The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli heads to Pittsburgh International Race Complex for only the second time in series history. Opened in 2002, the 2.78-mile road course is located north of Pittsburgh in Wampum, Pa. Trans Am’s one and only appearance at the track came in 2018, with Lawrence Loshak taking the victory in the TA class, Cindi Lux winning in TA3 and Warren Dexter victorious in TA4. This weekend’s Pitt Race SpeedTour will mark the first visit to the track for the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, which did not accompany the TA and production classes in the inaugural event six years ago.
Schedule:
TA
Qualifying:
Saturday, June 8
3:10-3:45 p.m. ET
Race:
Sunday, June 9
1:40-2:55 p.m. ET
Race Length: 36 Laps/75 Minutes
TV Broadcast:
LIVE on MAVTV
Highlights Show:
MAVTV
Thursday, June 13
9:00 p.m. ET
TA2:
Qualifying:
Saturday, June 8
1:50-2:25 p.m. ET
Race:
Sunday, June 9
9:35-10:50 a.m. ET
Race Length: 36 Laps/75 Minutes
TV Broadcast:
LIVE on MAVTV
Highlights Show:
MAVTV
Thursday, June 13
The Trans Am Series has Pittsburgh ties dating back well before Pitt Race opened in 2002 and the series’ first visit in 2018. Back in the early 1970s, the University of Pittsburgh Road Racing Team competed in the Trans Am Series with drivers Bob Fryer, Paul Hecker and Frank Herchick. One of the team’s vehicles, the No. 19 University of Pittsburgh Camaro, was found in a warehouse in Florida in 1990 and restored in 1992. In 2020, the car was raced in Historic Trans Am in the Detroit Grand Prix on Detroit’s Belle Isle street course by racing legend and former Trans Am driver Lyn St. James.
Three drivers in this weekend’s field are from Pennsylvania and consider Pitt Race their home track. The closest to home is Chris Durbin, who is from South Hills, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh.
- Chris Durbin, No. 25 AMSOIL/90Racing.com Chevrolet Camaro (South Hills, Pa.)
- Tyler Kicera, No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (Manheim, Pa.)
- Jared Odrick, No. 51 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang (Lebanon, Pa.)
There are no drivers entered in this weekend’s race who were victorious in Trans Am’s first visit, but there are a few TA entrants who competed in the 2018 event, making them the only ones with racing experience at Pitt Race in a Trans Am car. Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) was the top finisher of those racing this weekend, earning a podium with a third-place finish. Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette) finished fourth, and Richard Grant (No. 30 Grant Racing Chevrolet Camaro) finished eighth in the event.
In addition to being the top finisher in Trans Am’s only prior visit to Pittsburgh, Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) and his CD Racing team have more recent experience at the facility. CD Racing recently tested at the track, gathering plenty of useful data for this weekend’s race. “I expect we will be ready to go when we unload the car for Friday’s test session,” Dyson said. The three-time champion has had a challenging start to the season, experiencing unlucky and uncharacteristic complications, such as a crash in the season opener and spins at Road Atlanta and Lime Rock Park. However, he has never lacked for speed, and has been able to recover from his troubles in most cases, keeping the points race tight as he attempts to capture his fourth-consecutive title.
Menard repeats, remains on top
With his victory at Lime Rock Park, Paul Menard (No. 3 Menards/Master Force Tools Ford Mustang) became the first TA class competitor to earn a second victory in the opening four events of 2024, with the first coming in the season opener at Sebring International Raceway. Menard has sat atop the point standings since the first race of the season and has been able to open up a 19-point advantage over second-place Chris Dyson, more than doubling the eight-point gap he had going into Lime Rock Park.
Grant hits milestone
Competing in his third race of the year this weekend, 2022 SGT champion Milton Grant (No. 55 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsch 991.1) has been racing for 50 years this season. The 75-year-old Tennessee native has competed in more than 525 races in his career, 67 of which have been in Trans Am. Grant has scored podiums in both races he’s competed in this year, finishing second at Road Atlanta and NOLA Motorsports Park.
TA standings:
1. Paul Menard (364)
2. Chris Dyson (345)
3. Adam Andretti (322)
4. Tomy Drissi (314)
5. Amy Ruman (301)
Matos extends record
When Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) took the checkered flag at Lime Rock Park, he secured his second victory of the season and the 22nd of his career, extending his record as the winningest driver in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. He also captured the points lead for the first time this season, building a 28-point advantage over second-place Thomas Merrill (No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang). Matos has also become the first repeat winner in the class in 2024, giving him momentum as the season approaches its halfway point.
Kicera returns
There will be a familiar face in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series field this weekend, with Tyler Kicera returning to competition at his home track behind the wheel of the No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang. The Manheim, Pa. native will be competing for Nitro Motorsports, where he has been serving as a driver coach for what has been a very successful season for the team so far. Kicera began racing in TA2 in 2019 and holds two victories and one pole in the series. This will be Kicera’s first race since VIRginia International Raceway in 2023, where he also raced for Nitro Motorsports.
Nitro armed for success
Nitro Motorsports comes to Pitt Race armed with six entries and momentum on their side after winning the last three-consecutive races (NOLA Motorsports Park with Rafa Matos, World Wide Technology Raceway with Ben Maier, and Lime Rock Park with Matos). In fact, Nitro Motorsports has been the most successful team in the paddock thus far, claiming nine of a possible 15 podium spots between Matos, Maier, Thomas Annunziata, Tyler Gonzalez and Brent Crews, while Matos leads the point standings. The team has also earned a Pro/Am podium with Michele Abbate.
Odrick making moves
Former NFL player Jared Odrick is on the move, bringing his talents to powerhouse Nitro Motorsports in the No. 51 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang for the remainder of the 2024 season. The Lebanon, Pa. native, who departs CB Motorsports, is new to the Trans Am paddock this season, and has scored two Pro/Am podium finishes so far.
Annunziata going the distance
Thomas Annunziata will be racking up the frequent flier miles this weekend as he races on two coasts. Annunziata recently announced that he will be racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday night at Sonoma Raceway with JD Motorsports before heading back to Pitt Race for Sunday morning’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race. Annunziata also welcomes a new sponsor aboard his No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang: The Decorators Unlimited, an interior design company located in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Early Father’s Day celebration
There is one name that is notably missing from the Pitt Race entry list this weekend: Boris Said Jr. Said Jr. steps out of the No. 75 HendrickCars.com/Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro to join his father, 2002 Trans Am champion and road racing legend Boris Said, at Sonoma Raceway, where the elder Said is making his 150th and final NASCAR start of his illustrious career. The paint scheme that Said will drive this weekend in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race will look very familiar to Trans Am fans, as it is the same that Said Jr. has been competing in this season in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. Said Jr. recently earned a career-best finish of sixth in Trans Am’s last outing at Lime Rock Park.
Durbin coming home
Pro/Am Challenge driver Chris Durbin (No. 25 AMSOIL/90Racing.com Chevrolet Camaro) will be celebrating a return to his home track this weekend. Durbin lives just south of Pittsburgh in South Hills and began his racing career in autocross at Pitt Race’s skid pad before moving up to the North Track and setting multiple track records on the North and combined configurations. Durbin also welcomes a new sponsor this weekend, 90Racing.com, a Pittsburgh-based company that sells driver safety gear and a wide array of racing and automotive items.
While he has never raced on the 2.78-mile road course, Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro) has experience competing at Pitt Race’s 0.82-mile, 16-turn go-kart track during the 2019 Rotax Stars and Stripes Open.
Carson Kvapil (No. 28 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro), the son of 2003 NASCAR Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil, returns to the Trans Am Series for the first time since Road America last year. Kvapil scored a top-five finish in his series debut last year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.