Brent Crews – Syndication Server

Crews vaults to TA track record en route to Road Atlanta pole

Brent Crews set a new track record at Road Atlanta during the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Friday qualifying session, capturing the pole with a time of 1m16.683s. “It’s a great weekend so far,” said Crews. “I can’t thank everybody at …

Brent Crews set a new track record at Road Atlanta during the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Friday qualifying session, capturing the pole with a time of 1m16.683s.

“It’s a great weekend so far,” said Crews. “I can’t thank everybody at Toyota Racing and Nitro Motorsports enough. Thanks to everybody at Mobil 1 for getting me here. I’ve had a great car all weekend and I’ve been continuing to get this thing faster. It’s been fast all week. Nick Tucker’s been working really hard. We had a super-fast car at Sebring as well, but unfortunately, we broke down a couple times and I feel like that kind of cost us the win. But these past couple weeks, these guys have been working really hard at the shop to be able to get this thing fixed up and ready for the weekend. No issues so far this weekend, and we have a really fast racecar, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Paul Tracy (No. 10 Race Cars For You Innovation IRC GT) was quickest in XGT, while Joshua Carlson (No. 36 Enseva/Diercks Ltd./TC Fab Ford Mustang) topped SGT. Chris Coffey (No. 97 Traffic Grafix/Chill Out Motorsports Maserati MC GT4) was fastest in the GT class, and newcomer Rob Dickey (No. 64 Forty48 Competition Chevrolet Camaro) was the sole competitor in GT1 Challenge.

The TA/GT race will be contested Saturday at 12:50 p.m. ET. It will be streamed live on Trans Am’s YouTube channel, with coverage beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET, and broadcast live on SPEED SPORT 1 at 12:30 p.m. ET. An encore presentation will air on SPEED SPORT 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET. For more information on where you can watch SPEED SPORT 1, click here.

Lally/Crews duo score SpeedTour All Star Race win at Lime Rock Park

The first event of its kind, the SpeedTour All-Star Race at Lime Rock Park was a spectacular combination of motorsports’ biggest legends and the stars of the Trans Am Series by Pirelli behind the wheel of CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race cars. The pairing of All-Star driver Andy Lally and 2023 TA2 Series champion Brent Crews took the top step of the podium in the two-part race that combined points based on finishing positions to crown the ultimate driving duo. A second-place performance by Lally in the All-Star portion of the race set the stage for Crews, who earned a hard-fought third-place finish against his Trans Am competitors. Together, the two tallied 35 points to win a $50,000 prize.

The All-Star drivers drove the first race stint, and Scott Speed in the No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro took the green flag after winning the pole in Friday’s qualifying session. With Andy Lally’s No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang starting beside him on the front row, Speed got a good, clean start, protecting the point position. Lally ran on Speed’s tail, followed by Adam Andretti in the No. 44 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang. The double yellow first waved on lap seven for the No. 97 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang driven by Geoff Brabham, who was forced to retire due to a mechanical issue.

The lap 11 restart allowed for a shakeup in the running order, as Paul Menard passed Andretti, taking the third spot in his No. 3 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Ford Mustang. Just in front of him, Lally had his sights set on Speed, but despite a late-race challenge, Speed was able to hold the lead until the first checkered flag waved at the 25m mark, ending the first half of the race. Menard finished third, followed by Andretti and Bobby Labonte in the No. 26 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang. Greg Biffle in the No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang was scored sixth, followed by Ryan Newman in the No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang and Casey Mears behind him in the No. 38 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Boris Said finished ninth in the No. 33 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, and Mike Skinner in the No. 892 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro rounded out the top 10.

All-Star stint 1 finishing order and points:

1. Scott Speed: No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro (19)

2. Andy Lally: No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (18)

3. Paul Menard: No. 3 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Ford Mustang (17)

4. Adam Andretti: No. 44 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (16)

5. Bobby Labonte: No. 26 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang (15)

6. Greg Biffle: No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang (14)

7. Ryan Newman: No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (13)

8. Casey Mears: No. 38 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (12)

9. Boris Said: No. 33 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (11)

10. Mike Skinner: No. 892 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (10)

11. Hailie Deegan: No. 80 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (9)

12. Ron Fellows: No. 07 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (8)

13. Davey Hamilton: No. 6 FPEC Racing Ford Mustang (7)

14. Amy Ruman: No. 02 XLINE Race Cars Ford Mustang (6)

15. Ron Hornaday Jr.: No. 16 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang (5)

16. Danny Sullivan: No. 11 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (4)

17. Ken Schrader: No. 8 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro (3)

18. Davy Jones: No. 69 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (2: OUT)

19. Geoff Brabham: No. 97 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang (1: OUT)

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Following a competition break to change drivers, the race restarted for the second stint, with the Trans Am pros taking the wheel in the same positions their All-Star teammates finished in. This put young Tristan McKee in the lead in the No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro, followed by Crews in his No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang, Wlostowski in the No. 3 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Ford Mustang, AJ Henriksen in the No. 44 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang, and Thomas Merrill in the No. 26 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang.

The action began as soon as the green flag waved, with Crews overtaking McKee for the lead and Merrill jumping up to third after making contact with Wlostowski. Thomas Annunziata, who started seventh in the No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang, also navigated all the way up to fourth, all before the conclusion of the first lap. Ben Maier in the No. 80 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang was picking his way through the field, going from 11th to fifth in the first four laps. Connor Mosack in the No. 8 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang went on a tear, starting the second stint in 17th and cracking the top 10 on lap eight.

Crews held the lead until lap eight, when he was impressively challenged and overcome by Annunziata. Mosack continued his march to the front, taking over the fourth position on lap 19. Crews lost one more spot to Merrill on lap 20, while McKee struggled, dropping out of the top 10 and bringing the race to a yellow condition when his left-rear tire went flat. With the 25m clock ticking down, racing was unable to resume, and cars crossed the finish line in the order they were scored when the caution period began. Annunziata led Merrill, Crews, Mosack and Maier over the finish line.

When the points were tallied, it was the pairing of Lally and Crews who were scored first with a combined 35 points, while Labonte and Merrill took second with 33 points, and Newman and Annunziata rounded out the star-studded podium with 32 points. Following the race, Crews and Lally were awarded with a $50,000 check, gold Bell helmets and Omologato bespoke timepieces, in addition to custom trophies.

Trans Am Pro stint 2 finishing order:

1. Thomas Annunziata: No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (19)

2. Thomas Merrill: No. 26 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang (18)

3. Brent Crews: No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (17)

4. Connor Mosack: No. 8 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro (16)

5. Ben Maier: No. 80 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (15)

6. Barry Boes: No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang (14)

7. Edward Sevadjian: No. 38 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (13)

8. Ethan Barker: No. 07 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (12)

9. John Atwell: No. 02 XLINE Race Cars Ford Mustang (11)

10. Jim Gallaugher: No. 16 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang (10)

11. Boris Said Jr.: No. 33 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (9)

12. AJ Henriksen: No. 44 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (8)

13. Paul Ruth: No. 11 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (7)

14. Alan Davison: No. 6 FPEC Racing Ford Mustang (6)

15. Adrian Wlostowski: No. 3 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Ford Mustang (5)

16. Tristan McKee: No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro (4)

17. Livio Galanti: No. 892 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (3)

18. Sam LeComte: No. 69 Concierge Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro (2: DNS)

19. Tom Sheehan: No. 97 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang (1: DNS)

“This is a special moment,” said Lally. “I’ve had a handful of race wins at Lime Rock, but this is really cool. To share this track with some of my heroes and guys that I look up to and respect at the highest levels of the sport is amazing. And then, to also share it with tomorrow’s stars is incredible. This race is the brainchild of Tony Parella; there’s so much that he put on the line for this and risked. We got a really good show out of it. [Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte], on both ends of our podium here, are guys that I’ve respected since I was really young, and they’ve accomplished so much. But then the guys that I’m standing right next to, both Thomases [Merrill and Annunziata] and Brent [Crews] here, are just monster future stars, and it’s really cool to be up here with them.”

“This feels incredible,” said Crews. “I just want to say thank you to all of the fans. Goodness, this is probably the biggest crowd I’ve seen, and I’ve been to a lot of racetracks. I’m really happy to have y’all here and to be able to race with these stars, both the people that I race every week, as well as guys like Ryan [Newman] and Bobby [Labonte]. This is just so cool. There’s so many guys that I remember watching on TV when I was five years old, and I got to race with them. I just want to thank everybody at Nitro Motorsports and Nick Tucker, who has done so much for me growing up, from racing go-karts to winning championships with this race car. Being able to share the top step with Andy [Lally] is great. You see how much stuff he gets to win, and being able to win with him feels really great. So, I’m happy to be here. The Nitro Motorsports No. 70 Franklin Road Apparel car was pretty [awesome], and I just want to say thank you to Toyota Racing. I’m happy to be here.”

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli next hits the track at Watkins Glen International for the Mission Foods Watkins Glen Speed Tour, August 21-25. Tickets can be purchased here on SpeedTour.net.

RESULTS

Crews wins first time out in Trans Am at Road America

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli race at Road America was one of attrition and consequences, with both mechanical failures and penalties ultimately affecting the outcome of the race. A four-time winner this year, Paul Menard led much of the 25-lap race after early contact took Chris Dyson out of contention. However, an avoidable-contact penalty moved Menard to second in the finishing order, resulting in 2023 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Brent Crews earning the victory, fighting back from engine issues and an eighth-place starting berth to win in his first-career TA start.

Dyson led the field to green in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang after taking the pole position and got off to a great start, pulling ahead of both rows of traffic. Second-place starter Menard (No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang) was quickly challenged by third-place Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro), but he maintained the second position and proceeded to chase the leader. By lap two, Menard had closed in on Dyson and dove to make the pass in Turn 8 and the two made contact, with Menard bumping Dyson’s left-rear, causing the three-time champion to spin. Dyson was able to get moving again, but he’d fallen all the way back to the eighth position.

While Menard led the field, Crews, who started in eighth place in his No. 2 Mobil 1/STEEL-IT Dodge Challenger after engine problems plagued him in qualifying, had already fought his way into the second position by lap three. Dyson, on a mission to return to the front of the field, began to pass his TA competitors, and by lap 11 he had driven up to fourth. However, Dyson faced even more adversity, as he lost voltage in his car on lap 13. Dyson pulled off the racing surface, and despite a tireless effort by CD Racing crew, he was unable to return and relegated to finishing last in the TA class.

A few laps later, the Camaro of third-place Andretti began to pour smoke due to a left-front tire rub. Andretti quickly came to pit road for a tire change, but his new tire also smoked. The team determined that a nose brace had broken, leading to bodywork causing the rub, and Andretti was forced to retire to the paddock. This led to Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Chevrolet Corvette) taking over the third position, and behind her, Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Drissi Motorsports/Lucas/Mission Chevrolet Camaro) and teammate Don Yount (No. 7 Drissi Motorsports/Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro) battled for the fourth position.

As the laps clicked down, Menard had opened an insurmountable lead over Crews, and he took the checkered flag in the first position. Crews and Ruman followed, with Yount ultimately taking fourth and Drissi finishing fifth. After the race, Menard was issued a 42s penalty for avoidable contact, dropping him back to the second position, and Crews was awarded his first-career TA win.

“These TA cars [really are the most fun to drive],” said Crews in GYM WEED Winners Circle. “I just want to thank Pancho Weaver and all the guys over at Weaver Racing Concepts for getting this thing back on track. I don’t know if everybody knows, but yesterday, we had a whole motor swap. The guys stayed up pretty much all night and then got up super early this morning to get this thing fixed up. I’m just happy to be here racing. I had a great time. I want to thank my dad for helping me be here; he did a great job spotting today. I just want to say thanks to all my sponsors. Thank you to Mobil 1 Racing and STEEL-IT and all the guys that are on that race car. They did a great job. Thank you to everybody at Toyota Racing for helping me be here. I’m looking forward to the next one.”

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The XGT race appeared to be in Danny Lowry’s hands, as he led nearly every lap in his No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3. However, in the final laps, the plug on the steering wheel that allows the car to shift disconnected, and Lowry was stuck running in second gear. This allowed Ricky Sanders to pass Lowry in his No. 43 BridgeHaul/Bennett/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3 and secure the victory.

“This feels great; Road America is just an awesome facility,” said Sanders. “The first time I came here 10 or 12 years ago, I thought it was one of the best tracks in America. Every time we come back, it gets better and better. It’s like, how can they keep improving it? And we come back and it’s an even better facility. It’s a beautiful place, with amazing workers here. It’s just a joy to come here because everybody treats us so well. We really love coming up here, running with Trans Am, running at Road America.”

Joshua Carlson (No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang) led the SGT field to the start, but experienced a mechanical issue on the first lap, smoking heavily and dropping fluid on the track. Once Carlson retired to the paddock, Lee Saunders (No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper) took over the point position, opening up a large gap over his competitors. Behind him, Richard Forsythe (No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette) held second place for the first 10 laps, but on lap 11, Kaylee Bryson made the pass for second in her No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette. While Saunders cruised to victory, Bryson and Forsythe ran close together, but Forsythe was unable retake the runner-up position.

“First of all, I’d like to thank God for this beautiful day in this great country we live in and the ability to come out here today,” said Saunders. “Thank you to the fans. Thank you to Trans Am for bringing us to world-class places like this. This is just fantastic. It’s unfortunate that Josh [Carlson] had problems, because he was obviously really fast. I was looking forward to racing with him and just had a great time with everybody out here today. I can’t thank my team, KSR, enough. We’ve got Eddie, CJ, Jameson, and they did a great job turning the car around. I’m just the idiot behind the wheel, they’re the ones that make it fast. Thanks again for everybody coming out today and thank you to my wife, who’s at home holding the fort down.”

Chris Coffey took the green flag from the first position in his No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 and showed his raw speed from the start. On the first lap, a competitor in another class laid down fluid in Turn 5, briefly making the surface slippery. Coffey slowed through the affected area, allowing David Hampton to sail around his outside and take the lead. However, Coffey recovered quickly, reclaiming the lead before returning to the finish line. From there, Coffey was unmatched, leading every lap until the checkered flag. Hampton crossed the finish line second, followed by Colin Cohen in the No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4.

“Man, the race was pretty interesting,” said Coffey. “The track got covered in oil there right at the start, and so that made it really hairy. This guy [David Hampton] drove right around the outside of me, so I had to fight back for it. I’ll tell you what, we’ve done four races in six weeks, and I couldn’t have imagined it’d be as much work as it was. I couldn’t have done it without David Rice and Xavier, and of course, I couldn’t be here at all without Colin [Cohen]. Just want to thank my wife at home, who’s been having to hold down the fort and take care of our four-year-old son all alone. I’m ready to get home now.”

The highlight show of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, July 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

A select number of TA drivers such as Paul Menard, Amy Ruman and Boris Said will be at the SpeedTour All-Star Race at Lime Rock Park, July 19-20, where legendary drivers from all racing disciplines will pair up with the TA and CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series stars of today.

The Trans Am Series TA/XGT/SGT/GT classes will next hit the track at Watkins Glen International for the Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour, August 21-25.

RESULTS

Crews romps back to TA2 victory at Mid-Ohio

2023 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Brent Crews earned his first victory of the 2024 season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. After finishing second in the ARCA Menards Series race at the track Friday night, Crews found his way to GYM WEED …

Current points leader and two-time TA2 champion Rafa Matos earned a second-place finish, continuing his domination in the class as he challenges for his third title.

Austin Green (No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang) took the green flag from the point position after setting a new track record in qualifying Friday night, but it only took a few turns before Nathan Herne (No. 15 Howe Racing/F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Chevrolet Camaro) took over the lead. The battle for P1 was far from over though, as Green was determined to get back to the front. After seven contentious laps, Green finally was able to make the pass on Herne, who was also passed by his teammate, Adrian Wlostowski (No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services Ford Mustang), as he dropped back to third. Herne reclaimed the second position on lap 10. One lap later, Wlostowski spun and was relegated back to 12th.

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The action fell under a full-course caution on lap 14 as two competitors went off course, but when racing resumed on lap 19, Green and Herne continued their scuffle. Herne made his away around Green, but contact was made between the two, causing severe damage to Green’s nose and hood and forcing him to retire. Herne was now in control of the race, followed by fourth-place starter Crews (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), who got shuffle to eighth on the first lap of the race, but worked his way back into the runner-up position. Herne maintained his lead until lap 27, when he and Crews made contact. Crews took over first while Herne spun and fell in the running order.

Once Crews took control, he never looked back, leading the next 18 laps. Behind him, Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro) swapped back and forth for the second position, with Matos ultimately taking the runner-up spot with three laps remaining. Drew took the third and final podium position, while Adam Andretti (No. 41 Ultimate Headers Racing Chevrolet Camaro) crossed the finish line fourth and Connor Mosack (No. 57 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro), who started 12th, ended the race in the fifth position.

“I just want to thank the good Lord above,” said Crews. “I want to thank everybody on this whole Nitro Motorsports No. 70 team, Nick Tucker. Congratulations to Joe Claridge on his first win as a crew chief. That was a good one to win; I won by a lot and had a badass racecar the whole time. I made my fastest lap on the last lap. I want to thank everybody at Franklin Road Apparel, like Ken Thwaits; we wouldn’t be able to do it without him. This Nitro No. 70, holy smokes, it was good this weekend. Congrats to Rafa [Matos]. The whole Nitro team did a great job. I want to thank Mike Cope, everybody who is part of this deal, and the whole Nitro Motorsports team. I’m looking forward to Road America.”

The highlight show of Saturday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to the track next weekend at Road America, June 27-30 Tickets can be purchased here on SpeedTour.net.

RESULTS

Crews crowned youngest TA2 champion as Annunziata takes maiden win at COTA

At 15 years, seven months and six days old, Brent Crews became the youngest champion in the history of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli following a fourth-place finish in the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series race at Circuit of The Americas. The wild, caution-filled race ended with Thomas Annunziata scoring his first victory the National Championship, while Michael LaPaglia drove from 44th to 11th overall to earn his very first win in the Western Championship. With a third-place finish, Brody Goble wrapped up the Western Championship title, edging out LaPaglia in a tight points race.

2022 champion Thomas Merrill (No. 26 Bennett/HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang) started the race on the pole, poised to once again come from behind and earn his second-consecutive title. Unfortunately, his race did not go as smoothly as it did in 2022. Merrill lost the lead early, first to Nathan Herne (No.29 CUBE 3/Berryman Ford Mustang) on lap one, then to Connor Zilisch (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro) on lap four. The three battled back and forth for dominance but were all eventually struck by misfortune. Zilisch was forced to retire when he lost a wheel on lap nine. Herne and Merrill were battling for the lead on lap 22 when the two made contact, causing damage to both vehicles and taking them out of contention for the victory and Merrill out of the championship hunt.

Cameron Lawrence (No. 8 Nacarato TC/Averitt Express/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) first made his way through the melee to take over the lead, but then lost it to Annunziata (No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) one lap later. Annunziata controlled the race until a full-course yellow with just three minutes remaining ended the race under caution conditions. Annunziata and Lawrence led the field across the line, followed by Austin Green (No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang), Crews (No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and Adam Andretti (No. 41 Ultimate Headers Chevrolet Camaro). Crews’ fourth-place finish was enough to secure him the 2023 Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series championship, making him the youngest champion in Trans Am history.

“It’s amazing; it’s been a long time coming,” said Annunziata after the race. “We’ve had speed all year, but luck hasn’t been with us. We started fifth and stayed fifth for a little while, but the guys in front of me were starting to burn their tires. Herne was also looking for his first win, so he was definitely aggressive and that made it interesting. There was a wreck at the end, and then me and Cameron [Lawrence] ended up racing for the win. I just barely hung onto it, but I’m so thankful. To be one-two with Cameron, the guy I was calling at the end of last year for advice, is really special. Thank you to everyone at Nitro Motorsports for doing this for me and giving me this opportunity. We’ve been looking for this for a while, and we’ve been so close so many times. I’m happy to get the monkey off my back and take my first victory at the end of the season. I can’t wait for 2024.”

“It feels great to win the championship,” said Crews. “The team worked hard all year. In my rookie year, we were able to come in third in the points, so this year, I knew what I needed to do from my perspective and how to get the car set up to make sure we ran well every race. Being able to finish every race, I think, is the main way to be a champion. That’s what I learned last year.

“Now, to be the youngest champion, I think that’s the highest bar. That’s a plus of being able to work with Nitro Motorsports and Nick Tucker. I grew up with him, working with him from five years old and on, racing go karts with him, winning championships. Coming into this professional series to race against the best drivers and best teams and to have been able to have success here, win races and win championships, that’s really special.”

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The Western Championship endured just as much craziness as the National competitors, and with a championship on the line, every point and position mattered. Coming into the race with the points lead, Goble (No. 69 Brown Bros. Ford/Cortex Racing Ford Mustang) took the green flag from the pole position, while his championship rival LaPaglia (No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto Ford Mustang) started 44th following a penalty for missing the driver meeting. After the start, Kyle Kelley (No. 180 UPR.com/PK&K Chevrolet Camaro) quickly took the point position from Goble, leading the first five laps. Goble made the pass on Kelley on lap six, but was then overtaken by Roy Fulmer IV (No. 86 Fulmer’s Auto Body/CaukLok Chevrolet Camaro) on lap 14.

On lap 18, when the field was returning to green following a full-course caution, Goble was forced to visit pit road for a restart violation. Dropping to the rear of the class, Goble had a lot of work ahead of him to hang onto the championship lead. Meanwhile, LaPaglia had worked his way up to 16th overall and took over the lead for the class. LaPaglia held his ground, while Goble slowly picked his way back through his TA2 competition. By the time the final yellow flag waved that would bring the field to the checkers, LaPaglia had advanced all the way to 11th to take the win for the class. Tim Carroll (No. 46 Carroll Racing Development Dodge Challenger) was second, and Goble had clawed his way back up to third to round out the podium. Tim Lynn (No. 71 RoofOptions Ford Mustang) and Fulmer closed out the top five. Goble’s third-place finish was enough to narrowly earn him the 2023 TA2 Western Championship title.

“You know, I just I started 44th and I really just had nothing to lose,” said LaPaglia. “It was as simple as that. I didn’t want to tear the car up. I wanted to bring it home in one piece and avoid the carnage and make as many passes as I could. But my little guy told me to ‘sneak through the window,’ as I like to say. So that’s all I did. I just tried to take advantage of every opportunity and every pass. I still definitely left a couple spots on the table, surprisingly, but it was a great race. Super happy to finish 11th overall and take the win here in West Coast. It’s my first win in the Western Championship series, and I’m so stoked to get here. COTA is an awesome track and awesome facility. I’d like to thank everyone that helps us out. The Papini brothers take care of the cars; they do everything for me and just take care of it, make sure the cars are race ready. I really appreciate that. And of course, I have to thank my family, and everybody that comes out and supports us.”

“That was awesome,” said Goble after claiming his title. “The Brown Bros. Racing team has been working hard all year. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make the first race of the year, and coming back from that kind of points deficit was tough. It’s tough to make up that many points, but we chipped away all season long and always made it to the finish. I want to thank Jim Brown and Shelly, my wife Grace and my dad. We’re a privateer team, so to come out here and cap it off on a National weekend is great. It was a big team effort and a weight off our shoulders to get it done.”

The re-broadcast of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, November 9 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series returns to the track next season at Sebring International Raceway, February 22-25, 2024.

RESULTS

Crews awarded Watkins Glen TA2 win after disqualifications

It was all about tire strategy in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series race at Watkins Glen International. Brent Crews in the No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang and his team gambled on slicks and it paid off as the track dried, allowing the 15-year-old to score his fourth win of the season and extend his lead in the championship standings.

Saturday’s qualifying session was canceled due to rain and fog, so the grid was set by practice speeds, putting Connor Zilisch in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro and Crews on the front row. With rain falling prior to the race, teams were forced to choose whether to start on rain tires or slicks. Zilisch and Crews opted for slicks, and with rain still falling, the two were passed by their competitors on rain tires as soon as the green flag waved. After Zilisch dropped to fifth and Crews to sixth, Thomas Annunziata took control of the race in his No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang until lap three, then Rafa Matos in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang took over the point position until a full-course caution on lap six.

By then, the rain had stopped falling and the track was drying quickly, so several competitors on rain tires took the opportunity to visit pit road to change to slicks, including Matos and Annunziata. When green-flag racing resumed, it was once again Zilisch and Crews leading the pack to the start/finish line. This time, Zilisch would remain in control, pulling ahead of the field. Shortly after the restart, Thomas Merrill in the No. 26 Bennett/HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang made contact with another competitor, causing the 2022 champion to spin and take damage that would force his early retirement from the race. Zilisch and Crews paced the field, leading Austin Green in the No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang and Nathan Herne in the No. 29 CUBE 3/Berryman Ford Mustang.

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By lap 17, Zilisch pulled out to a nearly 10s lead before the double yellow waved and erased his large gap. The field was shown the green on lap 22, but the cars were once again brought under caution later that same lap for a multi-car crash that required a red flag for an extensive cleanup. Racing finally resumed on lap 27 with limited time on the clock, and Zilisch’s strong restart allowed him to protect his lead, leaving Crews, Green, Herne and Dillon Machavern in the No. 17 Heritage AG/UniFirst/SLR-M1 Ford Mustang behind him. Herne was able to pass Green on the restart, securing the third spot before the checkered flag waved on lap 29 of the timed event.

Zilisch crossed the finish line first, however, both he and Herne were disqualified after the event due to a technical infraction, making Crews the Watkins Glen winner. Green was credited with his second runner-up finish of the year, and Machavern earned a third-place result. Matos finished fourth, and Thad Moffitt in the No. 43 Safety-Kleen/SLR-M1 Race Cars Chevrolet Camaro rounded out the top five after an impressive run from 33rd to fifth, which earned him the Bassett Hard Charger Award.

“We had a great No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/Nitro Motorsports race car today,” said Crews. “I just wanted to get through the whole race, that was the number-one goal to start. Having it rain and then starting on slicks was pretty much a gamble for us. I think we changed [between slicks and rain tires] about three or four times [before the race]; we couldn’t make up our minds, but we made the right decision. I just want to thank everyone at Nitro Motorsports, Nick Tucker and my whole family.”

The re-broadcast of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET.

The Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series returns to the track in two weeks for the series’ first visit to World Wide Technology Raceway September 23 and 24.

RESULTS

Crews wins TA2 pole in misty Nashville qualifying

TA2 points leader Brent Crews in the No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang earned the Motul Pole Award for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series at the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix, setting a new track record with a time of 1m30.641s — a faster lap time than last year’s pole, despite a light mist of rain during Saturday’s time trials. Crews won the race at the Nashville street circuit one year ago after scoring his first-career win weeks prior at Road America. The 15-year-old is currently the series’ most recent winner, taking the victory at Road America this year as well.

Connor Zilisch in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro laid down an even faster lap in the qualifying session, but the team was disqualified in technical inspection for the modification of the car’s restrictor plate and will start from the rear of the field.

“We have a great crew at Nitro Motorsports to give me a fast car to be able to put it on the pole this weekend at Nashville,” said Crews. “We only got to have one practice session this weekend since our first practice session for TA2 was rained out, unfortunately, so we were short on time. It was super difficult to make sure that I remembered the course and didn’t hit any walls, so that was tough. We went straight into qualifying this morning at the earliest I think I’ve ever been on a track in a car before, so that was fun, for sure. It was still cold and I was still waking up. Thankfully, I put down a really fast lap and the car is still in one piece, so we’ll see what we can do later today.”

Weather-permitting, the race will be contested at 3:40 p.m. CT/4:40 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast live on MAVTV and can be streamed live here.

The re-broadcast of the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, August 10 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Crews goes back-to-back in TA2 at Road America

Fifteen-year-old Brent Crews went back-to-back at Road America, winning the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series race for the second year in a row. Crews started from the pole and led every lap of the 3-Dimensional Services Group 100, and his victory earned him the inaugural 3-Dimensional Services Group Triple Track Challenge trophy.

Crews captured the Motul Pole Award for the second-consecutive season by setting a new track record during qualifying.

At the wave of the green flag, while other competitors splayed out behind him, Crews pulled ahead of the crowd in his No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang and began to open a gap. Rafa Matos in the No. 88 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang jumped ahead of second-place starter Dillon Machavern in the No. 17 SLR-M1 Race Cars Ford Mustang, but quickly got into third-place starter Carson Kvapil in the No. 8 SLR-M1 Race Cars Camaro. The two cars went off the track and into the gravel trap, causing damage to both vehicles.

By the completion of lap one, defending champion Thomas Merrill in the No. 26 Bennett/HP Tuners/Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang took over the second position. While Merrill got close to Crews a few times and tried to make the pass, he and Crews ran first and second for the remaining 24 laps, crossing the finish line in that order.

The real fight was behind Crews and Merrill, with several hard battles waged and a few drivers making major gains after starting in the rear of the field. Machavern ran third for seven laps, but a flat right-rear tire took him off the racing surface and resulted in his early retirement.

A big battle heated up between Connor Zilisch (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Camaro), Jade Buford (No. 48 Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers Mustang) and Argentine driver Mariano Werner (No. 12 Memo Corse/Mike Cope Racing Mustang), and the three jostled for third through fifth. It appeared that Zilisch would win the fight for the third podium spot, but he suffered a flat tire on the white flag lap, leaving Buford to cross the finish line third.

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Werner ultimately finished fourth, and Austin Green in the No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Camaro rebounded from a 35th-place starting position and early damage to round out the top five when the checkered flag waved.

Other impressive runs included Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) finishing sixth after starting 13th, Thad Moffitt (No. 43 Safety-Kleen/SLR-M1 Race Cars Camaro) advancing from 16th to eighth, and Adrian Wlostowski (No. 3 Hawk Performance/AMT Motorsport Ford Mustang) working his way up to the ninth position after starting 34th.

“I want to thank the Lord; none of this would be possible without him,” said Crews from the podium. “The No. 70 was just incredible. I especially want to thank Nitro Motorsports for everything they do, (team owner Nick Tucker) and everyone at this team. Being able to have a race car like this to drive around this beautiful facility for 25 laps is just a great feeling. The fact that they can give me a race car that is that good for that long and keeps getting faster, it’s just amazing. Everybody on this car just worked so hard. I also want to give a big thanks to Ken Thwaits and Franklin Road Apparel for all they do for me. Hopefully we can come back next year.”

This is Crews’ third victory of the season. He previously won at NOLA Motorsports Park and race one of the Detroit Grand Prix. He’s also won the inaugural 3-Dimensional Services Group Triple Track Challenge, scoring two wins and a second-place finish during the four-race tournament.

The re-broadcast of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, July 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series next hits the streets of Nashville for the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix on August 3-5.

RESULTS

Young Brent Crews on TA2 pole once again at Road America

Brent Crews, 15, took home the Motul Pole Award for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series’ 3-Dimensional Services Group 100 at Road America after setting a new track record of 2m10.719s in his No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/GEARWRENCH Ford Mustang. Last year at the same Elkhart Lake facility, Crews made history as the youngest pole winner in Trans Am history at 14 years, three months and three days old. The following day he became the series’ youngest winner ever at 14 years, three months and four days old.

“This is my favorite track; I love this place and this is a great state,” said Crews. “This racetrack has always been my favorite ever since I came here for the first time, and then qualifying on the pole and winning last year definitely put it even higher on my list. We are starting on the right track this weekend. We had a great race car last year and so far this year, so I’m looking forward to the race.”

RESULTS

Crews battles to TA2 victory on the streets of Detroit

15-year-old Brent Crews is the first Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli winner on the brand-new Detroit Grand Prix course on the downtown streets. After taking over the lead on lap 12, the Young Gun held off champions Rafa Matos and Thomas Merrill to win his fifth-career race and earn his second-career street circuit victory in the 3-Dimensional Services Group Muscle Car Challenge.

Connor Zilisch in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro started race one of the Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series doubleheader from the pole and got off to a great start, effortlessly pulling ahead of second-place driver Austin Green in the No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Camaro. As Zilisch pulled ahead of the field, Crews in the No. 70 Franklin Road/Mobil 1/GearWrench Ford Mustang maneuvered around Green and into the second position. Zilisch and Crews had the rest of the field in their wake through the first full-course caution on lap seven for competitor Mike Skeen in the No. 86 3-Dimensional Services Group Camaro making hard contact with the wall.

When the race returned to green on lap 11, Zilisch initially pulled ahead, but Crews was quick to get to his tail and pull to the inside of Zilisch going into Turn 5. With Crews going wide into the tight left hander, the pair ran out of room and Zilisch nosed into the tire barrier. Only drawing a local caution, Zilisch had to wait for traffic to pass before righting himself, dropping him down to the 21st position. Refusing to give up, Zilisch fought his way back up to eighth within 20 laps. Unfortunately, he lost traction on the bumpy surface and once again made contact with the wall. With heavy right-side damage, the 16-year-old was forced to visit pit road and was out of contention for the victory.

After Crews took over the lead, he was hounded by former champions Matos and Merrill (No. 26 Bennett/HP Tuners/Mike Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang) in second and third. He continued to hold them off, but a full-course yellow on lap 19 regrouped the field for the lap-29 green flag. Evan Slater in the No. 6 Franklin Road Apparel Camaro was the reason for a caution, as the young driver had a mechanical failure and made hard impact with the tire barrier in a runoff.

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Following an extensive cleanup, Crews had a perfect restart and was able to pull away from Matos and Merrill. Merrill now had competition from Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), slowing him down. Crews and Matos pulled way ahead of the third and fourth-place competitors and Matos had a few flawless laps which would allow him to challenge for the lead. Unfortunately, Matos had to go into preservation mode with just a few laps to go, as he felt something was amiss and wanted to ensure he made it to the finish. Crews was able to open up a gap in front of Matos, and he crossed the finish line to win his second race of 2023. He was followed by Matos, Merrill, Annunziata and Dillon Machavern in the No. 17 SLR-M1 Race Cars Ford Mustang.

“First, this wouldn’t be possible without our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” said Crews. “I just want to say ‘thank you’ to my whole team and to (Matos and Merrill) for racing hard. That was a blast. There definitely was not a dull moment and it wasn’t easy. My Nitro Motorsports team did an incredible job. To be able to hold pace like that and to be able to turn those fast laps at the end of the race is truly amazing. I want to thank my whole family, everyone at Franklin Road Apparel, Ken Thwaits, everybody who got us here. I also want to thank Tony Parella and everyone at Trans Am. This is an incredible series and it’s not often that you get to come to an amazing street course like this and be able to race with IndyCar.”

“I can’t thank my 3-Dimensional Services Group team enough,” said runner up, Matos. “This is a very important weekend for (team owner) Doug Peterson and his company, which is sponsoring the race, so it was really important for us to get a good result. I was hoping that we could catch Brent at the end. I kept the pressure on him but faced some issues toward the end of the race and I had to choose between finishing the race or potentially suffering a parts failure trying to win. I’m really proud of my team and to be racing against these two very talented drivers. Hopefully we will win tomorrow.”

The Big Machine Vodka SPIKED Coolers TA2 Series returns to the track Sunday at 11:05 a.m. ET with the 3-Dimensional Services Group Motor City Showdown.

A highlight show combining races one and two in Detroit will air on MAVTV on Thursday, June 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

RESULTS