Paul Menard put on a clinic at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, dominating every lap to win his second-consecutive Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli event at the Pitt Race SpeedTour. Menard started the race from the pole and led every lap without challenge, handily claiming his third TA victory of the 2024 season.
Taking the green flag from the pole position, Menard was shot out of a cannon in his No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang, immediately jumping out to a multi-second lead. Right after the start, third-place Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro) passed second-place starter Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang), as the three-time champion struggled with the handling of his car. With no one to challenge him, Menard opened up a more than 10-second lead by lap 21. Meanwhile a tight battle between Andretti and Dyson had the two within a second of each other as each lap ticked by.
Unfortunately, trouble struck Andretti on lap 29 when the second-place contender’s car slowed and came to a stop off the racing surface. Andretti’s engine had lost power, ripping him out of race contention and relegating him to last in class. By this point, Menard had a 20-second advantage over Dyson which only continued to grow, and he sailed to the victory, with Dyson crossing the finish line in second. Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro) earned the final podium position, which was an accomplishment after he started from the rear of the field due to switching cars between qualifying and the race. Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette) crossed the finish line fourth despite missing practice and qualifying, and Richard Grant in the No. 30 Grant Racing Chevrolet Camaro was scored fifth.
“This is a great facility,” said Menard in GYM WEED Winners Circle. “The track has room to pass, it has lots of runoff. You don’t get racecars like this very often. I pushed hard at the beginning, kind of set a gap, and then just tried to manage the tires. This facility and the surface are hard on tires. I think we saw that with Chris [Dyson] and Adam [Andretti]. I was just trying to save tires in case a restart came at the end, but it never did. I’m so proud of Tony and John and Paul Gentilozzi back home for putting together this racecar and letting me come play with it.”
This was Paul Menard’s second-consecutive race win and third of the season. He has previous victories at Sebring International Raceway and Lime Rock Park. Menard won by 44.432s margin.
Menard continues to lead the TA point standings, now holding a 27-point advantage over three-time champion Chris Dyson.
Richard Forsythe earned his second SGT win of the season. Chris Coffey tallied his fourth victory in five GT races this year.
TA Top Five:
1. Paul Menard, No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang
2. Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang
3. Tomy Drissi, No. 8 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro
4. Amy Ruman, No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette
5. Richard Grant, No. 30 Grant Racing Chevrolet Camaro
EMCO Gears Lap Leader:
Paul Menard, No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang
The SGT race was the most exciting of the day, with three different leaders and a last-lap pass for the win. Lee Saunders in the No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper started the race first in class, but was immediately passed after the green flag by Joshua Carlson in the No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd Ford Mustang. Carlson had incredible speed early in the race, and created what appeared to be an insurmountable gap between himself and second-place Saunders.
Saunders had a challenge in his mirrors, with Richard Forsythe (No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette) running close behind him on every lap. While those two battled, Carlson experienced severe tire wear and lost grip, slowly backing up until the top three were running nose to tail on lap 28. Saunders saw the opportunity to pass Carlson, but the two made contact and Carlson spun, dropping back to third place. Saunders led the next seven laps, but Forsythe was right on his bumper. On Lap 35, Forsythe was able to make the pass, but Saunders passed him right back. Finally, in the last turns of the last lap, Forsythe was able to make the pass stick, claiming his second win of the season.
“Oh my god, we were burning up our tires,” said Forsythe. “Everybody was burning up their tires, it was getting slippery all over the place. Those guys put on a hell of a ride. I didn’t even know where the heck Josh [Carlson] went at the beginning. He was gone, and we finally caught up to him because I guess he burned up his tires, and Lee [Saunders] started burning up his tires, and we were getting really squirrely coming in and out of there. I had him on braking over and over again, and the braking really made a lot of the difference. We were side by side, and down there at Turn 16, I passed him and he passed me back, and then we came back and we did the whole thing again. Wow, unbelievable race. God, it was like driving go-karts in the old days.”
SGT Results:
1. Richard Forsythe, No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette
2. Lee Saunders, No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper
3. Joshua Carlson, No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang
4. Kaylee Bryson, No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette
5. Milton Grant, No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup
SGT Masters:
Milton Grant, No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup
The GT race was a smooth one for Chris Coffey in the No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4, as he led the race from start to finish, with teammate Colin Cohen (No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4) finishing behind him in second. However, the real challenge for Coffey was the non-stop work leading up to the green flag. After Cohen experienced severe crash damage in practice yesterday, Coffey and his crew worked through the night and into the morning to repair his teammate’s Maserati so he could start the event today.
“Yeah, it was no big deal, really,” Coffey said with a laugh. “I got about four hours of sleep last night, and worked literally until the car was on the grid. I stopped and took a shower while the guys were warming the car up, got dressed, immediately got in the car, and put it on the grid. I’ve really got to thank the guys that are here to help me: David Rice and Xavier Willis. I can’t believe they let me scream at them for 12 hours straight last night. I want to thank my wife Morgan, my son Sam, and most of all Colin [Cohen], because without him, I couldn’t be here. I’m ready for a nap.”
GT Results:
1. Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4
2. Colin Cohen, No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4
The highlight show of today’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, June 13 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
The Trans Am Series TA/XGT/SGT/GT classes next hit the track at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, June 20-23.