his father Peter won the inaugural Trans-Am race at Road Atlanta in the No. 59 Brumos Porsche in 1973. SGT class Sebring podium finishers Tom Herb, Mark Boden, and winner Lee Saunders will all be back in action as part of the multi-class TA class race on Sunday morning. Rafa Matos continued his 2018 TA2 championship momentum in the No. 88 3Diminsional Services Group Camaro with a win over Marc Miller at Sebring, and will look to continue that run as the defending Road Atlanta TA2 class winner. Miller will race the No. 40 Prefix/Stevens-Miller Racing Dodge Challenger, while third-place Sebring finisher Scott Lagasse Jr. is in the No. 92 SLR/Fields Racing/M1 Racecars Camaro. “The season is going exactly the way we were hoping,” said Matos. “I didn’t make the same mistakes as last year in Sebring, and we got the win. My teammate Doug Peterson also did a great job at Sebring, finishing fourth and collecting points for the team championship. We have a good group of guys to make a strong effort for the championship this season and we are only able to do it with the help of our sponsors 3Dimensional Services Group, Sabelt, Howe Enterprises and Prefix Engines. “I got my first win in TA2 last year at Road Atlanta and it’s become one of my favorite tracks in the United States,” Matos continued. “I feel very comfortable on the circuit and am always very excited to race on it.”
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Post by truenorth on Apr 1, 2019 8:06:21 GMT -8
Loshak Beats Rain & Road Atlanta Trans-Am Foes SPEED SPORT Staff - March 31, 2019 BRASELTON, Ga. – Tire selection, turns of fortune, traffic and treacherous weather on Sunday all shaped the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli stop at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta into a plot-twisting tale of two races in TA and SuperGT. The 40-lap race ran under green flag conditions from start to finish, with the race featuring variable track conditions, three TA class lead changes, and four different SGT class leaders. One of those SGT class leaders actually established a 30-second margin on the field early in the going, as Road Atlanta played host to another dramatic chapter of Trans-Am racing. But after a dynamic race, it was a penultimate lap overtake that saw Lawrence Loshak capture the TA class win, driving his No. 3 Pennzoil/Elavon/GoShare Chevrolet Camaro to nearly a five second victory over his Burtin Racing teammate Tomy Drissi. Drissi, who led the race for 13 laps, recovered from a late off-track excursion for second. Three-time Road Atlanta winner Amy Ruman displayed her experience on the 2.54, 12-turn road course and crafted an advantage as she waited to make her move for a podium finish. Chris Dyson and Simon Gregg rounded out the TA top-five. Due to the inclement weather and variable track conditions, the race started with a rolling single-file start. Loshak started from pole and was immediately locked in battle with reigning Trans Am champion Ernie Francis Jr. The duel was called off after Francis was forced to pit lane to sort out a malfunctioning taillight, returning to action two laps down. With Francis pushed to the back of the field, the focus shifted to Loshak, Drissi and Dyson. Using lapped traffic to his advantage, Drissi stole position from Loshak, pulling away with a 1.21 second advantage. Meanwhile, Dyson in third, continued to set fast laps of the race, chopping away at Drissi and Loshak’s lead. “This was the hardest race I’ve done in a long time,” said Loshak. “All I kept thinking was 100 miles, Lawrence, 100 miles. I used to do the rain dance and loved racing in the rain in other series, but I am a bit inexperienced in wet conditions with these Trans-Am cars. We started on Pirelli slicks, looking for a rain line but with the Esses, the streams and the cold temperatures, we were having trouble getting grip.” Loshak eventually paid back Drissi, using the lapped traffic and a rear bump to his advantage to make an inside pass, seizing the lead back from the No. 8 in the end. “It was treacherous, but as the track started drying, I had an incredible battle with my teammate,” Loshak added. “Traffic played a huge factor in us exchanging the lead back and forth. In the end though, it was a one-two finish for Burtin Racing, and that’s all that matters.” Kleeman Brian Kleeman en route to the SGT class victory Sunday at Road Atlanta. (Trans-Am photo) The SGT class, which features a wide range of entries including several Porsche 911 Cup cars, a Dodge Viper, and Ford Mustangs, found itself at a significant advantage early in the race as the field made the most of the grip on offer from the rain-specification Pirelli tires. However, it was a choice of dry tires for fifth-starting Brian Kleeman that saw him secure his first win in the SGT class. Fall Line Racing’s Mark Boden finished the SGT round in second and Lee Saunders wrapped up the SGT podium. A pair of Porsche 991 GT3 drivers, Milton Grant and Tom Herb, completed the top five. Boden got an outstanding start to the race, moving the overall lead and creating a significant gap to the field with his Pirelli rain tire selection. On Lap 19, Aaron Pierce passed Boden for not only first place in the SGT race, but for the overall lead. Boden continued to charge the way but as the track dried his tires began to fall off, losing the momentum he built up in the rain. Boden eventually pitted to change to Pirelli slicks. That turned the tables toward Kleeman, and he never looked back. “We don’t have the fastest car out there – and we knew that – so we had to do it all on strategy today,” said Kleeman. “We threw the dice and I think we were the only ones out there on slicks. It was as absolutely a handful at the beginning and we fell way back. It was pretty treacherous, but once it started to dry out, we knew we had to click off the laps and close the gap, hoping those guys came in for tires – which they did. “At that point, it was just a matter of staying in front and just holding on,” Kleeman continued. “By the end, it was pretty much a dry race.”
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Post by truenorth on Apr 1, 2019 8:13:13 GMT -8
Matos Collects TA2 Spoils Again At Road Atlanta SPEED SPORT Staff - March 31, 2019 BRASELTON, Ga. – In a three-lap shootout to the checkered flag, defending TA2 powered by AEM champion Rafa Matos wheeled the No. 88 3Dimensional Services Group Chevrolet Camaro to his second consecutive Trans-Am win Sunday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The victory marks the second for the Brazilian driver this season as he targets a second championship. Driving the No. 40 Prefix Stevens-Miller Racing Dodge Challenger, Marc Miller claimed his second runner up result of the season, with Dillon Machavern in the No. 77 Liqui-Moly Prefix Ford Mustang completing the podium in third. All three (Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford) manufacturers were represented on the TA2 podium. Matos took the lead early in the 100-mile, 40-lap TA2 race, edging out pole-sitter Misha Goikhberg by the fifth lap. Battling for a podium position, Goikhberg was shuffled off track in turn one, moving the Canadian driver back to mid-field. Matos produced faster times each lap as his Pirelli tires got up to temperature, building a sizeable 3.116-second gap over second. However, a yellow flag caused by a car off in turn four grouped the field back together behind the safety car. “It was crazy near the end with the restarts,” said Matos. “Every restart was a struggle and Marc (Miller) has a very fast car in a straight line. I held him off and I was able to build a gap. I could keep in front of him, but it was very difficult because of his straight-line speed. He had a really good jump going down the hill, and it was not easy to hold him off for the win. “My 3Dimensional Services team did an amazing job again this weekend; this is for them!” Miller challenged Matos on the restart, but his run ended prematurely when another yellow flag slowed the field. Fresh off the second restart, Machavern packed in behind Miller and Matos before a third full-course yellow was called to retrieve a stranded car. “We were struggling a little bit with pace at the start of the race, but the car seemed to come to me after it cooled down during the first caution,” Machavern said. “Then I was in really good shape behind Marc (Miller) and Rafa (Matos), who did an awesome job. I’m really happy to be on the podium for the first time this year for our sponsors and team. “The Stevens Miller guys really grinded this weekend, getting the Liqui-Moly Mustang up to speed. They put so much work into this program and deserve this podium.” With three laps remaining, Matos and Miller battled for position. Ultimately, Matos bested Miller in the corners to take the checkered flag in front by about five tenths of a second. “I thought I had a good start on the first two restarts, but then Rafa got a great jump on me on the last one,” said Miller. “Those last two laps were the hardest I’ve ever driven. I was doing everything I could just to get back to Rafa’s bumper. I was able to track him down at the end, which was the first time the car was really closing on him. The guys standing beside me on the podium bring out the best in me on the track. “The Prefix Hemi power on the straightaway was just incredible; that was the great equalizer for us.” Doug Petersen won the Masters award following a seventh-place finish in the No. 87 3Dimensional Services Ford Mustang. Sixteen-year-old rookie Ty Gibbs won the CoolShirt ‘Cool Move of the Race’ after charging from a 14th place start to a sixth place finish. “I am a circle track driver typically,” said Gibbs. “This is my first time on a road course and in a TA2 car. I logged more than a 1000 laps on the simulator to prepare for this race because I was so nervous, but this was a ton of fun in these cars with the power and downforce that they have. “I had a blast out here. It’s a totally different world, but the seat time was great.”
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TransAm
Apr 3, 2019 14:55:38 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on Apr 3, 2019 14:55:38 GMT -8
TransAM Riverside 1972
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TransAm
May 27, 2019 6:15:29 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 27, 2019 6:15:29 GMT -8
Merrill Cruises To Lime Rock Trans-Am Score By SPEED SPORT Staff - May 25, 2019061 Thomas Merrill (26) races ahead of Dillon Machavern on Saturday at Lime Rock Park. (Dave Moulthrop Photo) LAKEVILLE, Conn. – There were multiple events and media activities to celebrate the 55 years of Mustangs competing at Lime Rock Park in the run up to Saturday’s TA2 powered by AEM race. After the race, the celebrations continued as it was the Mustangs that dominated Saturday’s Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Memorial Day Classic. Racing the No. 26 Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang, Thomas Merrill kept Dillon Machavern’s No. 77 Liqui-Moly Prefix Ford Mustang in his mirrors for the entire 100-mile feature to take the checkered. Driving flag to flag to his second TA2 victory, Merrill is the first driver to win back-to-back on different coasts this season. Machavern finished second with Scott Lagasse Jr. in the No. 92 SLR/Fields Racing/M1Racecars Chevrolet Camaro rounding out the podium. “The car was a rocket ship all weekend,” said Merrill, who also snatched pole position in the final seconds of qualifying from Machavern. “I got lucky with the traffic and used it to my advantage to keep Dillion behind me. Dillion is a respectable driver. There were several opportunities where he could have bumped me to take P1 but he kept it clean and I appreciate that. Mike Cope Racing really put together a great car at the last minute for me and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.” Starting on pole, Merrill pulled away from the pack, leading Machavern by more than three seconds after five laps. But, Merrill’s speed started to fade late in the race, allowing Machavern to challenge the front-runner. A late yellow regrouped the field after the No. 12 car experienced mechanical issues on track which required a tow. It was the opportunity that Machavern needed to close the final gap on Merrill. On the restart, the pair of Mustangs raced through the tight, fast turns of the 1.53-mile circuit. With time ticking down, Machavern tried to pass Merrill on the uphill. His attempt was unsuccessful as he dropped two wheels off track, allowing Merrill to cross the stripe about a half a second before him. “Thomas is good at making his car wide and big, and he really worked that traffic well,” Machavern explained. “The Stevens Miller Liqui-Moly Mustang was awesome all weekend, but Thomas just bested me on the last lap in qualifying and really the same thing happened at the end of the race. I think we had the fastest car at the end, we had some passing opportunities, but Thomas just knew how to make his car big.” Using his NASCAR circle-track experience to his advantage, Lagasse wheeled his No. 92 SLR/Fields Racing/M1Racecars Chevrolet Camaro from a fifth-place start to a podium finish despite losing power steering late in the round. “I’m exhausted after this race and ready for a nap,” Lagasse laughed. “To run this kind of a track without power steering was a little bit interesting. We had a really good race car, but lost some speed after the power steering went out. We had solid race and this track was a lot of fun.” Championship-points leader Marc Miller also experienced some issues early on in the race after contact between his No. 40 Prefix Stevens-Miller Racing Dodge Challenger and the No. 25 BC Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro of Tony Ave sent Miller back to mid-field. Working through traffic, Miller managed to finish the race where he started, in fourth. “We soldiered the No. 40 Prefix Doge Challenger back through the pack to finish fourth,” said Miller. “We just didn’t have the car to win today, but we secured a solid result with no damage before the important Detroit GP double-header next weekend. It was a huge effort by the Stevens-Miller Racing team and Prefix. Also as the only Dodge in the entire TA2 field, we had a great deal of fans visit us for the fan walk. It was great to meet everyone and see some old friends. Now it’s time to head home to prepare for the next one.” Missing the last round at Laguna Seca, defending TA2 champion Rafa Matos returned to the Lime Rock Park lineup. With major competition and limited passing areas, Matos was only able to make up two positions before the end of the race, slotting into fifth. Doug Peterson won the Masters award in the TA2 class following a 10th-place finish in the No. 87 3Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang.
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TransAm
May 27, 2019 7:44:05 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 27, 2019 7:44:05 GMT -8
Mercedes-Benz 450 SL, Loren St. Lawrence (Trans-Am, Sears Point, 1982)
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TransAm
May 28, 2019 6:23:13 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 28, 2019 6:23:13 GMT -8
Dyson’s Star Shines Bright At Lime Rock By SPEED SPORT Staff - May 27, 2019 Chris Dyson raced to victory in Monday's Trans-Am Series event at Lime Rock Park. (Dave Moulthrop Photo) LAKEVILLE, Conn. – A true Cinderella story unfolded on Monday at Lime Rock Park after Chris Dyson claimed the Trans-Am presented by Pirelli victory in the No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang. Ernie Francis Jr. recovered from an early-race setback to claim a hard-fought second place result ahead of Josh Hurley to complete the podium as Trans-Am returned to the traditional Memorial Day weekend event at Lime Rock Park. Tomy Drissi scored fourth at the finish, with Paul Fix crossing the line fifth. Starting from the pole, Dyson never surrendered the lead to claim his first TA victory of the season following 100 minutes of flat out racing, just days after suffering a crash in sprint car competition. Dyson, unsure if he was going to be medically cleared to participate following a wreck in the Hoosier 100 on Thursday that sent him to the hospital, slipped on the glass slipper to seize the points lead in the tight TA championship, making for a perfect ending to his fairytale weekend. “To think two days ago I was laying in a hospital bed, not knowing if I was going to make it here,” said Dyson. “I told my dad they were going to have to tie me to this bed if they’re going to keep me from racing in Lime Rock. Luckily I was cleared to race because this might be my biggest career win. It’s so special to see all my friends and family members waiving as I drive by, it’s just a fantastic feeling.” Starting from pole, Dyson didn’t shy away from unleashing the 850+ horsepower around the tight Connecticut circuit that’s known as road racing’s bullring. Muscling his way through traffic, Dyson started to build a gap from Hurley in the No. 03 McAleese and Associates Chevrolet Camaro, who was pressuring the hometown favorite for the lead. “I was just waiting for Chris to make a mistake, and the mistake never came,” Hurley said. “I got caught in traffic. This course is basically an oval in the woods with limited areas to pass. Lapped traffic played a huge role in the outcome and traffic just didn’t fall into my favor.” Starting from row two, Hurley got the jump on Ernie Francis Jr. in the No. 98 Frameless Shower Doors Ford Mustang entering turn one to take second. Francis tailed Hurley, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. But it was late-race lapped traffic that allowed the defending TA champion to pay back Hurley, reclaiming second with four laps left in the race. The podium finish edged Francis back into championship contention, only trailing the newest championship leader Dyson by eight points. “It felt like a Late Model Race out there,” Francis said. “We were never a single lap without traffic. Never a lap where we were trying to get around a car and figure out a way to go. It’s really tough to pass here. Every time Josh and I caught up to traffic it was a battle on who could get around it quickest. We came up to a large group near the end of the race and I was able to get through the whole the fastest. The podium really came down to who could work traffic the fastest.” The race featured three classes of competition, with SuperGT and GT machines sharing the track with the high-horsepowered TA class entries. In a perfect balance of battling competitors while watching for the TA traffic in his mirrors, Fall Line Motorsports driver Mark Boden went flag-to-flag in the SGT class race for his first win of the season in the No. 46 Beverage Flavors Int’l/Porsche 991 GT3 Cup . Brian Kleeman in the No. 07 Advanced Composite Products Inc./Cadillac CTSV SGT took second while Adrian Wlostowski in the No. 96 F.A.S.T. Auto/Ford Mustang found himself on the bottom step of the podium in third. “It’s awesome to win here at Lime Rock Park,” said Boden. “The set up to the car was great and the whole crowd here is wonderful. It was hot out here and the Pirelli tires held up for me to finish on top.” In a near perfect drive, Steven Davison wheeled his No. 22 Davinci Plastic Surgery / Aston Martin Vantage to score the GT class victory. “Sometimes surviving is winning, and that was today,” said Davison. “I am happy to be here and these fans here at Lime Rock are some of the best in the country.” Kerry Hitt won the Masters award in the TA class following a 10th-place finish in the No. 19 Advanced Composite Products Inc. Cadillac CTSV.
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TransAm
May 28, 2019 7:16:49 GMT -8
Post by truenorth on May 28, 2019 7:16:49 GMT -8
Peter DeLorenzo Chris Dyson (No. 20 Plaid Ford Mustang) won the Trans Am presented by Pirelli on Monday at Lime Rock Park. Starting from the pole, Dyson never surrendered the lead to claim his first TA victory of the season.
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TransAm
May 29, 2019 16:20:50 GMT -8
Post by wilmywood8455 on May 29, 2019 16:20:50 GMT -8
Damn close to a blowover here ... I guess they didn't use the chicane ... that said, what a great place to watch a race ^.
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