Will Rodgers in the No. 32 Chris Evans Race Cars & Design XGT class Ford Mustang set the fastest lap overall with a blazing-fast time of 1m51.165s to win the Motul Pole Award for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship’s inaugural event at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. In just four starts in 2023, Rodgers has won the overall pole for the race three times.
“It’s been a good weekend out here at Spring Mountain so far,” said Rodgers. “It wasn’t originally on our schedule to run the XGT car out here with Chris Evans Racing, but Chris gave me a call a few weeks ago and said, ‘You know what, I think I want you to run.’ We’re going to put on a good show and get ourselves ready for [Circuit of The Americas], which is the big end of the season; we’re ramping up for that.
“This weekend is really just to show the car and what it’s got, keep our points lead here on the West Coast in XGT, and probably seal up the championship this weekend; at least I hope so. We’re here with our teammate Michelle Nagai, and she’s running her XGT car here as well and making a lot of progress. We’re happy to see both of these cars out here and running good, up towards the front. We’ll keep it that way throughout the weekend and go on to COTA.”
Brody Goble in the No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford/Cortex Racing Ford Mustang was the fastest of the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series with a time of 1m55.772s. Goble has started first in TA2 in every race since WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in May. Goble currently sits second in the standings, 27 points behind Greg Tolson in the No. 8 GT Auto Lounge Ford Mustang. Tolson starts eighth in class and 10th overall tomorrow.
Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series Qualifying Top Five:
1. Brody Goble, No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford/Cortex Racing Ford Mustang (1:55.772)
2. Tim Lynn, No. 71 RoofOptions Ford Mustang (156.742)
3. Bobby Hodges, No. 88 NATC/Garage Row Racing Ford Mustang (1:57.469)
4. Barry Boes, No. 90 Accio Data/Nitro Motorsports (1:57.890)
5. Michele Abbate, No. 30 Ghost Energy/Lucas Oil/Nitro Motorsports Mustang (1:58.504)
XGT Qualifying:
1. Will Rodgers, No. 32 Chris Evans Race Cars & Design Ford Mustang (1:51.165)
2. Michelle Nagai, No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro (1:58.277)