CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series driver Tim Barber in the No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang won the overall pole award for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship’s season opener at Thunderhill Raceway Park with a best time of 1m46.189s. Barber returns to the Trans Am Series as a driver for the first time since 2005.
Wind and rain have been a factor since cars hit the track Friday, and with a track damp from rain earlier in the morning, several competitors opted not to make laps during the qualifying session.
“We’ve been chasing the weather and a new car,” said Barber after qualifying. “I’m happy to be in the DIG Motorsports Mustang this weekend. We kind of partnered up for this deal; the other driver couldn’t make it, so it was kind of a last-minute deal. We’ve had some silly stuff come up; we burned some plug wires and we lost a six-inch little coolant line, which shortened our sessions, on top of the weather, but I was able to throw some changes at it and it worked out. Hopefully, it just stays dry so we can quit thinking and just leave the car alone. It’s a long race and tire degradation is a big deal in these. These cars have gotten so much faster over the years, and they need a lot of maintenance. So, [considering the doubleheader], you just want to finish, really. Stupid little stuff can break and hurt your weekend. I need to just focus on taking care of the car.”
Race one of the Thunderhill SpeedTour will be contested Saturay at 12:10 p.m. PT.