Paul Menard – Syndication Server

Menard storms to sixth Trans Am win, heartbreak for Dyson at VIR

Chris Dyson needed to have the perfect race at VIRginia International Raceway to have a shot at claiming his fourth consecutive title in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s TA class. He started the weekend on the right foot by securing the pole in Saturday’s qualifying session, but he was plagued by issues from the moment the green flag waved. After Paul Menard claimed the lead from him on the initial start, Dyson experienced a mechanical failure on lap seven, forcing him to retire early and allowing Menard to cruise to his sixth victory of the 2024 season.

Rolling to the starting line in the first position in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang, Dyson’s troubles began when the green flag waved and he spun his tires on the start, allowing Menard to capitalize and take the lead in his No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang. Dyson rallied after the start and defended the second position against Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) and Keith Grant (No. 40 Drissi Motorsports/Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro) behind him. Dyson chased Menard for the next few circuits, but on the final turn of lap seven, the back end of Dyson’s car stepped out on him, causing him to skid off the racing surface. After limping to the paddock, the CD Racing team determined that Dyson’s machine had a broken shock absorber, forcing him to retire from the race and relegating him to a seventh-place finish in the class.

A lap 12 restart gave second-place Grant an opportunity to challenge Menard for the lead, but he was unable to complete the pass, opening the door for Ruman to get past him for second. Behind him, Grant was joined by Tomy Drissi in the No. 8 Drissi Motorsports/Lucas/Mission Chevrolet Camaro, who had raced his way through the field after a pre-race penalty forced him to start the race from the back.

While Menard handily led, the action continued behind him. On lap 19, Grant was able to get back past Ruman. A lap later, with Drissi on her rear end, Ruman spun, bringing both herself and Drissi to a temporary stop on the racetrack. Drissi was the first to recover, and he took over the third position while Ruman chased him. As the laps ticked by, the two were able to catch up to Grant, and the three were nose to tail in the closing laps. Unfortunately, after taking the white flag, Grant had an issue on the racetrack, allowing both Drissi and Ruman to pass him. Menard took the checkered flag, and Drissi and Ruman followed him across the line for podium positions. Grant was fourth, and his father, Richard Grant in the No. 30 Grant Racing Chevrolet Camaro, was fifth.

“We had a great race,” said Menard in GYM WEED Winners Circle. “I hate that Chris [Dyson] had his issues. We got a good launch at the start. Chris is notorious for low air pressure, kind of sluggish starts at the beginning, but then he comes on hard at the end, so I was trying to build a gap to conserve the lead for when the tires fall off. These guys built the car twice this weekend. We just had a couple of little gremlins, and they fixed it for qualifying. The car went from uncomfortable to OK to ‘now we can go race’ after qualifying. It was really solid all day. We played with the sway bars just to try stuff, but really didn’t have to adjust the car at all from the inside. I can rest a little bit easier going into COTA now with points, but we’re still going to COTA to win.”

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Brian Lock in the No. 68 Helium Mobile/JDI/Blockjoy Porsche GT3 R led the XGT class to green in his Trans Am debut and never looked back once the action started. He carried incredible speed, leading every lap on his way to his first-career Trans Am victory. He was followed across the finish line by Danny Lowry (No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3) and Billy Griffin (No. 43 BridgeHaul/Bennett/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3), who ran second and third, respectively, for the entirety of the race.

The SGT class race was a competitive one, with multiple lap leaders and a very late-race pass for the victory. Eric Foss, who was making his Trans Am debut in the No. 54 South Dallas Turf Chevrolet Corvette, started the race from the point position and led nearly the entire race, only briefly acquiescing the lead to Josh Carlson in the No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang late in the event. Foss was back in control by the restart on lap 28, followed by Carlson and Kaylee Bryson in the No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette. The restart was a wild one, and Bryson was able to pass Carlson after the green flag to secure second. One lap later, she was able to hunt down Foss, making the pass to score the victory and claim the 2024 SGT National Championship title.

“You know, it’s my first time at VIR, and I definitely rank this one at the top of my list,” said Bryson. “That was the race of my life right there; I never gave up. We started third and really, really had to chase down the guys. I think once we got the fuel load off, the car really came to life at the end. I can’t thank my fellow competitors enough for racing me clean. We were side by side and never touching, having to run qualifying laps every single lap, and that was really awesome. It’s cool to be a champion in this series. This whole LSI, Logical Systems Inc. team does so much to make this possible. Thank you to Sam Pierce Chevrolet, AP driver Development, RE Enterprises. There are so many people who make this Corvette fast and I can’t thank them enough.”

Chris Coffey in the No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 took the green flag first in class and maintained that lead for nearly the entire race. A late-race restart bunched up the field enough to allow Michael Saia (No. 13 KMC/Rapid Performance Management/Motul Porsche 997.1 GT3 Cup) to make the pass on Coffey with one lap remaining, but the two fought hard for the position. Coffey and Saia ultimately made contact, which dropped Saia back to the fourth position and allowed Coffey to take the victory. He was followed across the finish line by Remy Faird (No. 53 KMC/Rabid Wraps Porsche 718 GT4 Clubsport MR), who earned his first-career podium, and Colin Cohen in the No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4.

“Unfortunately, me and Michael [Saia] came together and we had a little conversation about that,” said Coffey. “I feel terrible that it happened, but we’ll talk about it. We’ll talk our way through it and see what happens. I want to thank Colin Cohen here first. Without him, I couldn’t be here. My crew, Xavier and Alex. My shop, Norwood Auto Italia. My wife, Morgan, and my son, Sam. Thank you.”

The highlight show of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series will next hit the track for the season finale at Circuit of The Americas, November 1-3.

RESULTS

Menard and Matos both score fifth wins of Trans Am season at CTMP

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli returned to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the first time in a decade and put on an exciting race in front of legions of Canadian race fans. Paul Menard led the TA class for a majority of the race, but it seemed that Chris Dyson would take the checkered flag following a late race overtake. However, a spin by Dyson with two laps to go handed the race back to Menard, who earned his fifth victory of the season.

In the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race, Rafa Matos led the field from flag to flag, holding off an ultra-fast Thomas Merrill and skillfully navigating through traffic in the multi-class affair, claiming his fifth win of the year and bringing him closer to his third TA2 championship.

Menard secured the pole position for the race in Saturday’s qualifying session with a blazing-fast lap, and when the green flag waved, he showed the same speed in his No. 31 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang. However, Dyson was never far behind him in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang. Lap after lap, the distance between the two drivers was never more than a second and a half, and as the two contenders battled through traffic, the gap dwindled at times to just inches.

On lap 34, Dyson was finally able to use the traffic to his advantage, taking the lead from Menard and opening up a gap in clean air. It appeared that Dyson would drive away with the victory, but with two laps to go, Dyson’s rear end kicked out on him, and he did a full spin. Although his car righted itself and Dyson was able to continue, he was slowed just enough for Menard to retake the lead. Dyson had the speed to catch Menard, but not enough time. Menard crossed the finish line first, followed by Dyson. Tomy Drissi in the No. 8 Drissi Motorsports/Lucas/Mission Chevrolet Camaro claimed the third podium spot.

“We had a fast car all weekend,” said Menard on the podium. “This track is all out. It takes a lot of commitment. Our guys worked really hard getting the car comfortable going through Turn 2 and Turn 4. Chris [Dyson] and I, we’re just so close on speed. Last week, this week, it’s like whoever’s in front has the advantage. These cars make a lot of downforce, so clean air is a big advantage. And we just got to run. I boogered up 5B, and he got a run all the way down the back straight. I didn’t want to challenge him too hard in Turn 8. I stuck to his bumper, he made a little mistake, and I was able to capitalize.”

The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series field kicked off the race with the top three cars on the grid in the same order in which they sat in the points, with Matos first in his No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang, Merrill second in his No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang, and Ben Maier third in his No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang. With valuable championship points on the line, every lap and every position counted for the trio. Matos got a clean start and led Merrill and Maier until a full-course caution was deployed on lap two. When racing resumed on lap 10, Matos and Merrill continued to lead the field, but Maier got shuffled back, dropping to sixth in the running order. This allowed Tyler Gonzalez in the No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang to take over third, and he was followed by Thomas Annunziata in the No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang and Josh Hurley in the No. 20 Greenlight Simulation/BCR Ford Mustang.

With conditions remaining green for the remainder of the race, competitors fought both each other and the racetrack, which offered limited passing opportunities, all while dealing with traffic from other classes. As the laps ticked away, Merrill remained tight on Matos’ rear, but never had quite enough to challenge for the lead. When the checkered flag waved, Matos took the victory, followed by Merrill and Gonzalez in the final podium position. Annunziata and Hurley rounded out the top five.

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“I think today was about managing traffic,” said Matos in GYM WEED Winners Circle. “The car was really good. I was able to build up that gap and manage my distance to Thomas [Merrill]. I think the track was really slick, maybe because of the rain this morning and the NASCAR cars that ran a little bit earlier and took off some of the rubber, but the car was fantastic, indeed. I want to thank Nitro Motorsports for prepping six very fast racecars. We got Tyler [Gonzalez] on the podium; he definitely had a really good pace all weekend long. Hats off to Concord American Flagpole for trusting and believing in this project. Thanks to Chris Dyson, a big supporter of ours. Just an amazing weekend overall. Twenty years ago, I was here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. I had a pole position in the Star Mazda Series and finished second. Today, I changed my luck around and we won the race. This is a great moment for us and a huge step towards our third championship here.”

Kaylee Bryson in the No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette led the SGT class to green and was untouchable for the 41-lap event. She held a considerable advantage over David Hampton (No. 14 AR Motorsports/Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) and Milton Grant (No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.3 GT3 Cup), who was battling transmission issues. Without having to watch her mirrors for her SGT competitors, Bryson was able to mix it up with CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series cars, holding her own with the faster vehicles. As the race concluded, Bryson led Hampton and Grant over the finish line, claiming her second win of the 2024 season.

“This feels good; it was fun to bring the GT car out here and race with the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series cars and TA cars,” said Bryson. “They’d really kill me on the straightaway, but I had something for them in the corners, which made it a little bit of fun. We were racing around quite a bit with the TA2 cars and passed a couple of them, which made it really exciting for us and our team. We want to come out here and race and put down really quick laps. I’m so thankful to have a car that makes it all 100 miles, and I’m really thankful for the whole crew for all the work they put in. It’s fun to be back on the top step.”

The highlight show of Saturday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, September 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series will next hit the track at VIRginia International Raceway for the penultimate race of the season, October 3-6.

RESULTS

Trans Am points leaders Menard and Matos grab poles at CTMP

Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli points leader Paul Menard, in the No. 31 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang, was fastest overall on Friday and claimed his fourth pole of the season with a time of 1m13.255s at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park …

“Traffic has been the name of the game in practice and the three test sessions,” said Menard. “There’s a lot of speed disparity, so you try to work on your car in segments. You get a clean segment, kind of work on what the car needs, get another clean segment, work on what the car needs again. In qualifying, I just had that one lap that would put it all together. We adjusted the car a lot throughout the weekend. It wasn’t very comfortable early on. We got it better, but it still was missing a little something. We found it after practice. We had a little hiccup that we fixed, and the car is really good right now.”

TA2 points leader Rafa Matos in the No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang was fastest of the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series competitors with a best time of 1m18.327s, earning his third pole of the year.

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“My last time here at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was 20 years ago when I came and ran Star Mazda,” said Matos. “The track hasn’t changed much, so I had really good memories here. I had the pole position in that race, and I finished second, so hopefully my luck will change around tomorrow. We had speed all weekend long; we were just kind of chipping away and working with the setup, massaging the setup of the car, working with my teammates, making sure that every car is competitive. I knew I had the speed, I just had to put the lap together. I had a really good lap going in the last practice, but I just made a small mistake in the last corner and that cost me a couple tenths. I knew I had the speed and just needed to get it together, so I had everything in my head. I mentalized the lap and I was able to get it done.

“Big hats off to Nitro Motorsports, assembling the car and working with six cars this weekend. Thanks to Concord American Flag Pole for believing in this process, Chris Dyson, and every single person that has been involved with this program, directly and indirectly.”

The all-class race goes green Saturday at 2:15 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live here. The highlights show of the race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, September 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

RESULTS

Menard wins wet and wild third straight Trans Am race at Mid-Ohio

Paul Menard once again drove to GYM WEED Winners Circle, this time navigating his No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Ford Mustang through heavy rain to win his third-straight race and fourth of the season. While Chris Dyson had the strategy to beat, early troubles for the three-time champion opened the door for Menard to win the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and increase his advantage in the point standings.

With a dry track before the start of the race, competitors in the TA/XGT/SGT/GT race were all starting on slick tires. However, just as the command to start engines was given, light rain began to fall over the track. While the field made its first pace lap, Dyson made the decision to bring his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang to pit road for rain tires, sacrificing his second-place starting position for treaded tires, betting on worsening rain. And worsen, it did. Polesitter Menard led the field to the green flag, but racing was slow going as competitors struggled to get up to speed on the slippery surface.

With grip on his side, it only took three laps for Dyson to race his way from the back and into the lead. As cars in every class began to dive to pit road for rain tires, Ohio driver Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) went off the track surface and into the gravel trap, bringing out a full-course caution on lap five. This allowed the remainder of the competitors on slicks to come to pit road for wets, and racing finally began in earnest when green-flag racing resumed on lap 10. Dyson led Menard and Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro) for the next five laps, but on lap 16, Dyson’s rear locked up, taking him off the racing surface and into a tire barrier. Despite the hard hit, Dyson was able to resume racing, but the heavy front-end damage required him to make a stop on pit road for body work. Fortunately, he was able to remain on the lead lap, but he trailed well behind once-again leader, Paul Menard, and second-place Tomy Drissi.

The three ran in that order until lap 33, when two competitors experienced major issues simultaneously. The No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro of Adam Andretti experienced an engine failure, bringing his car to a halt and oiling down the frontstretch. Meanwhile, Drissi went off course and got stuck in a gravel trap, allowing Dyson to pass him for second place. However, due Andretti’s inability to continue and the remainder of the TA competitors in the garage, Drissi was able to salvage the last spot on the podium. With the clock running out, Menard took the checkered flag and double yellow flags together, claiming his third-consecutive victory and fourth of 2024.

“It was a lot of fun, obviously; we wound up on top,” said Menard. “I just don’t have any experience [racing in the rain], but I learned a lot. I was running decent times, and I felt like the wetter it got, the better we were. But I was just learning out there; learning how to use the brake under wet conditions, and to set the car. Using the throttle is super tricky, but after running high-horsepower cars on skinny tires for years in NASCAR, you have to have an eggshell under your foot. So that wasn’t bad. It was all about the braking for me to gain my speed in the rain. Hats off to all these guys at 3GT. The car was so fast in the dry. I think [Chris] Dyson was a little faster than us in the wet, for sure. But we didn’t put a tire wrong, and the guys just did a hell of a job all weekend.”

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The SGT race was an exercise in patience, as competitors balanced right on the edge of control in the wet conditions. First-place starter Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette) was quickly passed after the green by second-place starter Lee Saunders (No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper), and Saunders’ lead opened up further when Bryson, Richard Forsythe (No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette) and Milton Grant (No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup) came to pit road for rain tires. Saunders opted not to make the switch, which eventually caught up to him. On lap 21, Bryson made her way around Saunders, followed closely by Forsythe. Bryson and Forsythe battled hard for the next two laps, with Forsythe ultimately emerging with the lead. The following lap, Saunders found he was unable to continue on his slick tires and pulled onto pit road. As the race came to a close, Forsythe led Bryson across the line, with Grant earning the final podium spot.

“It was quite a battle, and you had to be patient in the rain,” said Forsythe. “We were just doing everything we could to not hit each other or slide off the track, because everybody around us was. So, it was not easy. Kaylee is a phenomenal driver; it was an amazing pole position for her. It’s such an honor to race with somebody of her caliber, with a past dirt track background like myself, actually. I have, fortunately, some rain experience in other series. You guys should know how thankful I am for G-Speed, Louis, Ian, Corey, Jason, Mike, Sandy, and all the background people that helped me out so much. I’m very thankful. I couldn’t do this without you, and you guys are awesome. Thank you so much.”

The GT race was a battle of endurance between David Hampton (No. 14 AR Motorsports/Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) and Chris Coffey (No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4). Coffey was the fastest qualifier in yesterday’s session, but was forced to start the race in the back due to mechanical repairs, leaving Hampton with the point position when the green flag waved. Immediately after the race start, Hampton came to pit road for rain tires, putting Coffey in the lead until lap eight. Coffey then came to pit road, not just for rain tires, but also to replace brake rotors, which briefly gave Jack Rinke (No. 12 Ed Rinke Chevrolet/Chevrolet Performance Camaro) the lead. However, Rinke was without rain tires, and his slower pace allowed Hampton to regain the lead on lap 18. Once Coffey’s repairs were done on pit road, he had incredible speed, and he was able to work up to second by lap 19. For the second half of the race, Coffey relentlessly chased Hampton and seemed on pace to pass him, but Hampton was ultimately the victor. He was followed across the line by Coffey and Rinke.

“Well, we took the first [pace] lap and it started raining,” said Hampton on the podium. “As soon as it started raining, the guys said, ‘come in,’ so we came in. We did NASCAR pit crew stuff. They just went at us, started changing tires, and away we went. And the car is really, really fun to drive in the rain. I just had a great time. This is pretty amazing, sort of an incredible thing for us to do. I’ve got to thank my crew that worked so hard. Thanks to my coach, Thomas Merrill, and my wife, for all the support that they give me. We just drove. I just kept trying to drive as fast as I could and not fall off the track. It was just absolutely incredible. I’ve been watching [Chris Coffey] on television, and all of a sudden, I’m beating him, which is a pretty cool bucket list deal. And Paul Menard, I do business with him. This is just like, ‘pinch me.’ This is crazy stuff here. So, thank you all. This has just been a heck of a lot of fun.”

The full broadcast of Sunday’s race will re-air Sunday night on MAVTV at 8:30 p.m. ET. Highlights will air on MAVTV on Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series TA/XGT/SGT/GT classes head to Road America next week for the Road America SpeedTour, June 27-30 Tickets can be purchased here on SpeedTour.net.

RESULTS

Menard runs to second consecutive Trans Am pole at Mid-Ohio

Paul Menard in the No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang earned his second-consecutive pole in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with a new track record at the recently-repaved track, laying down a time …

It is Menard’s third pole of the 2024 season. He was the fastest qualifier in TA’s last outing at Pittsburgh International Race Complex two weeks ago, and he also earned a pole earlier this season at NOLA Motorsports Park.

“I’ve watched a hundred races on TV here, but I’ve never been to the facility,” said Menard. “I drove in with my wife and kids yesterday morning and I had no idea where to park or anything. This is one of those tracks where you think of sports car racing, or any kind of racing in North America, and Mid-Ohio is right up there. To get the pole here is amazing. Thank you to 3GT — Paul, Tony and John Gentilozzi, all the guys on the crew. This is an awesome Ford Mustang. At most of these tracks, we show up, they give me a session to learn the track, then we go to work on the car. Luckily, we don’t have to work too hard on it because it’s pretty fast.”

The TA/XGT/SGT/GT race will be contested Sunday at 12:40 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on MAVTV and streamed live here. The highlights show of the race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, June 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

RESULTS

Menard goes back-to-back with Pitt Race TA win

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 …

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

RESULTS

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.

Menard wins at Lime Rock Park, becomes first repeat TA winner of 2024

Paul Menard’s day went from frustration to triumph at the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park, as he overcame pre-race technical issues to earn his second victory of the season. Menard nearly missed the grid because his car wouldn’t start on the pre-grid, but a recovery by his 3GT team allowed him to keep his fourth-place starting position. From there, raw speed and the troubles of others allowed him to take the lead early in the race and never look back, taking the checkered flag at the Lime Rock SpeedTour.

Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro) started the race from the lead after earning his first pole position with his own team, Drissi Motorsports, in this morning’s qualifying session, just barely beating out three-time champion Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang). When the green flag waved, Drissi smoothly pulled ahead of his competitors, while third-place starter Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner/Go Share Chevrolet Camaro) made contact with Dyson in Turn 1, causing Dyson to spin and drop to last in class. Drissi held the lead for the first two laps, with Andretti challenging behind him, but by lap three, Andretti was able to make the pass and take control of the race.

Just one lap later, Drissi faded back to third, and Andretti put a wheel off the track, losing momentum and allowing Menard to take over the point position in his No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang. Once Menard got out in front, he flawlessly ticked off the laps, opening a bigger and bigger lead over Andretti.

Meanwhile, Dyson was making blazing-fast laps to recover from his spin, and he worked his way up to fourth by lap seven. At a 15-second disadvantage behind the leaders, Dyson chipped away at the gap. On lap 23, he passed Drissi for the third position, and then put Andretti in his sights.

Menard continued to dominate out front, but Andretti fell farther behind the leader, while Dyson stalked the second-place driver. Dyson finally caught Andretti on lap 58 of 68, allowing just 10 laps for him to pursue Menard, who was still nearly 10 seconds ahead.

Although Dyson was able to cut down Menard’s advantage to six seconds, a stopped car on the track brought out the yellow flag with three laps to go, forcing the race to end under caution and preventing Dyson from making any more forward progress. Menard took the checkered flag, followed by Dyson, Andretti and Drissi. Amy Ruman, who had experienced damage early in the race in her No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette, finished fifth.

“This is a great track; it’s a bucket list track for me,” said Menard. “I am just in awe of the fans here, the crowd. I’ve always heard the Lime Rock crowd was the best. There’s some great road courses in America that we get to go to because of the veterans and our military, who keep us safe. First and foremost, we get to do this and have fun, but we don’t do this without them. I got to meet a gentleman, Chris Ross over here, he’s a veteran Army Ranger. We spent some time together this weekend. There are guys like Chris all across America that live a different life, protecting us. Hats off to everyone at 3GT, they gave me a hell of a race car. On to Pittsburgh to try to do it again.”

RESULTS

Notes of Interest:

This was Paul Menard’s second visit to GYM WEED Winners Circle this year. He previously won in the season opener at Sebring International Raceway.
Tomy Drissi started from the pole for the first time with Drissi Motorsports, and for the first time since July 2021 at Road America.
Ricky Sanders took his first victory of the season in the XGT class.
SGT’s Jenn Krpata won her first-career Trans Am race today in just her second start. She is the second woman to win in the class in 2024. Kaylee Bryson won Round 3 at NOLA Motorsports Park.
Joey DaSilva’s GT win was the first of his Trans Am career. This was his fourth-career start.
This was a home-track victory for both Krpata (Farmingdale, N.Y.) and DaSilva (Westport, Mass.)
Krpata’s last visit to Lime Rock Park was as a spectator at four years old.

XGT

The XGT race was a battle between Ricky Sanders (No. 43 BridgeHaul/Bennett/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3) and 2023 champion Danny Lowry (No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3). Sanders had a great start to the race, and in the opening laps, he pulled ahead to a gap that was insurmountable for Lowry without a caution. Sanders led from green flag to checkers, taking his first win of the 2024 season.

“That car is just awesome,” said Sanders. “After the first practice when we got in the car, I came in and I said, ‘this is the most awesome car I’ve ever driven.’ And I’ve got to thank Danny [Lowry] for that, because I was used to driving just regular old club-style cars, and Danny has allowed me to run these really nice FIA GT3 spec cars that are just like works of art to drive. I’m really enjoying that.

“We wanted to have a better race between the two of us, but I caught a couple of holes on that very first lap and we had such a gap that we never got back together. But maybe on the next one, we’ll be able to run door to door together and see how it comes out. It’s really awesome having the Wreaths Across America people here. Having them here this weekend is just a real honor and I’m glad to be part of that program too.”

SGT

In SGT, Jenn Krpata in the No. 93 Island Trees Auto Chevrolet Camaro took the green flag leading her class, but Richard Forsythe had an incredibly fast No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette and was able to pass Krpata by lap seven. Forsythe led Krpata while Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette) struggled in third following a qualifying crash that forced her to start last.

Bryson had to retire due to overheating after the race’s halfway point, so it was just Krpata and Forsythe battling for the race win. It appeared that Forsythe would wrap up the victory, but on lap 65, he suddenly lost power, coming to a stop on the racing surface. His misfortune allowed Krpata to make the pass to earn her first-career Trans Am victory, and also forced the race to end under yellow-flag conditions.

“This is insane; this is absolutely a dream come true,” said Krpata. “I can’t believe it. You know, we went from regional racing as a father-daughter team to a Trans Am winner. It’s insane. I just had to push and make it through. I actually remember coming here as a kid at four years old. It’s crazy. It’s a weird, weird feeling. We’re coming home, and it’s great to be here. I enjoy the track very much.”

Joey DaSilva (No. 67 Ave Motorsports Toyota Supra) was the fastest GT qualifier and led the class for every lap of the race. Chris Coffey, who has dominated so far this season in his No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4, appeared to be in a position to challenge DaSilva in the end, but a lapped car in another class made contact with him and interrupted his forward progress. Coffey crossed the finish line second behind DaSilva, while Michael Saia (No. 13 KMC/Rapid Performance Management/Motul Porsche GT3 Cup 997.1) finished third.

“The first half of this race, I just tried to kill my tires as much as I possibly could to get away from this guy [Coffey],” said DaSilva. “And of course, halfway through, I start seeing him come down that front straight a little bit closer every time I crossed that finish line. So, I just counted down the laps. My driving coach kept counting them down. I was like ‘Oh no, he’s too close.’ But thankfully, that double yellow came out and solidified everything.

“It was a great run, man, thank you guys for having me. Thanks to the vets. Thank you to my parents, my daughter, my son for coming out, my father-in-law, my driving coach Roger Cody, Tony Ave, Ave Motorsports. Thank all of you guys, seriously.”

Menard slides through chaos to win Trans Am opener at Sebring

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli season-opener at Sebring International Raceway started off with a bang, beginning with a crash in the first turn of the race that took out two former champions and ending with last-lap charge for the win. After defending three-time champion Chris Dyson made contact with polesitter and four-time champion Ernie Francis Jr. just seconds after the green flag, Paul Menard was able to cruise to victory, but not without a late challenge from 1986 champion Wally Dallenbach Jr.

Sebring marked the exciting surprise homecoming of Trans Am’s winningest driver, Francis Jr., returning to the TA class for the first time in two years to fill in for an ill driver. Francis Jr. didn’t waste any time getting up to speed, and he claimed the pole for the first time since the Trans Am season finale at Circuit of The Americas in 2021. Unfortunately, Francis Jr. didn’t hold the point position for long after the start of the race, as third-place starter Dyson hit a bump on the track’s rough surface and momentarily lost traction in his No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang, touching Francis Jr.’s No. 79 ECC/Anchor Bolt & Screw Dodge Challenger and sending it careening into the wall. The incident brought an end to both drivers’ day, resulting in a last-place finish for Dyson, who is in pursuit of his fourth-consecutive TA title, which would tie Francis Jr.’s record.

The rough start for his competitors presented an opportunity for second-place starter Menard in the No. 3 Menards Ford Mustang, who inherited the lead. Once the green flag waved for the restart, Menard was able to pull out in front of his competitors, driving away with a solid lead. Behind Menard was a competitive scramble, as Keith Grant (No. 40 Drissi Motorsports/Showtime Camaro), Tomy Drissi (No. 8 Franklin Road Apparel Camaro), Wally Dallenbach Jr. (No. 4 Ultimate Headers Mustang) and Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co. Corvette) battled hard for second through fifth, respectively, running in a tight pack and swapping positions.

Following a restart on lap 18, Dallenbach Jr. was able to make an impressive jump from fourth into second, and he began to stalk Menard. Meanwhile, Drissi and Ruman both got past Grant and began to battle for the third position. While Menard opened up nearly a 5s gap over Dallenbach Jr., it was slowly chipped away in the final laps as Dallenbach Jr. consistently posted the fastest lap times. On the final lap, Dallenbach Jr. made a final surge, but ran out of time before the checkered flag waved. Behind them, after battling back and forth for position with Drissi, Ruman made an impressive pass for the lead on the second-to-last lap, securing the third spot on the podium.

“It’s pretty awesome; the deal to race this year came together fairly quickly with Paul Gentilozzi and 3GT Racing,” said Menard on the podium. “We started talking over the winter and decided, ‘Let’s go racing.’ He wanted to do it, I wanted to do it, and we had some support from Menards and Masterforce. It’s great to be back in a Ford Mustang. I’ve had a great relationship with them through the years and the motor is so smooth. It’s a smooth engine, built for road racing. The car was just fast all weekend, we hardly put a tire wrong in it. Wally [Dallenbach Jr.; man, he was coming at the end. I had to push it a lot harder than I wanted to, but he was fast. Congratulations to these two up here. I’m hoping to do the whole season and give [Chris] Dyson a run for his money.”

This was Menard’s second Trans Am win in 14-career starts. Menard last visited GYM WEED Winners Circle at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2022.

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Lee Saunders in the No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper led from start to finish in the SGT class, but faced heavy competition from Richard Forsythe in the No. 58 GSpeed/Sambuca Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette, despite Forsythe fighting transmission issues. The two ran nose to tail for the entire race, holding a large margin over third-place Joshua Carlson in the No. 36 Enseva/TC Fab/Diercks Ltd. Ford Mustang.

“First of all, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” said Saunders. “What a wonderful day. I’m grateful for living in this wonderful country that allows us to do this. Thanks to the crowd for coming out; it’s absolutely fantastic seeing this many people here. It was a clean race. Richard [Forsythe] was really keeping me worried. If he hadn’t had transmission problems, we might have switched spots here. I want to tell you how big of a family Trans Am is. My normal crew wasn’t able to make it this weekend, so I had competitors fill in. Unfortunately, Ricky Sanders had a problem, so he got to be my crew chief. And then we had Ken from Todd Napieralski’s team fill in too. So that’s just awesome. This is such a great group of people. It can’t get any better than this.”

Saunders earned his second-consecutive win and seventh-career victory at Sebring International Raceway. He is the winningest driver at the track of anyone entered in this weekend’s event.

This was Saunders’ seventh-consecutive SGT victory, continuing a winning streak which began at Lime Rock Park last year.

The GT class offered some of the closest and most compelling racing of the day, as the top-four competitors swapped positions throughout the entire 27-lap event. Chris Coffey in the No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 started first and maintained the lead through lap 17, fending off multiple challenges by Joey DaSilva in the No. 67 Ave Motorsports Toyota Supra that kept the two within two-tenths of a second of each other. On lap 18, Jeff Lindstrom got into the mix and took the lead in his No. 41 Griffin Auto Care/Sheehan’s Towing Ford Mustang. All three engaged in an intense battle, with Coffey resuming the lead on lap 20, and DaSilva finally getting out front on lap 23. By the time the checkered flag waved, it was Coffey once again in the front, followed by DaSilva and Coffey’s teammate Colin Cohen in the No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 rounding out the podium.

“It feels amazing,” said Coffey. “The first thing I have to do is thank this gentleman here, Colin Cohen. I absolutely couldn’t be here without him. He signed me up to run a full season this year, so I’m looking forward to the next race already. I want to thank my wife and my crew, Alex and Xavier. This is the first time I’ve had an actual crew with me, so this is absolutely amazing. And this guy [DaSilva]: Super clean racing. He pushed me from the green flag. I mean, we changed positions, and the Mustang got out in front of both of us. It was an absolute battle to the end.”

This was Chris Coffey’s fifth-straight GT victory. He’s won every race he’s started since Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last season.

The highlight show of Sunday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, February 29 at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Trans Am Series TA/XGT/SGT/GT classes next hit the track at the Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour, March 21-24. Tickets can be purchased here on SpeedTour.net.

RESULTS