Trans-Am Series

Trans-Am Series

Category	Sports car racing
Country	United States
Inaugural season	1966
Official website	www.gotransam.com
Current season

History

The 'Trans-Am series' is an automobile racing series that was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship, the name was changed to the Trans-American Championship for 1967 and henceforth.^[1] The series has in fact gone by a variety of different names through the years (too many to list), some linked to sponsors, some not.^[2] It has evolved over time from its original format as a Manufacturers' Championship series for modified passenger sedans and Coupés to its current form as a Drivers' / Manufacturers' Championship Series that is open to GT style racecars. Champion drivers have been officially recognized, and Drivers' Championship(s) have been awarded since the 1972 season.

The series was formed at the dawn of the 'pony car' era, and was derived from the SCCA's A & B Sedan amateur Club Racing classes,^[3] Early Trans-Am Series racecars were just modified production cars. The series was open to FIA Group 2 Touring Cars^[4], and it featured two classes: "Over 2.0 Liter" -- 111 inch wheel base or less and engine displacement limited to 5.0 liters / 305 cubic inches (primarily American pony cars), and "Under 2.0 Liter" (predominantly European sedans), with both classes running together.

The series was best known for competition among American V8 coupes such as the Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Plymouth Barracuda, Mercury Cougar, AMC Javelin, Pontiac Firebird, and Dodge Challenger in the 1960s and early 1970s, driven by some of the most famous names in auto racing, like Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, and Bob Tullius^[5], to name just a few. Marques such as Porsche (until its 911 was reclassified as a sports car and not a sedan), Alfa Romeo, BMW, Datsun, Mini Cooper, Saab, and Volkswagen competed in the series' Under 2.0 Liter category.

Over the years, the series has raced on a variety of different types of race tracks (Permanent and temporary road courses / street circuits / airport circuits) all over the country, as well as at venues in Canada, Mexico, and even San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2003. Since 2015, Trans Am has been a national series (Continental U.S. only), racing at tracks primarily throughout the East Coast, South, and Midwest. Since the 2017 season, the stand-alone West Coast Championship Series has raced at four tracks -- three on the West Coast, and one in Texas that is a 'shared event' with the Trans Am Championship Series. Each Championship Series is independent of the other, but both are run according to virtually identical rule books.

The series begins (1966 – 1967)

The Trans-American Sedan Championship commenced on March 25, 1966 at Sebring International Raceway, beginning a 7 race season. (After 1966, seasons would average 12 rounds until 1973) The overall win went to Jochen Rindt driving an Alfa Romeo GTA, a very successful car in Trans Am, until Porsche arrived. Bob Tullius (in a Dodge Dart) took second overall and first in the Over 2.0 Liter class.

Allan Moffat, in a 1600cc Lotus Cortina, won the third race at Bryar. Ford of Britain gave full factory support to the Alan Mann Lotus Cortinas. In 1966, the Over 2.0 Liter Manufacturers' Champion was Ford, and the Under 2.0 Liter Manufacturers' Champion was Alfa Romeo, with Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey's Alfa Romeo GTA scoring 39 of the 57 Manufacturers' points for Alfa.

For 1967, in the Over 2.0 Liter class, Ford edged out Mercury for its second Manufacturers' Championship. Porsche successfully lobbied the SCCA to reclassify the 911 as a sedan, and then went on to dominate the Under 2.0 Liter field, winning the first of ultimately three consecutive Manufacturers' Championships over Alfa Romeo. The second season would see the emergence of now familiar names like Mark Donohue (3 wins, 2 of them without a co-driver) and Dan Gurney.

The Golden Era (1968 – 1972)

The 1968 season was notable for the addition of the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Daytona, the only year the Trans-American Championship featured those races. The '68 season also marked the first time the series ever left the United States, as the race at Mont-Tremblant, Quebec introduced Trans-American Championship racing to Canada. From 1969 on, co-drivers were not used, as most of the races were between 2.5 and 3 hours.

Penske Racing campaigned Chevrolet Camaro Z28s through 1969, and American Motors (AMC) Javelins in 1970 and 1971. Mark Donohue dominated the '68 season, winning 10 out of 12 races (only one of them with a co-driver), ultimately chalking up 29 race victories from 1967 to 1971, the last 10 of them in a Javelin. He was instrumental in the Trans-Am Series becoming the greatest American Musclecar racing showdown there was in the late '60s and early '70s. After achieving so much success together and popularizing "Trans-Am" (Donohue in particular), Penske Racing and Mark Donohue both left the series after the '71 season.

Mark Donohue made the Javelin a three time winner in 1970, but five wins made it Parnelli Jones' greatest season ever, with Ford winning its' first Manufacturers' title in two years. With Porsche's 911 moving to a 2.2L engine, 1970 also saw the resurgence of Alfa Romeo, dominating the Under 2 Liter class with a 9 win (out of 11) season. BMW picked up wins number one and two in the other races.

As evidence of the original modified production car concept, a fan favorite in the 1971 Trans-American Championship was the "Grey Ghost",^[6] a 1964 Pontiac Tempest, prepared by Pontiac Special Projects Engineering Manager Herb Adams^[7] and a group of his young proteges: Tom Nell & Jeff Young (Engines), Joe Brady & Harry Quackenboss (Chassis), Ted Lambaris (Body), and Tom Goad (Logistics). The boxy, six year old Tempest had once been Adams' wife's daily driver, and had over 80,000 miles (130,000 km) on the odometer when it was turned into an A Sedan racer. It proved to be surprisingly fast, at a time when even a one year old car was considered out of step with the competition. And despite the big-name competition and factory supported race teams, it was entered in the opening round of the '71 Trans-Am Championship. Unable to qualify, the car was allowed to start at the rear of the field. With former winner Bob Tullius behind the wheel, it mowed through the field, and was running second behind eventual winner Mark Donohue's factory supported Penske Racing AMC Javelin when the engine expired.^[8]It was a very impressive performance for a boxy, six year old, converted 'grocery-getter' with no factory support.

In 1972, the series would begin officially awarding Drivers' Championships, with the first-ever titles going to George Follmer in an AMC Javelin, and John Morton in a Datsun 510, before changing back to a single class for the '73, '74, and '75 seasons. Had the Drivers' Championship been in place right from the start, Mark Donohue would have been the first back-to-back winner in 1968 and 1969, and also the first three-time winner.

The "Two-Five Challenge"

For 1971 and 1972, the Under 2.0 Liter class' engine displacement limit was increased by 500cc to 2.5 Liters, and the classes renamed, with the "U2" class being renamed the "Two-Five Challenge". 1971 was very exciting as Horst Kwech, in a Herb Wetanson Alfa-Romeo GTV, and John Morton in Pete Brock's BRE Datsun 510, fought it out for the title. After a hard fought season with much off-track puffing, Datsun won the first of their only two Manufacturers' Championships ever, but only after a tie-breaker (having more wins). In '72, Datsun would again defeat Alfa Romeo to win the Two-Five Challenge, and hence the title, this time convincingly. When these two marques dropped out after the 1972 season, interest in the series decreased. Already contributing to the Trans-Am Championship's decline was the dominance of AMC. Follmer and Donohue had switched to AMC in 1970, ending the Ford vs Chevy rivalry that had made the series famous.

Evolution (1973 – 1980)

1972 is considered to be the end of Trans-Am's "golden era". From 1973 onward, the Trans-Am Series would evolve into a lesser clone of the rival IMSA GT Championship: similarly modified cars, but with a more conventional focus. From the 1970s on, Trans-Am cars and/or drivers would also be seen running in the IMSA GT Championship. IMSA GT's focus on exotic cars such as Ferraris and Porsches provided a more adaptable format in comparison to Trans-Am's reliance on domestic performance sedans.

By the early '70s, insurance premiums for "muscle cars" had gotten to be extremely high, causing a significant sales decline.^[9] The 1973 oil crisis also hastened the demise of the "muscle car". This is generally considered to be the beginning of the decline of the Trans-Am Series. After 1972, there were a lot fewer races each season, with 1974 being the shortest Championship season ever at just 3 races. Seasons would start to lengthen again for good in the '80s.

During the 1973 through 1975 seasons, the series abandoned its' two class format and went to a single class of competition, which proved to be a boon to both Peter Gregg and Porsche, winning two Championships apiece. John Greenwood and Chevrolet would 'rain on Peter Gregg's and Porsche's respective parades' in 1975.

The series revamped its' class structure in 1975, using SCCA Club Racing's fastest production car classes as a basis for the new rules package. Also, beginning with the 1975 season, all races were approximately 100 miles in length, except for the Six Hours of Watkins Glen (1974-1980), and Trois-Rivieres (Various race lengths from 67.5 to 98.8 miles in 1976, 1979-1985, 1990-1999, 2002-2004, and 2011. See Trois-Rivieres for details) races.

In 1976, the Trans-Am Series returned to the two category (class) format, classifying FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) Group 4 and 5 cars as "Category 2". This two class structure would remain in effect through the 1979 season, after which, the series went back to a single class until 2011, when the series was again divided into two classes; TA1 and TA2. The series would subsequently add even more classes, some of which would not be retained (GGT, TA3-A, TA3-I, and TA5), until arriving at the present 4 class structure.

In 1978, the series left North America (the United States and Canada) for the first time, with the last race of the season being run at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Grand Prix circuit in Mexico City, Mexico (Bob Tullius taking the win in a Jaguar XJS).

Trans-Am gradually evolved and adapted, eventually becoming a tube-frame / silhouette racing car series, instead of being production-based, as it was prior to 1973.

The GT era: Big money, turbos, and cost escalation (1980 – 1988)

In 1980, the SCCA developed a weight-to-displacement ratio for handicapping cars. 5 Liter, 2600-pound vehicles dominated the field. Soon, tube-frame cars, often based upon commercially available and relatively inexpensive "short track" stock car chassis, would begin to appear, eventually becoming the standard for Trans-Am Series competitors. Turbocharged, small-displacement-engined cars would also appear and proliferate as the decade wore on.

Despite its name (which General Motors took from the series in 1969 without the SCCA's knowledge or consent), the Firebird Trans Am was not initially used in the Trans-Am Series, due to the fact that its smallest engine was larger than the SCCA's 5.0 Liter (305 cubic inches) limit. In 1982, with Elliott Forbes-Robinson behind the wheel, a Pontiac would win the series Championship for the first and only time.

In 1983 Neil DeAtley assembled a two-car team of Camaros for the Trans-Am Series. DeAtley's major sponsor was Budweiser; noteworthy for the attraction of a truly major sponsor to the series. David Hobbs and Willy T. Ribbs dominated the 1983 season, with Ribbs winning five races and Hobbs winning four. Hobbs took the Championship with his more consistent finishes, while Ribbs was named Trans-Am Series Rookie of the Year.

For the 1984 season, Mercury took the Manufacturers' title with Ribbs as the lead driver for Roush Racing. For the next six years, Roush entries would dominate the series, winning 46 of the 83 races. Back with Roush again for the 1985 season, Ribbs scored seven victories and became the leading money winner in Trans-Am Series history, yet finished second in points, as teammate Wally Dallenbach, Jr. used his consistently higher finishes (including 5 wins) to take the Championship, and become the youngest Trans-Am Champion in history.

In 1984, a Porsche Turbo Carrera became the first turbocharged car to win a Trans-Am race, but it wouldn't be the last. 1986 was wildly competitive as the turbocharged, small displacement engine cars would become more powerful and go from field fillers to race winners. The Roush Racing Mercury Capri V8s, and Merkur XR4Ti turbo 4s went head-to-head against the Camaro V8s, and the turbocharged Buick Somerset. Actor/race driver Paul Newman took round 8 in his Nissan 300ZX Turbo. Dallenbach would again take the Championship, this time in a 'Protofab Racing' Camaro.

The Roush Merkurs of Scott Pruett and Pete Halsmer dominated the 13 race 1987 season, winning all but one race, with Elliott Forbes-Robinson taking that win in his Porsche 944 Turbo. Pruett would win his first Drivers' Championship; the only one ever won in an XR4Ti.

In 1988, after years of rallying, Audi would enter the series with the 200 turbo quattro via the services of Bob Tullius's Group 44 Racing. With the Quattro's all-wheel-drive system, the cars piloted by Hurley Haywood, and with both Walter Röhrl and Hans Joachim Stuck sharing duties, steamrolled the opposition, taking eight out of thirteen wins, and giving Audi its' one and only Manufacturers' Championship. The Audi 200 Turbo Quattro is the only all-wheel-drive car ever to win a Trans Am Championship for its' manufacturer. The SCCA would subsequently change the rules to two wheel drive only, and ban cars with non-American engines from taking part, but Audi had already planned to defect to IMSA after the 1988 season anyway.^[10] YouTube user jaspal666 has uploaded this enlightening video^[11] to give us an idea of just how unfair the Audi Quattro's advantage really was.^[12]

The modern era: More evolution (1989 – 2005)

1989 marked a major change in the Trans-Am Series, as throughout much of the nineties Trans-Am would evolve into an American-manufacturer-based series, with aftermarket V8s stuffed into any American branded car. This would last until the rise of Jaguar at the turn of the millennium.

Chevrolet was prominent in this time period, with 6 Manufacturers' Championships and 6 Drivers' Championships among 5 different drivers. Only Scott Sharp would win 2 Manufacturers' Championships for Chevrolet in the 1990s.

In the mid-1990s, Tommy Kendall, in a Chevrolet and then a Ford, was the driver to beat—he would take 4 Drivers' Championships in this decade (3 of them in a row, driving a Mustang). In 1997, he won a record 11 races in a row, guaranteeing his third consecutive Championship, which is itself a record for the 'single class of competition' era. His 28 wins and 4 Championships are second only to Mark Donohue's 29 wins*, and Paul Gentilozzi's 31 wins and 5 Championships. (*It must be noted however, that only 27 of Mark Donohue's wins were achieved without a co-driver, and that all 28 of Tommy Kendall's wins were solo efforts.)

Paul Gentilozzi rose to the fore beginning in 1998 with his first Trans-Am Series Championship. He would win 4 more Championships, driving a Chevrolet, a Ford, and a Jaguar. His 31 wins^[13] and 5 Championships are the most in the history of the series.

The late 1990s would see the rise of Rocketsports Racing's dominance using Corvettes ('98), Mustangs ('99), and finally Jaguar XKRs, which would continue until (the series dissolved in) 2006 and also 2009, after which team owner Paul Gentilozzi would switch to the American Le Mans Series. In an 11 year span, Rocketsports Racing would garner a total of 8 Championships among 4 different drivers.

It was, however, the end of the "American muscle revival" era that had begun in 1989, with Italian manufacturer Qvale winning the championship in 2000.

The rules package changed again in 2000, with "Spec" (design specifications) rear wings being made legal for the first time, and new manufacturers being added to the eligibility list (exotics such as the Panoz Esperante, Qvale Mangusta and Jaguar XKR), along with their fuel injected / multi-valve engines.

For the last race of the 2003 season, the series went to Puerto Rico for the first time in history, with hometown hero Wally Castro finishing first. It was also the first time since 1991 that the series raced outside of North America (i.e. the United States and Canada).

In 2003 and 2004, it was the Jaguar XKR's turn to win all but one race (10/11, 8/9), powered by its' Double Overhead Camshaft, Jaguar AJ-V8 engine, again courtesy of Paul Gentilozzi and Rocketsports Racing.

With his win in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) in 2005, Greg Pickett became the only Trans Am Series driver in its' 39 year history to win at least one race in four different decades.

The end of Trans-Am? (2006 – 2008)

Due to a lack of participants and interest, the series had ceased operations after the 2005 season, but the SCCA continued to own the series' name. In 2006, SCCA Pro Racing took over ownership and management of the series.^[14] A mere two races were run at Heartland Park Topeka in September and October of 2006^[15] using Trans-Am Series rules and the Trans-Am name. Fields were shored up by a makeshift assortment of SCCA GT-1 class amateur racers in town for the National Championship Runoffs later that week.^[16] Paul Gentilozzi won both of the races, and was awarded the 2006 Trans-Am Series Drivers' Championship.^[17] No Manufacturers' Championship was awarded.

In 2007 and 2008, there were no Trans-Am Series races of any kind, and for a while, it seemed like it was the end of the Trans-Am Series, but that would soon change.

Trans-Am's homegrown return (2009 – 2011)

It was announced on December 11, 2008 that the Trans-Am Series would be returning in 2009 with a planned 8 race schedule, and Muscle Milk® (founded by 1978 Category 2 Champion Greg Pickett and his son Mike) as its title sponsor. The official name will be the "Muscle Milk® SCCA Trans-Am Series". The revived series will use the SCCA's GT-1 class rules. A dedicated group of Trans-Am Series loyalists worked tirelessly to make the rebirth of the Trans-Am Series a reality, and it was to be a grass-roots based series with the potential to grow into a fully professional series.^[18][19] With the same vehicle rules as SCCA's amateur GT-1 class, top GT-1 class competitors would now have a new national racing series to help them progress to professional level racing. The first race was held March 22, 2009 at Road Atlanta with Greg Pickett taking the win. Driving a Jaguar, Tomy Drissi was the first Champion upon the series' return. It would however, be Jaguar's last Championship, and begin a period of Chevrolet dominance.

In 2011, in an effort to increase grid sizes which typically numbered in the single digits in 2010, the Trans-Am Series introduced two additional classes of competition in addition to the 2010 spec which raced as "TA1". The new "TA2" class consisted of SCCA GT-2 and GTA class cars, while the new "TA3" class consisted of SCCA GT-3 class cars; mainly smaller and lower-powered sports cars than TA1.^[20] However, there were no TA3 entries in 2011. For the final race of the 2011 season, a new class, "Global GT" (GGT) was introduced for production-based sports cars, such as the Ferrari F430 Challenge, and the Porsche GT3 Cup cars.^[21]

A new era: Partnership agreements, more changes (2012 – )

On Sept 29th 2011, the SCCA announced that the Trans Am Race Company, LLC will assume management of the Trans-Am Series from SCCA Pro Racing Ltd., the wholly owned subsidiary of Sports Car Club of America, beginning with the 2012 season. Through a 5-year agreement, the Trans Am Race Company (TARC) will assume full marketing rights to the series and will be responsible for Trans Am Series public relations and promotions.^[22] SCCA Pro Racing will continue to sanction Trans Am Series events and provide contracted event operations services to the series. SCCA Pro Racing President Tom Campbell, cites not having the resources to support growing the series as one of the reason for the transition. The Trans Am Race Company (TARC) is now owned by a group of Trans Am Series team owners and competitors. The current President of the Trans Am Race Company is John Clagett. Clagett had a 22-year affiliation with SCCA Pro Racing, and the Trans-Am Series, most recently as Executive Director of the Trans-Am Series in 2005, when Champ Car operated and sanctioned the series.

Trans Am partnered with GoRacingTV.com to provide a new form of video coverage for the 2012 season. The partnership provided global coverage of the series. Trans Am Series coverage was also provided by MavTV. The Trans Am Series has experienced record growth over the past two seasons and finds record numbers of entries at every race in 2015. In concert with the series' success, the television package has expanded to a total of 10 races (seven of the 12 events, three with coverage of two races, broken out as TA/TA3 and TA2) carried on the CBS Sports Network. In March 2017, it was announced that the television package had expanded again to 12 broadcasts (6 races, all with coverage of both the TA/TA3/TA4 and TA2 races), including the inaugural Indianapolis Motor Speedway race as well as the Circuit of the Americas race,^[23]that will feature both the Trans Am Championship Series and the Trans Am West Coast Championship Series racing simultaneously, yet competing separately. (See "Schedules" section below)

In late 2012, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) partnered with the Trans Am Race Company, LLC (TARC) to present Trans Am races at four of its' 2013 events. “Our partnership with SVRA gives the Trans Am Series the opportunity to showcase historic Trans Am racing with the new generation of Trans Am cars at legendary race tracks, in event filled weekends,” said John Clagett, president of the Trans-Am Race Company. “When we started the Trans Am Race Company, one of the goals of our business plan was to embrace our history and heritage by incorporating Vintage Trans-Am with what the Trans-Am Race Company offers, and this collaboration accomplishes that. There’s so much history associated with Trans-Am and so much momentum going forward that it’s going to be great to combine the two for an unparalleled experience in 2013.”^[24] In 2016, Tony Parella, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of both SVRA and Parella Motorsports Holdings became a member of the TARC ownership group, with a significant ownership stake.^[25] In 2017, he acquired (via Parella Motorsports Holdings) a controlling interest in the TARC ownership group by purchasing the ownership share of the departing Mike Miller. John Clagett, David Jans, and Simon Gregg are the minority shareholders.

The series at this time was divided into three classes (TA, TA2, and GGT). For 2013, the recently introduced GGT class was replaced by the TA3 class, which was later broken into two subgroups: TA3-American Muscle, for current generation "pony cars" based on NASA American Iron Racing class rules, with year and model restrictions; and TA3-International, for select cars based on SCCA GT-2 rules. Both subgroups were discontinued after the 2015 season. For 2016, TA3-I was renamed TA3, TA3-A was renamed "TA4", and "TA5" was introduced for cars such as the Ferrari F430 Challenge, and select Porsche models (just like the old GGT class). TA5 was discontinued after the fourth race of 2016. TA5 class cars now race in TA3.^[26] The rules package from the 2016 season (featuring four classes; TA, TA2, TA3, and TA4) was retained for 2017, with (among other things) changes being made to allow specified foreign makes and models to race in the TA4 class. (*The official Trans Am Series rule book is periodically updated, and changes are made to it when it becomes necessary or desirable to do so.)

In 2016, Ernie Francis Jr. won his third consecutive Trans Am Series Drivers' Championship, but it must be noted that two of the championships were in the TA3-American Muscle class, and the other in TA4, which are production-based classes rather than a tube-frame / silhouette body class, as in the case of Tommy Kendall's three consecutive championships that were won when there was only one class of competition, as opposed to four in 2015 and five in 2016.

In December of 2016, 1985/1986 Trans-Am Series Champion Wally Dallenbach Jr. was named Chief Steward ("...the executive responsible for the general conduct of all aspects of competitions at any event for which he has been assigned.") of the Trans Am Series.^[27] Wally Dallenbach Sr. was Chief Steward of CART (now Champ Car) from 1981 to 2004.

In January 2017, SCCA Pro Racing and the Trans Am Race Company, LLC (TARC) signed an unprecedented 25-year agreement, renewing their earlier partnership, and ensuring that Trans Am Series racing will continue for a long, long time.^[28]

For the first time in its 50+ year history, the Trans Am Series will race (on the Grand Prix road course) at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2017, partnering with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA).^[29] Additionally, the twin "Motor City 100" races (for TA and TA2 classes only) on Detroit's Belle Isle street circuit were made points eligible, non-exhibition races.

Notable Drivers

Many accomplished drivers with well known names have competed in the series since its' inception, such as Jochen Rindt, Richard Petty, A. J. Foyt, Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, Dan Gurney, and even well known Hollywood actor and four-time SCCA Champion^[30] Paul Newman, who won the 1982 race at Minnesota's Brainerd International Raceway, and the 1986 race at Connecticut's Lime Rock Park, as well as multiple Championship winners such as Peter Gregg, George Follmer, Bob Tullius, Paul Gentilozzi, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Scott Sharp, Tommy Kendall, Scott Pruett, Tony Ave, Amy Ruman, and Ernie Francis Jr.. A complete listing of Trans-Am Series winners by class (Current and Historic) can be found at http://gotransam.com/about/Trans-Am-Series-Records/59449.

In 2014, former INDYCAR and NASCAR driver Adam Andretti, nephew of 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti, added his well known last name to that list, becoming the first member of the famous Andretti family to compete in the Trans Am Series. Andretti has raced (a Camaro, a Mustang, and a Challenger) in the TA2 class regularly, picking up 6 wins and finishing second in points twice. In 2017, he also added his name to the list of Andrettis that have raced at "Indy", competing in the Series' "Indianapolis Muscle Car Challenge" in a Dodge Challenger.

Although she was not the first woman to compete in the Trans-Am Series (Janet Guthrie, 1973, 1978^[31]), in 2011, Amy Ruman became the first one in the series' 45 year history to win a race, accomplishing the historic feat in the season finale at Road Atlanta. In 2015, she would become the first woman to win a Trans Am Series Championship, and in 2016, the first one to win two Series Championships, even winning them consecutively.

Greg Pickett became the only driver in the series' 51+ year history to win at least one race in five different decades by winning at Portland International Raceway on July 30, 2017. His won his first race on May 21, 1978.

Current Series Format

Tires / Presenting Sponsor

In 2017, Pirelli became the exclusive tire supplier (replacing Hoosier) and presenting sponsor for the Trans Am Series, and all classes use Pirelli P ZERO radial ply racing slicks.^[32] All Trans Am by Pirelli races go on even if it rains, in which case competitors may pit and change over to softer, treaded rain tires. The change from bias ply tires to Pirelli P ZERO radial tires has been very well received, and has resulted in faster average speeds and improved lap times in all four classes.^[33]

Car Classifications

Tube-Frame / Silhouette Body

TA

TA class cars are high-performance Grand Touring race cars with a tubular chassis and a Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Camaro / Corvette, Dodge Challenger, or Ford Mustang body (full-scale replica) built by Advanced Composite Products (all eligible cars except Corvette C7) or Derhaag Motorsports (Corvette C6 / C7 / Camaro Generation 6 ["Gen 6"] only). Many of the entries carry Chevrolet Corvette bodywork, but there are several Ford Mustangs, a couple of Cadillac CTS-V coupes, and a Dodge Challenger in the class as well. All body types are eliminated 5 years after the last year that type or generation is produced. A minimum of two functional brake lights in their approximate stock locations are required on all cars competing in the Trans Am Series. They must be plainly visible, unobscured, and function just as they would on a production car.

Power comes from overhead valve (two per cylinder), pushrod, naturally aspirated, carbureted 358 cubic inch (5.86 L) V8 engines, producing anywhere from 850 to 875 horsepower.^[34][35]The minimum base weight (including driver and driver gear) for all cars is 2,780 pounds. Fuel cell capacity is 33 U.S. gallons. Current rules^[36] allow for the use of leaded gasoline, whereas all other classes must use unleaded gas. The use of Nitrous Oxide (or other similar compounds or systems), fuel additives, and/or fuel cooling, as well as supercharging or turbocharging is strictly prohibited in all classes. Automatic transmissions are prohibited, and manual transmissions must have no more than 5 forward speeds, and a functional reverse speed.

TA2

TA2 class rules specify a tubular chassis built by Howe Racing Enterprises, M-1 Motorsports, Mike Cope Racing, or Meissen Enterprises, and a Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang or Dodge Challenger body (full-scale replica) built by either Five Star Racing Race Car Bodies^[37] (Gen 6 Camaros and Mustangs), or Howe Racing Enterprises (all other eligible cars), with the Camaro body being the most popular by far. A minimum of two functional brake lights in their approximate stock location are required on all cars competing in the Trans Am Series.

TA2 engines are similar to TA engines, but are fuel injected, and must use restrictor plates, as maximum power is limited to 490 HP. As per current rules, "Nothing may direct or force air to the filter or housing." Transmissions must be commercially available, 'H pattern' manual units with four forward gears (without overdrive) and a reverse. The minimum base weight (including driver and driver gear) for all cars is 2,830 pounds. The costs of shock absorbers, brake calipers & pads, and wheels are controlled, and no titanium or carbon fiber components are allowed, other than the driver's seat. TA2 is currently Trans-Am's most popular class among competitors.

Production based

TA3

The production based TA3 class cars must be of a number of different specified domestic or foreign makes, models, and year of manufacture, from American "muscle cars" to European exotics – such as Aston Martins, BMWs, Corvettes, Camaros, Vipers, Ferraris, Mustangs, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, and Porsches. As stated in the current rule book, The "...class is intended for recent model sports cars and new option engine Camaros and Mustangs."^[38] But "Additional cars having similar performance capabilities and fitting in with the overall concept of the class will be considered for inclusion in the TA3 class". Unlike TA4 cars, the current rules allow them to "...compete at a higher level of preparation." Standard body appearance must be maintained, including the OEM grille and badge. As with TA4, Tube frames are not allowed, and roll cages are mandatory. Some engines are required to have restrictor plates, for the purpose of equalizing performance.^[39] Minimum Vehicle Base Weights may be changed for the same purpose.

TA4

This class complies more with the "classic" Trans Am standards of the glory era. TA4 class cars must be a modern production-based Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, Maserati Grand Turismo MC Trofeo/GT4, Porsche Cayman X51 Gen 2&3, Cayman GT4 Club Sport Gen 3, or 2009 - 2013 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Gen 1&2. The class is intended to be a competition between late model, nearly stock, high-performance cars. It's an affordable class, and a good place for Trans Am Series beginners to start racing in. As with TA3, some engines are required to have restrictor plates, for the purpose of equalizing performance.^[39]Minimum Vehicle Base Weights are adjusted depending on optional components used.

*See current rule book for complete information on all Trans Am Series rules and regulations.

Schedules

Currently, there are 13 races on the Trans Am Championship Series schedule (9 permanent road courses / 3 temporary road courses / 1 temporary street circuit), with the Detroit race being open to TA and TA2 class cars only. In late 2016, the Trans Am Race Company (TARC) announced that after a long absence, the Trans Am Series would return to the West Coast with the 2017 Trans Am West Coast Championship, partnering with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA).^[40] The West Coast Championship Series consists of a separate 3 race competition, plus one round that is shared with the Trans Am Championship Series at Circuit of the Americas. (3 permanent road courses / 1 temporary road course)

Direction of Travel

In the Trans Am Series, the direction of travel on the racetrack is up to each race facility. It is usually "clockwise" (right to left, as viewed from outside the track), except at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Circuit of the Americas, and Daytona International Speedway. In the West Coast Championship, the direction of travel is clockwise at Willow Springs International Raceway and Portland International Raceway, and counter-clockwise at Auto Club Speedway and Circuit of the Americas.

Event Protocol

*Trans Am Series rules and regulations are extensive and detailed. The main rules relating to a Trans Am race are:

- Practice / Qualifying / Warmup / Race / Length

At each race, there are two practice sessions, one qualifying session, an optional warm up session, and the race itself. Since the 1975 season, Trans Am races are ~100 miles in length.

As stated in the current Rule Book, "The normal race length of Trans Am Championship, Presented by Pirelli Races are 100 miles (including the lap that completes the 100 mile length) unless otherwise specified in the Supplemental Regulations or otherwise changed by the CHIEF STEWARD during the course of the event weekend". The CHIEF STEWARD may also limit a race to a certain number of laps, miles, or minutes; whichever comes first. (See current Rule Book for complete information on race length and scoring)

- Multiple Class Race / Grid (Field)

TA, TA3, and TA4 class cars all "grid" (2 fastest qualifiers on the front row, slower cars behind them according to qualifying times) and race together during the same "race session" (as the rule book puts it), using a staggered start with the two slower classes starting their respective races (in order of class) behind the TA class grid, being separated from each other as well. The fastest qualifiers in each of the four classes may choose to start on the left or right of the next fastest qualifier on the front row. TA2 class cars have their own separate race.

- Race Start / Finish

The series uses a rolling start with (or without) the pace car proceeding parallel to the field, and in pit lane, approaching the Starter at the Start/Finish line, who uses a green flag to signal the start of the race for each of the 3 classes (or the TA2 field). In the absence of a pace car, or if additional pace laps are required, the "pole" car for each class will serve the same function as the pace car from its position in the front row. At the completion of the last lap, the Starter waves a checkered flag, signifying the end of the race. All winning drivers, as well as second and third-place finishers (plus any award winners announced over the official race control frequency) are required to attend the Winner's Circle ceremonies at the victory podium/rostrum.

- Fuel / Pit Stops / Tire marking / Tire changes

Trans Am Series racecars carry enough fuel to run the entire race non-stop, making each race a 100-mile sprint that is a test of driver skill and competitiveness. Current rules allow for TA class cars to use leaded (112 Octane) or unleaded (98 Octane) gasoline. All other classes must use unleaded gas. (All fuel is supplied exclusively by VP Racing Fuels, Inc.) Fuel and refueling on pit lane, or on the grid is strictly prohibited. Refueling is only permitted in the team's paddock space.

TRIVIA: The 112 Octane gasoline is green, the 98 Octane gas is colorless.

Pit stops are neither needed nor required, other than for the purpose of changing over to rain tires, or for some other mechanical or other issue. The pit lane speed limit is 45 miles per hour during all sessions (practice / qualifying / race).

As per the current Trans Am rule book, each team has four dry tires (slicks) per car marked by the Trans Am Technical Staff prior to qualifying. "All cars shall start the race on the same set of marked dry tires that they qualified on, or on the set of dry tires the team had marked prior to qualifying if rain tires (treaded) were used in the qualifying session." Teams are only allowed to change one undamaged tire per pit stop without penalty. All damaged tires may be changed without penalty, and a Trans Am pit lane official must verify the damage. Changing over to (or from) any number of rain tires is up to each Crew Chief, and is not limited.

- Flags

The series uses flags (six 'advisory' / seven 'mandatory compliance') to communicate with competitors during all qualifying, practice, and race sessions. A "Safety Car" is used to lead the field(s) during all Double Yellow Flag periods. All restarts are single file.

The Advisory flags are GREEN (beginning or resumption of a session, and that the course is clear), BLACK AND WHITE DIVIDED DIAGONALLY (shown once only to the Driver with a number board from the Starter as a Warning for 'Unsportsmanlike Behavior'), BLUE WITH YELLOW DIAGONAL or SOLID BLUE (advisory for competitor following you), YELLOW WITH RED STRIPES (caution, the racing surface may be affected by fluids and/or debris), WHITE (caution, you are approaching a slow moving vehicle), and WHITE WAVED AT START/FINISH LINE (last lap of competition).

The Mandatory Compliance flags are BLACK (shown to the Driver with a number board from the Starter and/or at designated flag station(s) on the circuit. The Driver must report to Series Officials on pit lane for consultation and/or penalty within four (4) laps or face possible additional disciplinary actions), BLACK WITH ORANGE DISC IN CENTER (shown to the Driver with a number board from the Starter and/or at designated flag stations on the circuit to advise of a mechanical problem that may endanger the Driver or other competitors. Driver must report immediately to their assigned pit at reduced speed and may not rejoin the session until released by the Technical Director or his designate), YELLOW (local / partial course caution – must reduce speed and line up in single file – no passing), WAVED YELLOW (use great caution!), DOUBLE YELLOW (full course caution – no passing), RED (the session has been stopped – use caution and proceed immediately to pit lane – no passing), and BLACK AND WHITE CHECKERED (completion of practice, qualifying, or race).

Championships / Awards

Originally, Manufacturers' Championship points were awarded in all classes to the top 6 finishing positions of each make of car: 9-6-4-3-2-1. Beginning in 1972, the SCCA instituted a Drivers' Championship that would be based on overall finishing position from 1st through 10th places: 20-15-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1. Beginning in 1990, the top 25 finishers were awarded points as follows: 30-27-25-23-21-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1.

Currently, Manufacturers' Championship points are earned in exactly the same manner they were originally. (*Vehicles must be classified as finishers to score Manufacturers' points.) Final point standings ties will be decided by which manufacturer has more wins, second-place finishes, etc., as necessary to determine the winner.

Series Champions in each of the four competition classes are determined based on points accumulated during the season. Drivers' Championship points are awarded as follows: At each race, after Qualifying has been completed, 3 points are awarded to the First Qualifier, 2 to the Second Qualifier, and 1 to the Third Qualifier. The top 24 finishers in each class, at each race are awarded points as follows: 30-27-25-23-21-20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2. All other finishers are awarded 1 point, provided they took the green flag at the start of the race. During each race, 1 point is awarded to any driver leading a lap in class, as well as 1 point for leading the most laps in class for each race. In all classes, the driver's lowest scoring race of the first five events will be dropped, and no Championship points will be awarded for it. (*A driver must be classified as a starter to score Championship points.)

Series Champions are awarded the brand new for 2017 Trigon Trophy (sponsored by 3-Dimensional Services Group, and custom designed by longtime partner Crystal Sensations).^[41] According to The Trans Am Race Company, LLC President John Claggett, "The base is shaped as a “D”…  The crystal is essentially 3 sided… thus… the Trigon Trophy reflects the sponsorship. And yes… They are beautiful." The Trans Am Series' traditional colors are red and black, and Pirelli's color is yellow, with The Trigon Trophies incorporating those design elements.

Rookie of the Year winners in each class are also determined by points accumulated during the season.

After the results of each race are "final", the COOLSHIRT Systems "Cool Move of the Race" Award (If applicable, it is given to the outstanding driver of the race, and the "move" could also be a 'move up through the field'.), pitboxes.com Crew Award, and Traq Gear Crew Chief Award are given out.

*See current rule book for complete information on all Trans Am Series rules and regulations.

Manufacturers' and Drivers' Championships Chart

Year	Champion Manufacturer [42]	Champion Driver	Car	Team
1966	Over 2-liter – Ford	--- Drivers' Championship not awarded until 1972 ---
	Under 2-liter – Alfa Romeo[43]
1967	Over 2-liter – Ford
	Under 2-liter – Porsche[44]
1968	Over 2-liter – Chevrolet
	Under 2-liter – Porsche[45]
1969	Over 2-liter – Chevrolet
	Under 2-liter – Porsche[46]
1970	Over 2-liter – Ford
	Under 2-liter – Alfa Romeo[47]
1971	Over 2.5-liter – American Motors
	Under 2.5-liter – Datsun[48][49]
1972	Over 2.5-liter – American Motors	Over 2.5-liter – George Follmer	AMC Javelin	Roy Woods Racing
	Under 2.5-liter – Datsun[50]	Under 2.5-liter – John Morton	Datsun 510	Brock Racing Enterprises
1973	Porsche	Peter Gregg	Porsche 911	Brumos Porsche
1974	Porsche	Peter Gregg	Porsche 911	Brumos Porsche
1975	Chevrolet	John Greenwood	Chevrolet Corvette	John Greenwood Racing
1976	Cat. 1 – American Motors	Cat. 1 – Jocko Maggiacomo	AMC Javelin	Jocko's
	Cat. 2 – Porsche	Cat. 2 – George Follmer	Porsche 934	Vasek Polak Racing
1977	Cat. 1 – Porsche	Cat. 1 – Bob Tullius	Jaguar XJS	Group 44
	Cat. 2 – Porsche	Cat. 2 – Ludwig Heimrath	Porsche 934	Heimrath Racing
1978	Cat. 1 – Jaguar	Cat. 1 – Bob Tullius	Jaguar XJS	Group 44
	Cat. 2 – Chevrolet	Cat. 2 – Greg Pickett	Chevrolet Corvette	Pickett Racing
1979	Cat. 1 – Chevrolet	Cat. 1 – Gene Bothello	Chevrolet Corvette	FEMSA/Kennedy
	Cat. 2 – Porsche	Cat. 2 – John Paul, Sr.	Porsche 935	John Paul, Sr.
1980	Chevrolet	John Bauer	Porsche 911	Larry Green Racing
1981	Chevrolet	Eppie Wietzes	Chevrolet Corvette	Swiss Chalet
1982	Pontiac	Elliott Forbes-Robinson	Pontiac Firebird	Huffaker Engineering
1983	Chevrolet	David Hobbs	Chevrolet Camaro	DeAtley Motorsports
1984	Lincoln Mercury	Tom Gloy	Mercury Capri	Lane Sports Racing
1985	Lincoln Mercury	Wally Dallenbach, Jr.	Mercury Capri	Roush Racing
1986	Lincoln Mercury	Wally Dallenbach, Jr.	Chevrolet Camaro	Selix/Protofab Racing
1987	Lincoln Mercury	Scott Pruett	Merkur XR4Ti	Roush Racing
1988	Audi	Hurley Haywood	Audi 200 Quattro Turbo	Group 44
1989	Ford	Dorsey Schroeder	Ford Mustang	Roush Racing
1990	Chevrolet	Tommy Kendall	Chevrolet Beretta	Spice Engineering
1991	Chevrolet	Scott Sharp	Chevrolet Camaro	American Equipment Racing
1992	Chevrolet	Jack Baldwin	Chevrolet Camaro	American Equipment Racing
1993	Chevrolet	Scott Sharp	Chevrolet Camaro	American Equipment Racing
1994	Ford	Scott Pruett	Chevrolet Camaro	American Equipment Racing
1995	Chevrolet	Tommy Kendall	Ford Mustang	Roush Racing
1996	Ford	Tommy Kendall	Ford Mustang	Roush Racing
1997	Ford	Tommy Kendall	Ford Mustang	Roush Racing
1998	Chevrolet	Paul Gentilozzi	Chevrolet Corvette	Rocketsports Racing
1999	Ford	Paul Gentilozzi	Ford Mustang	Rocketsports Racing
2000	Qvale	Brian Simo	Qvale Mangusta
2001	Jaguar	Paul Gentilozzi	Jaguar XKR	Rocketsports Racing
2002	Ford	Boris Said	Panoz Esperante
2003	Jaguar	Scott Pruett	Jaguar XKR	Rocketsports Racing
2004	Jaguar	Paul Gentilozzi	Jaguar XKR	Rocketsports Racing
2005	Jaguar	Klaus Graf	Jaguar XKR	Rocketsports Racing
2006	--- Not Awarded ---	Paul Gentilozzi	Jaguar XKR	Rocketsports Racing
2007	--- No Trans-Am Series ---
2008	--- No Trans-Am Series ---
2009	Jaguar	Tomy Drissi	Jaguar XKR	Rocketsports Racing
2010	Chevrolet	Tony Ave	Chevrolet Corvette	Lamers Racing
2011	Chevrolet	TA1: Tony Ave	Chevrolet Corvette	Lamers Racing
		TA2: Bob Stretch	Chevrolet Camaro	Fix Rim Mobile Wheel Repair
2012	Chevrolet	TA: Simon Gregg	Chevrolet Corvette	Derhaag Motorsports
		TA2: Bob Stretch	Chevrolet Camaro	Fix Rim Mobile Wheel Repair
	Panoz	GGT: Chuck Cassaro	Panoz Esperante GTS	Cassaro Racing
2013	Chevrolet	TA: Doug Peterson	Chevrolet Corvette	Tony Ave Racing
		TA2: Cameron Lawrence	Chevrolet Camaro	Miller Racing
	Ford	TA3-American Muscle: Chuck Cassaro	Ford Mustang	Cassaro Racing
	Porsche	TA3-International: David C. Seuss	Porsche 996 GT3
2014	Chevrolet	TA: Doug Peterson	Chevrolet Corvette	Tony Ave Racing
	Dodge	TA2: Cameron Lawrence	Dodge Challenger	Miller Racing
	Chevrolet	TA3-American Muscle: Ernie Francis, Jr.	Chevrolet Camaro	Breathless Performance Racing
		TA3-International: Jason Berkeley	Chevrolet Corvette C6R	BMG Management
2015	Chevrolet	TA: Amy Ruman	Chevrolet Corvette	Ruman Racing
		TA2: Gar Robinson	Chevrolet Camaro	Robinson Racing
		TA3-American Muscle: Ernie Francis, Jr.	Chevrolet Camaro	Breathless Performance Racing
	Dodge	TA3-International: Lee Saunders	Dodge Viper	V10 PWR Racing
2016	Chevrolet	TA: Amy Ruman	Chevrolet Corvette	Ruman Racing
	Ford	TA2: Tony Buffomante	Ford Mustang	Mike Cope Racing
	BMW	TA3: Randy Mueller	BMW M3	Epic Motorsports
	Ford	TA4: Ernie Francis, Jr.	Ford Mustang	Breathless Performance Racing
	Porsche	TA5: Tim Kezman	Porsche 997	Fall-Line Motorsports

Class Championships by manufacturer

Manufacturer	Championships
Chevrolet	28
Ford	12
Porsche	11
Jaguar	6
Lincoln Mercury	4
American Motors (AMC)	3
Alfa Romeo	2
Datsun	2
Dodge	2
Audi	1
BMW	1
Panoz	1
Pontiac	1
Qvale	1

Retrospective Drivers' Champions

Race historians have rated the overall finishers in the early Trans-Am Series years by the driver points scheme in place from 1972 until 1989 to crown unofficial overall Drivers Champions for 1966–1971. This listing first appeared in Albert R. Bochroch’s 1986 book Trans-Am Racing 1966–1985.^[51]

Year	Champion Driver	Car	Team
1966	Horst Kwech Gaston Andrey	Alfa Romeo GTA	Bill Knauz
1967	Jerry Titus	Ford Mustang	Shelby American
1968	Mark Donohue	Chevrolet Camaro	Penske Racing
1969	Mark Donohue	Chevrolet Camaro	Penske Racing
1970	Parnelli Jones	Ford Mustang	Bud Moore Engineering
1971	Mark Donohue	AMC Javelin	Penske Racing

Tributes

• The "Historic Trans Am Series" is "...simply a group of individuals who wish to share our appreciation for the great race series -- the Trans Am -- during its heyday from 1966 to 1972." Original racecars from Trans-Am's "golden era" are faithfully restored to original condition, and then "raced" at select events. They are a regular group at historic automobile racing events. In 2010, the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California paid tribute to the under 2000cc group. On occasion, the Monterey Historics and its former sister event at Sonoma Raceway, also in California, have paid tribute to 1980s Trans-Am cars, often referring to them as "IMSA GTO" cars. In recent years, the Sonoma event has referred to them as "SCCA cars".
• A few teams in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, which is reminiscent of the old Trans-Am Series, have painted their vehicles to resemble the old Trans-Am cars. In 2010 Multimatic Motorsports painted their Ford Mustangs to resemble those of Parnelli Jones and George Follmer. Also entered that year was a modern version of the Sunoco sponsored Chevrolet Camaro.
• The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was named after the series. According to SCCA archives, that brand has taken 7 wins and 1 Championship in the 42 year old series' 450+ events. The last win by a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was in 1984.
• Tommy Kendall previously drove a Dodge Challenger using tribute livery modeled after Sam Posey's 1970 Challenger.

See also

• "The History of the Trans Am Series"(1966 – 1995) YouTube/Speedvision video
• History of the Trans Am Series 1966-1995 DVD
• List of Trans-Am Series marques
• Trans-Am production cars

Other series based on the Trans-Am Series model

The Trans-Am Series has used tube-frame / silhouette cars, similar to the original IMSA GT Series, since the early 1980s, with heavy emphasis on GT cars. The SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge racing series, run by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), respectively, utilize modified production-based cars, sports cars, and touring cars, similar in spirit to the Trans-Am Series series since the 1980s. With the rise of these other series, Trans-Am saw decreased attention from the media, however, Speedvision did occasionally cover Trans-Am races until the series' demise in 2006.

References