Trans Am Lives! Uh, sort of. (SPOILER)

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First, I'll start off with saying a half-hearted congratulations to Paul Gentilozzi on his 2006, yes 2006, series title. The Trans Am series, whom we thought were defunct for year fourty ran two events; the first in September, and the second in October at Heartland Park Topeka, alongside the SCCA National series'.

An event filled mainly with SCCA GT-1 and AGT competitors other notables included Jorge Diaz Jr., Tommy Drissi and Joey Scarallo. Gentilozzi, driving the familiar 10 XKR won the first of two season events. It didn't come that easily, as after contact with Scarallo Paul had to change a tire. Still managing to fight back, and win.

GentilJag.JPG


In race two, Jorge Diaz Jr., after receiving a penalty after qualifying was able to take the lead early on lap one and never looked back. Gentilozzi, finising second in race two clinched a championship. “I have to count this championship as an asterisk, because it was only two races,” Gentilozzi commented. “But it was great fun and I have huge respect for Ray Irwin and the whole Heartland Park staff as well as Jim Julow and everybody at SCCA that allowed me to pull my body out of mothballs.”

transAm8.JPG


Gentilozzi,after working hard to reunite his driving mates from the old days was able to talk the SCCA and Topeka into running the event. A crew wasn't hard to come by as the Rocketsports team are still going strong in Lansing Michigan building brand new cars for SCCA GT1, AGT and working on their very own Grand Am and Champ Car projects.

No news on the future of Trans Am but many involved in the two weekends were more than elated to just be at a Trans Am race again and rumours are flying around eluding to a similar schedule next year to allow for the boys to get at it again.

I don't know about you guys, but I personally loved reading the race reports (available on the SCCA website) and I hope we can get the SCCA Trans Am series back in some form. (Other than historic racing!)

Race One Results:

Pos. (Quali) Driver Name, Based, Car, Laps Completed.

1. (5), Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich., Jaguar XKR, 24.
2. (2), Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, Calif., Jaguar XKR, 24.
3. (3), Greg Pickett, Benicia, Calif., Jaguar XKR, 24.
4. (8), Edison Lluch Jr., Puerto Rico, Chevrolet Corvette, 24.
5. (17), Amy Ruman, Kent, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 24.
6. (10), Mike Canney, Placidia, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette, 24.
7. (13), Gene Nicholas, Lowell, Ark., Chevrolet Camaro, 23.
8. (7), John Baucom, Matthews, N.C., Ford Mustang, 23.
9. (4), Jorge Diaz Jr., Puerto Rico, Jaguar XKR, 22.
10. (15), Carl Janin, Dallas, Texas, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 22.
11. (9), Shawn Gray, Lafayette, Ark., Chevrolet Camaro, 21.
12. (14), Dan Downs, Bellevue, Neb., Chevrolet Camaro, 21.
13. (11), David Fershtand, Fort Worth, Texas, Ford Mustang, 19.
14. (1), Joey Scarallo, Hauppauge, N.Y., Chevrolet Corvette, 17.
15. (16), Eugene Kraus, Lake Forest, Ill., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 16.
16. (12), Ryan McManus, Westfield Center, Ohio, Ford Mustang, 7, Mech.
17. (6), Edison Lluch Sr., Puerto Rico, Chevrolet Corvette, 0, Crash.

Time of Race: 46 minutes, 38.941 seconds.
Margin of victory: 25.809 seconds, under yellow.
Average race speed: 77.172 mph
Lap leaders: laps 1-5, #06 Joey Scarallo; laps 6-18, #08 Jorge Diaz Jr.; laps 19-24, #10 Paul Gentilozzi
Fastest Race Lap: 1:37.295 (92.502 mph), #10 Paul Gentilozzi (Record)
Fastest Qualifier: 1:36.922 (92.858 mph), #10 Paul Gentilozzi (Record)
Cautions: Two for five laps

Race Two Results:

Pos. (Quali) Driver Name, Based, Car, Laps Completed.

1. (4) Jorge Diaz Jr., Puerto Rico , Jaguar XKR, 25.
2. (3) Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing , Mich. , Jaguar XKR 25.
3. (5) Phillip Simms, Orlando , Fla. , Jaguar XKR, 25.
4. (1) Amy Ruman , Kent , Ohio , Chevrolet Corvette, 25.
5. (8) Mike Canney, Placida , Fla. , Chevrolet Corvette, 25.
6. (7) John Baucom, Matthews, N.C., Ford Mustang, 24.
7. (11) Bryan Long, Peoria , Ill. , Chevrolet Camaro, 24.
8. (2) Tomy Drissi, Hollywood , Calif. , Jaguar XKR, 24.
9. (12) David Fershtand, Ft. Worth , Texas , Ford Mustang, 24.
10. (19) Gene Nicholas, Lowell , Ariz. , Chevrolet Camaro, 23.
11. (10) Eugene Kraus, Lake Forest , Ill. , Oldsmobile Cutlass, 23.
12. (15) Dan Robson, Moore , S.C. , Mazda Miata, 22.
13. (10) Joey Scarallo, Hauppauge , N.Y. , Chevrolet Corvette, 20.
14. (13) Ron Tambourine, Lake Forest , Ill. , Mazda RX-7, 19.
15. (20) Max Lagod, Barrington , Ill. , Chevrolet Corvette, 2.

Time of Race: 44 minutes, 14.932 seconds.
Margin of victory: 0.675 seconds.
Average race speed: 84.748 mph
Lap leaders: lap 1, #23 Ruman; laps 2-25, #8 Diaz Jr.
Fastest Race Lap: 1:37.759 (92.063 mph), #10 Paul Gentilozzi
Fastest Qualifier: 1:38.752 (91.143 mph), #8 Jorge Diaz Jr.
Cautions: Two for four laps.

More "Thunder in the Park I and II" event photos will be added when made available.
 
Cool. Hopefully they come back with a more cost-effective set of rules/cars and a classic schedule for '08. That said, I'd like to see those monsters in action one last time.

m.piedgros
 
Perhaps they should move back to a more production-car based format like when they originally started rather than the silhouette style cars they run now. Trying to be like NASCAR on road courses is never going to get that level of national interest.
 
There is a class in SCCA (American Sedan) and NASA (American Iron) that could easily make a new Trans Am class. Essentially, all cars are production based, stripped out for racing and are equiped with spec 302 motors (as I understand it.) Cars that are legal are baisically any Mustang or Camaro so long as it fits the regs set out by officials. I'd like to see the new Challenger get in on the action, as well as the new Camaro.
 
TheCracker, you clearly don't know the TransAm, otherwise you'd know that the height of national interest in the TransAm occured in the late 80's to mid 90's, not in the romanticized 1967-1970 period.

Also, you'd know that the TransAm has been a silhouette class since the mid 70's because the cars are CHEAPER to build and have a longer shelf-life than production based cars. They're hardly trying to be "NASCAR on road courses". This is the way the TransAm has been MOST OF ITS LIFE.
 
Thanks for chiming in Layla's Keeper. Though, I must admit, it really doesn't matter to me what form the Trans Am cars take so long as they produce wicked amounts of horsepower, sound really, really good and go fast!
 
I remember mid '90's Trans Am quite vividly. My favorite car was the All Sport Mustang, which I believe was a Jack Roush car and driven by Tommy Kendall, could be mistaken but those were indeed the days!

m.piedgros
 
I always used to watch these cars at Mosport when they were there. I think Trans-Am and Champ Car are my two favorite series'. I hope that Trans-Am can resurge like Champ Car did, though I'm not sure Champ Car was in this much trouble, or in the kind of trouble Trans-Am are in.
 
Man, do I miss watching Trans Am. The Paul Gentilozzi and Boris Said battles were always great fun to watch. I sure Hope Trans Am comes back full swing.
 
Jonerz, Champ Car isn't in the same kind of trouble that the TransAm is in, but it's in no way on a resurgence kick.

No new teams, the defection of their star youth driver, the continued loss of sponsorship dollars due to ridiculous tobacco legislation, and the dubious status of being the world's fastest spec series all have combined to make Champ Car's long-term future nonexistant.
 
Depends in what your definition is. Because in 2002 CART/Champ Car was pretty well cooked. Now the series is seeing expansion. No new teams I believe there is at least one new team already confirmed for 2007 and I believe ex-F1 Minardi team boss Frank Stoddart is looking very carefully at Champ Car. There is no denying Champ Car is getting healthier and with the new Panoz DP01 it got a pretty good kick.

I'll grant you this. Champ Car is by no means what we'd all like it to be. It isn't even at the level of CART of the '90's, yet. But there is no telling what the future holds. I can only see expansion in their immediate future especially if they get into Europe next year or in 2008. Admitedly, the IRL seem to be doing the better work for AMERICAN open-wheel racing, having oval racing, and most notably the Indy 500. Now as the IRL schedule is moving more towards that of the CART schedule of the 1990's (what was the split for anyways?) But how long can that formula keep growing if it is already a proven failure!

I think the bottom line is racing isn't what it should be in the U.S. Idealy all series would have the fastest most exotic cars, a wide range of manufacturers involved as well as having a strong contingent of privateers pushing the manufacturers every step of the way. That isn't the case though and Champ Car have to do what they have to do to survive as an open-wheel racing series. If that means going to Australia, Mexico, Canada, and Europe and eliminating ovals well, let's see how it goes. But I digress... back to the topic at hand gents.
 
I'm going to have to agree with Jonerz. I don't necessarilly like 100% of what Champ Car are doing but with drivers like Sebastian Bourdais, Graham Rahal and the possibility of stealing IRL drivers and maybe even teams... I'd recommend we all keep our eyes open. The Panoz DP01 is a great innovation for the series. Cheap, safe, and above all fast racing is expected. Maybe in a few years Champ Car could be comparable to Grand-Am. By which I mean, there will be multiple chassis and engine manufacturers following the same "formula" to make for interesting competitive racing. Sure, we'd all love to see Formula 1 budgets and the same kind of diversity from our European brothers but is that really attainable without having to make cuts here and there? I too must digress.

m.piedgros
 
Actually what I want is a series that stops hemorraging American talent to tin-tops and doesn't abandon traditional circuits and dates for quick/easy money on haphazard street circuits.

Indy hasn't been the same since USAC stopped running the show, and as far as American Open Wheel should EVER be concerned, Indy Is The Show.

The split was because Tony George is an arrogant sonuvabitch who did the multi-millionaire version of "It's my ball and I'm going home." His whole schtick about "Reconnecting with the short tracks and oval racing" was 100% pure unadulterated bull**** (and supermodified pilot Davey Hamilton paid for it with his left foot). Tony George didn't want to listen to the CART teams, and so he formed his own series based around the shining star of the open wheel universe - the Indy 500.

George betrayed the 500 in the same way that CART betrayed the 500, by trying to become more important than the 500. It was the 500 that attracted Ascari, attracted Clark, attracted Hill, attracted Andretti and Hulme and Donohue. That there was a series for Indy cars beyond Indy was incidental.

And it raced at Mosport, at Watkins Glen, and at Road America.

Road racing is part of the Indy car legacy, but moreso is the fact that the sport is rooted in the Midwest, rooted in the brilliance of young shoes who grow up in midgets, sprints, Silver Crown, modifieds, supers, and any manner of road course machines as well.

One series needs to die, or both need to merge, before American Open Wheel returns to its glory, and I'll sooner see CART - the rats who started this mess by breaking off from USAC in the first place - die off than the series that supports the 500.
 
@FireEmblem62: I just added that link to my favorites. Thanks for digging that up for me!

@Layla's Keeper: I agree. The Indy 500 SHOULD BE the most important open-wheel event in the world. F1 teams should be clamoring to get across the pond for the month long speed fest. First deal, I think Jonerz's question about "why did they split anyway" was a sarcastic/rhetorical question because the '07 IRL schedule is turning into a mid-nineties CART schedule. The IRL is turning into mid-nineties CART. Now, my point - I can't speak for Jonerz - is that deep down inside we all want our favorite type of racing to have a series that competes here in the States that is the cat's meow. The biggest, best yadda, yadda, yadda. With Champ Car running on street circuits, I don't like that, never said I did... but the problem with race fans in our country (in my opinion the greatest country in the world) is for some reason the majority of racing fans die-hard or otherwise are NASCAR addicts. Why? Lord, if you could answer that question I would be forever in awe. Because the people are NASCAR addicts selling tickets to races at Mosport, Watkins Glen and the like wouldn't be easy for a non-NASCAR event. Grand-Am doesn't have to go so low as running on street circuits; that series is in the NASCAR family and gets hand-outs from big daddy France. All the other good racing series in the States don't have NASCAR's tit to suck on. ALMS, and Champ Car (used these two purely for example. Heck, look at Trans-Am's '05 schedule. For reasons other than being owned by Champ Car co-owner Paul Gentillozi they ran with Champ Car) are having more and more events on the street circuits because the people that are going to be buying the tickets are going to be 1) easily exposed to the race, what with it blocking off streets in a downtown core, 2) not have the option to say "well, it's a 45min, hour, two hour drive out there. I may watch it on T.V. ..." I'm not blindly following Champ Car and I can tell you with 100% certainty that Jonerz isn't either. Mind you, this was all brought on by a statement regarding Trans-Am. All that was said was something along the lines of I wish Trans-Am could turn it around the way Champ Car has. What is false there? CART/Champ Car WERE in boiling water at the start of the new millennium. Champ Car has now turned it around to a point where the series is in fact growing! Conclusion; Jonerz, like I do, wants Trans-Am to be able to get to a point where it shows signs of growth. And you know what, he could have said, I wish Trans-Am was bigger than NASCAR but the very idea is poppy ****! Unfortunate yes, but we can't be hoping and praying to get open-wheel racing or Trans-Am back to where they were in the "glory days" because the way auto racing is today and the series/methods of support that the community in North America that supports auto racing just can't, nay WON'T do it. Let's all take small REALISTIC steps to growth; better examples see ALMS and in my opinion, despite NASCAR affiliations giving them a leg-up... Grand-Am have done a good job (G.A probably the best of any series in North America for many reasons). Take a step back and think for a moment. Is it realistic to think that what we all consider to be proper racing can grow the way we dream it would?

m.piedgros

P.S. What do you suggest Forsythe should have done to stop A.J. the "I want to be in Champ Car" "My dream is to be a Champ Car champion" from heading to NASCAR. I really, really doubt they could have afforded him. Gerald Forsythe is no dumby. He was well aware that keeping A.J. was essential. Did he do everything in his power to keep him? No. What could have been done? Among a few other things, a certain unproductive, yet still important member of Forsythe could have taken a pay cut to keep arguably THE most important part of Champ Car around. Now, attack me all you want on this but REALISTICALLY what could have been done? Champ Car isn't the money pot that is necessary to keep in-demand talent. NASCAR is, and not only that they can attract talent from everywhere!

P.P.S. I'd like to reiterate the point that no series is doing 100% the ideal things that open-wheel or road racing fans want. I am not butt kissing, or blindly following anyone. What looks best is what I'm after. What looks most stable? Now, we can talk scheduling all you want. That is my biggest problem with Champ Car but again, I can see why they are doing that. $$$ they desperately need $$$
 
lol. Calm down Tex. Haha, seriously though I agree (for the most part.) Some parts I'm confused about but again... I agree. I would also like to point out I'm not following any series blindly. Now most of this stuff is adding together facts to create an opinion. Whether or not you agree with the opinion is one thing, the way you go about trying to sway people to agree with you is another. I can tell that Layla's Keeper is an Indy guy. As I recall you race dirt track cars, or have some affiliation with them, please tell us how exactly (unless you are shy, no one is demanding anything.) I'd like to remind m.piedgros that "I'll sooner see CART - the rats who started this mess by breaking off from USAC in the first place - die off than the series that supports the 500." is merely Layla's Keeper's opinion. I think that everyone of us can come to the conclusion that racing in North America needs a shake-up. IRL and Champ Car need to realign, or one needs to go out of business (which is very possible but I think both series are growing at the moment, if failure occurs it will be a question of who CAN'T sustain that growth). Now I'm not going to talk about sports car racing in North America as I think m.piedgros used that purely as an example. Trans-Am, well we don't have a Trans-Am right now. But hopefully getting interest from drivers and teams through stupid little exhibition races dubbed as a season can get Trans-Am going again. Will it? I doubt it. I think a good question for Layla or m.piedgros to answer would be what can be done to get the great name of Trans-Am racing again? In my opinion, if you have a realistic answer you should probably be elected President or Prime Minister of your country.

P.S. What is funny is; I got the impression you two were arguing. I guess just by the way I read your posts... but when one looks back over both, if you were neither were doing a particularly good job. Only on one issue do you seem to differ - that being Champ Car - one seems to like it, the other seems to loathe it. To wrap up, I just found it funny because the way I read it, you guys were arguing each other but neither had made the point the other was arguing against. lol
 
Haha! Jonerz, I got the exact same impression. Now, I am from Oregon originally so maybe the cultural opinions on racing are different here on the West Coast than in the proper mid-west or down in Texas. I've never been an oval racing fan so you'll have to excuse me Layla's Keeper but I like Champ Car because until this year really they were, in my opinion, the only "proper" open-wheel racing series in America because they were road racing primarilly. Like all of you have said, the tracks Champ Car are running aren't the greatest but the action that the Champ Car events tend to provide is pretty good. I think another point we can all agree on is that talent in North American open-wheel is being sucked dry by the NASCAR money pit.
 
Well if the current issue of Car and Driver is any sign of hope for the Trans-Am series, it will come in the form of the $225K Ford Mustang FR500. It should be on the market fairly soon, but the problem is that they are unsure if they are going to create an all-Mustang class, or wait it out for the return of the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro to create the series. It apparently is on the minds of folks at GM and Chrysler too, or atleast that is the feeling I have gotten from the article.

...To further confuse everything, rumor also has it that the Camaro and Challenger may replace the Monte Carlo and Charger for the 2009 NASCAR Nextel Cup series, and that may be a bit strange having the same cars competing in two completely different series'.
 
It's already bee. confirmed that the NASCAR CoT will be a Chevrolet Impala SS.
 
Let it be known that I am a fan of Trans-Am. I like the newer cars as much as the older ones. Speaking of which, Speed Channel re-ran the Monterrey Historics event. The first race they shown was the 1960s - 1970s Trans-Am cars. Sweet music to my ears as well as wicked cool-looking cars. It is a shame how there isn't as much TV coverage and (I may get blasted for this) interest in Trans-Am than when I got into racing (1999). I actually enjoyed watching these things. It's like an American version of GT1 racing. There's even a Valvoline Runoff class called American GT-1. It's one of my favorite classes of the Runoffs other than Formula 500 and the Sports Racer classes.

When the 2005 Mustang came out, I'd love to see how it would look as a Trans-Am race car. But unfortunately in its current state, I probably wouldn't find that out. Anything it takes to bring them back to where they were long ago will need to happen so I can hear and see these things again. Those V8s make wonderful music. Please come back to your former glory! Please?
 
What needs to be done for the TransAm is to simply stay the course they've laid out. People need to be re-introduced to the racing on a fundamental level in order to rebuild the departed fanbase. Part of what will further that cause will be a restructuring of the rules to place severe restrictions on the multi-cam Jaguar package that caused Gentilozzi to runaway with "his" series.

By reconnecting with the lost GT-1 club participants who used to fill the fields of their local TransAm race (in particular, Road America and Mid-Ohio are hotbeds of GT-1 competition) the TransAm will grow. Instead of forcing everyone to buy new cars when nobody wants to race, let's give the cars that already exist a place and some encouragement to race on a limited basis in their local event.

I propose five of these "exhibition" rounds for 2007. A Southwest (Laguna Seca, Long Beach, or Sears Point), Northeast (Lime Rock or Watkins Glen) Midwest (Mid-Ohio or Road America) and Southeast (Road Atlanta or Sebring) round and an invitational round for a national championship in the Trans America Challenge at the Runoffs at Heartland.

It's a simple plan that will put the TransAm back on the map as a functioning series. Put the cars on the track, balance the competition, and the rest will sort itself out in due time.

And, for the record, my affiliation is with ASPHALT short track racing. I'm a crewman on the Depuy Racing #32 MSA supermodified driven by Jim Moran.

DSC_6506.jpg
 
First of all. That is so cool, the whole short track stuff. That is the base of American racing. Not a bad little plan there either. T.V. time with a network that is beamed daily to a lot of homes is necessary. One thing I must agree on wholeheartedly. We all seem to be talking about the next form of TransAm cars. Layla's Keeper makes a very fine point, why scrap the current cars? They're all $200 000+ if in good condition and built by one of the big teams in the '90's. I've seen a ex-Roush Mustang that was converted to the last incarnation of a Mustang TransAm car on sale for $250 000. Where are the racers going to find this money to buy even an $80-100k Grand-Am spec Mustang let alone the proposed $225k Ford Mustang FR500. Let's slow down a second here! FR500's and the like will come into play if Detroit gets back in on the action, if big name sponsors start moseying on in. Again I'd like us all to step down off of the idealist step onto the much less impressive looking yet still quite useful reality step. The question is still not what will happen - it is what can happen? Right now the nearest thing we have to TransAm are some rumors from very unreliable places about an exhibition schedule that I think only popped up because people heard guys like Gentilozzi saying they had fun. I think Layla's Keeper has scored the only real point so far in this debate by proposing an exhibition schedule and quite frankly of the "realistic" posts thus far that last one was the only I've seen that isn't pessimistic. I really like the idea!
 

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