Category: Trans Am

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has named Doug Nagy as its new technical director for the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series following the departure of Ricky Brooks. With three decades of diverse experience in motorsports, Nagy’s new role combines leading the technical inspection process, managing the class’s rulebook, and serving as a liaison to TA2 teams, chassis manufacturers, vendors and suppliers.

Nagy comes to Trans Am as an FIA-licensed technical inspector, and currently serves as the technical director for the American Rally Association and the Chief of Tech for King of the Hammers. He is also a founding partner of Streetwise Motorsports, a specialty vehicle build and repair shop which services sports car and rally teams. His previous positions include working as the motorsports division director for Saleen, a team manager and strategist for Bell Motorsports and crew chief and strategist for Mosler Automotive.

Nagy has served as a crew chief and strategist in prestigious events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 At Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Moroso and the Baja 1000, earning overall wins and class wins in several events. Nagy is also an experienced competitor, driving in the Baja 1000, American Rally Association, NORRA 1000, California Rally Series and Atlantic Rally Championship.

“I am thrilled to accept the position of CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Technical Director,” said Nagy. “I look forward to continuing to uphold the high standards that have been set for the performance and safety of the teams and the entertainment of the fans.”

As a cost-controlled series, parity between racecars is crucial to TA2’s close competition, making the technical inspection process and selection of approved vendors and suppliers crucial. Ricky Brooks has served in the role since 2016 and departs the series after being named the general Mm

“The Trans Am Series will surely miss Ricky Brooks, who has done so much to build the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series into the great championship it is today, but we understand that he had an opportunity that he could not turn down,” said Trans Am TA/XGT/SGT/GT Technical Director, Aaron Coalwell. “We are very happy to welcome Doug Nagy to the Trans Am staff as TA2’s new technical director. I met Doug over 20 years ago when I was the GT class technical manager for the World Challenge series, and Doug was with Saleen. He has a wide range of experience in motorsports, both on the team and officiating sides. After working at the recent Road Atlanta event with the outgoing technical director, we all feel confident that Doug will do a great job in the TA2 technical director role.”

After working side-by-side with Brooks at Road Atlanta, Nagy will take over the position in Trans Am’s next outing at NOLA Motorsports Park, April 11-14.

Adam Andretti earned a 45th birthday present with a victory at the Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour in one of the closest finishes the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli has ever seen. Driving a Burtin Racing-designed chassis, Andretti started second and took over the lead when Chris Dyson slid through a competitor’s oil on lap 11. Andretti dominated in his nearly-perfect No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro, but Dyson mounted an incredible comeback from seventh place to cross the finish line just 0.159s behind Andretti in the Bennett/BridgeHaul Classic.

This was the first win for the Burtin Racing chassis, which made its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2023.

Dyson started the race from the pole in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang and showed impressive speed after the wave of the green flag, initially opening a one-second lead over Andretti. However, Andretti was able to slowly reel Dyson back in, closing the gap to as little as 0.2s while the TA cars navigated lapped traffic. On lap 11, Wally Dallenbach in the No. 41 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang, who was running eighth in class at the time, experienced a sudden engine failure, dropping oil on the racetrack before retiring to the paddock. When Dyson hit the spot of the engine failure, he slid through the dropped oil, resulting in a spin that relegated him to the seventh position.

Following a full-course caution for cleanup, Andretti controlled the class, followed closely by Paul Menard in the No. 3 Menards Ford Mustang and Tomy Drissi in the No. 8 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro. Menard tailed Andretti, while Dyson had a prolonged battle with sixth-place Amy Ruman in the No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette. Dyson finally got around Ruman on lap 24, while Andretti and Menard opened up a large gap in front of Drissi and the other TA competitors. Unfortunately, Menard pulled off the racing surface before crossing the line on lap 25 due to a power failure, which forced him to retire.

With Menard out of contention, Andretti’s lead over second opened substantially. Boris Said in the No. 2 Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger made his way to second-place Drissi and the two engaged in a battle for position. Unfortunately, the two cars touched and Drissi lost traction and spun, dropping back to sixth in class.

Now around Ruman, Dyson continued his campaign to the front, making his way up to third. Meanwhile, second-place Said closed the gap on Andretti, cutting more than 10 seconds down to less than two, while posting faster and faster lap times. With only one lap remaining, Said drastically slowed, as a carburetor issue affected his fuel mileage and he had to coast to the finish line with no gas. Without Said in front of him. Dyson made an amazing charge in the final turns, closing a four-second disadvantage down to a mere 0.159-seconds by the time the checkered flag waved over the photo finish. Andretti and Dyson were followed by Keith Grant (No. 40 Drissi Motorsports/Showtime Chevrolet Camaro), Said and Ruman.

“Those who know me, friends, family, fans, know that I’m usually not speechless,” said Andretti. “I decided to sit in the car for a moment to reflect, because you don’t get to do this all the time. These wins are special; they don’t come around every day. This is proof. This is everyone in our group living out their dream.

“I’m the one sitting behind the wheel, but Claudio Burtin had a dream to build and design his own race car and win with it in the Trans Am Series. Damon [Lockhart] had a dream to fabricate this car from the ground up, and it’s now a winner in the Trans Am Series. Terry [St. Martin]’s dream has come true. He’s been working with this group since its beginning, and he, too, watched this develop from the ground up. I can’t leave out the support of my wife, Tabitha, and all my family at home. There’s a lot to be proud of here with this group. The Top Liner/Go Share Camaro didn’t miss a beat. I got to a point that I could manage the race; I haven’t been able to do that ever in my Trans Am career, and they gave me that. I’m very humbled. Thank you to everybody, thanks to all the fans.”

It was Andretti’s first TA class win since 2019 at Circuit of The Americas.
Andretti had a previous victory at TA2 win at Road Atlanta in 2014.

TA Top Five:
1. Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro
2. Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang
3. Keith Grant, No. 40 Drissi Motorsports/Showtime Chevrolet Camaro
4. Boris Said, No. 2 Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger
5. Amy Ruman, No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette

TA Masters:
Boris Said, No. 2 Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger

EMCO Gears Lap Leader:
Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro

XGT saw a great battle unfold between Danny Lowry in the 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3 and Shannon Herford in the No. 51 NAPM Inc. Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo, with Lowry ultimately going from spin to win. Lowry started the day leading the class, but Herford quickly passed him on the first lap. Then, on lap five, Lowry spun, allowing Herford to put distance between himself and Lowry. Fortunately for Lowry, the full-course yellow on lap 11 closed up the field, and when the race went green on lap 18, Lowry was able to follow closely on Herford’s bumper for the next 16 laps. On lap 34, Lowry made his way back around Herford, defending the lead until the checkered flag waved.

“That was a lot of fun,” said Lowry. “I knew it was going to be a tight race, because this is Shannon [Herford]’s home track, my home track, and Ricky Sanders’ home track. We started the race and Shannon was much faster than I was from Turn 1 through Turn 3, down through the esses. He put pressure on me. I pushed it a little bit too hard through the top of the hill, and I spun the car and let Shannon get away from me. Luckily, we had the yellow, which allowed me to catch back up. I worked with some traffic and put some pressure on, and everything turned my way. It was fantastic running with these guys. I had a lot of fun today. I’d like to thank my Bennett family that’s here for the Bennett/BridgeHaul Classic. Thank you to Tyler Hoffman for putting the strategy out there that helped us out, and Jason Howell, who gave me a good car today. Thanks, guys.”

XGT Results:
1. Danny Lowry, No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3
2. Shannon Herford, No. 51 NAPM Inc. Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
3. Ricky Sanders, No. 18 BridgeHaul/Bennett/Pitboxes.com Audi R8 GT3

The SGT class saw a three-way battle between Joshua Carlson (No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang), Milton Grant (No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup) and Richard Forsythe (No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette). Carlson led the class for the first 29 laps, but his tires lost the grip he required to maintain the point position. This allowed both Forsythe and Grant, who had been running their own close battle all day, to get around the young driver, with Forsythe taking the top spot on the podium.

“Well, we were working on the car all throughout the week, progressing, and I’ve never been here before, so I was learning from Eric Foss, who is an amazing teacher,” said Forsythe. “My amazing GSpeed crew backed me up and produced a Swiss timepiece that just kept ticking off those laps, it never failed. I can’t thank GSpeed enough. Milton [Grant] kept me honest, and Josh [Carlson] kept me honest down [in Sebring]. We had an amazing progression up through the field. We didn’t know how we were going to do, since I only qualified third. I love the facility and this great crowd. Thank you very much.”

SGT Results:
1. Richard Forsythe, No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette
2. Milton Grant, No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup
3. Joshua Carlson, No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang
4. Kaylee Bryson, No. 01 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette
5. Jenn Krpata, No. 93 Island Trees Auto Chevrolet Camaro

The GT class belonged to Chris Coffey in the No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 from start to finish. Starting first in class, he was able to keep Jeff Lindstrom in the No. 41 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang behind him for the entire event, claiming his second-consecutive win in the class.

“I like the racetracks that have shorter straightaways, for sure, especially in a slower car. It was pretty exciting, that’s for sure. But I want to thank Colin [Cohen]. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the start due to a little incident we had in testing this week, but I really wish he could have been out there. All of this is thanks to him. I’ve got to thank my crew, Xavier and Alex, two of the best guys in the paddock. And I’ve definitely got to thank my wife and son, Morgan and Sam. I love you.”

GT Results:
1. Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4
2. Jeff Lindstrom, No. 41 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang

Full official race results can be found here.

The highlight show of today’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, March 28 at 9:00pm ET.

The Trans Am Series TA/XGT/SGT/GT classes next hit the track at the NOLA SpeedTour at NOLA Motorsports Park, April 11-14.

Stream the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Bennett/BridgeHaul Classic at Road Atlanta. The TA/XGT/SGT/GT race will start Sunday at 12:10pm ET. It will also be shown live on MAVTV. The highlights show of the race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, March 28 at 9:00pm ET.

https://youtube.com/live/kwluNZ8OHrU?feature=share

Stream the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at the Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour. The Bennett/BridgeHaul Classic starts at 12:45pm ET. You can also watch it live on MAVTV.

Rain forced cancellation of today’s qualifying session for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race at the Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour. So, the field for Saturday’s Bennett/BridgeHaul Classic was set by practice times. Rafa Matos in the No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang will lead the field to green after setting a fast time of 1m22.222s in this morning’s practice session. His Nitro Motorsports teammate Thomas Annunziata will line up beside Matos on the front row.

Practice:
1. Rafa Matos, No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Mustang (1:22.222)
2. Thomas Annunziata, No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:22.344)
3. Thomas Merrill, No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang (1:22.656)
4. Tyler Gonzalez, No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:22.769)
5. Ben Maier, No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:23.055)

Full practice results can be found here.

The race will be contested tomorrow at 12:45pm ET. It will be broadcast live on MAVTV. It can also be streamed live here.

The highlights show of the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, March 28 at 8:00pm ET.

This weekend at Road Atlanta, Keith Prociuk in the No. 9 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang will hit a milestone few reach in their Trans Am careers: 100 starts. Prociuk, who has been racing in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series since 2014, will be recognized at Saturday’s podium with a 100-race commemorative trophy. Prociuk will become only the 20th driver in the series to compete in 100 events.

Prociuk offered his thoughts, reflecting on his decade in the Trans Am Series:

“Well, it’s been about 10 years, and in a few days, I’ll start my 100th race with Trans Am in the TA2 Series.

“This weekend, we’ll be at Road Atlanta, a track considered by many as a bucket list track. Trans Am has been coming here for years, so I have plenty of laps under my belt. It’s one of my favorite tracks and I certainly have high confidence going into the weekend. Road Alanta is one of the few tracks where, in our TA2 car, every segment is enjoyable. It should be a fun weekend, and hopefully, we’ll put on a good show.

“Looking back, it’s been quite the experience. What kept me engaged is the new challenges that continue to present themselves in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. From spec ECU’s, a tire provider change, suspension and aero rule changes, all these things I must adapt to as a driver, and so must our team. It keeps it interesting and fun. We don’t just show up every weekend and expect to be competitive without putting any additional effort in. It’s a constant effort of new ideas, innovations, experimentation. We try a lot, learn a lot, fail sometimes, but continue to grow.

“As a team specifically, COPE has been a big part of what has made me stick around for 100 races, and hopefully many more. We’re primarily an arrive-and-drive team that has many wins and two TA2 championships. I like to think of us as an underdog, mid-budget team that shows proof you don’t need to have factory-like backing to win. The combination of Thomas Merrill and Mike Cope showcases this perfectly. Thomas, who I’ve heard referred to as the best kept secret in motor racing, and Mike, with his vast years of experience, connections, and resources, continue to put up results that often make us the team to beat. It’s a great feeling to be a part of the team’s success, and I know everyone involved in the team feels the same way.

“I’ve been active in helping the series evolve. I believe that TA2 is now in the best position it’s ever been to provide a reasonably affordable, fair and competitive racing environment for up-and-coming talents, seasoned pros, and arrive-and-drive Pro/Ams like myself. I’ve raced with many of the younger NASCAR drivers that have gone on to win in Xfinity and Cup. Now, we race with some young talent that already delivers impressive results in other series. It’s pretty neat to be able to race with these talents and see their successes elsewhere, as well. It’s amazing what they’re able to do behind the wheel.

“I’ve had many fun races and many great season-long battles. I’ve raced in some of the most nail-biting conditions but made it through (Thanks to the support and encouragement of the team). I’ve been taken out due to the errors of others and might have taken one or two people out along the way due to mechanical failure (but no way, definitely not, never, driver error). I’ve held grudges and gotten over it. I’ve probably upset others and hopefully they’ve gotten over it too.

“One hundred races. One hundred weekends. One hundred trips across the country. So many wonderful memories and experiences. I would just like to say thanks to all the Trans Am staff, competitors (drivers and crew), vendors and trackside support, corner workers and track staff, the entire COPE team, the fans, and anyone else that took part in keeping the Trans Am show going. It’s a great series and happy to be a part of it.”

Prociuk’s team owner Mike Cope also reflected on the driver’s 100 races and time with the team:

“Keith Prociuk is a huge part of Cope Race Cars. His unwavering support over the past 10 years has led to a large part of our success, both on and off the track. I couldn’t be prouder to have him as a customer, but more importantly, as a friend to myself and my family. Keith basically IS family at this point.

Drivers have come and gone, but Keith has always been a constant at Mike Cope Racing. We have made a lot of friends over the years like Tony Buffomante, who now has his son racing one of our cars, and I can see Keith going down the same path with his kids.

“One hundred starts…100! That in itself is an honorable achievement. And now, with the addition of the Pro/Am division, you’re going to see Keith on the top step of the podium. He holds his own quite well with the Pro drivers and I can nearly guarantee you’ll see him outrun quite a few of them chasing this year’s Pro/Am championship.”

Prociuk will take the flag for the 100th time this Saturday, March 23rd at 12:45 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed on the Trans Am YouTube channel, @TheTransAmSeries