Yahoo Autos TA2 Series stars shining at the next level
The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series has become a breeding ground for talent in motorsports. Both current Trans Am drivers dipping their toes into other series and former drivers who have moved up the motorsports ladder are finding success in other forms of racing, some at the top levels of stock car and sports car racing.
In-depth driver-development programs and experience in heavy, high-horsepower, full-body stock cars with no driver aids make TA2 an optimal proving ground that allows drivers to hone their race craft and prepares them for the next step in their careers.
Seventeen-year-old Connor Zilisch kicked off the 2024 TA2 season with a victory at Sebring International Raceway, following up a 2023 season where he drove to Victory Lane six times. Outside of the Trans Am paddock, he has been forging a name for himself in all forms of motorsports. He started the year with an LMP2 win in the 24 Hours of Daytona and followed that up with a victory in the same class in the 12 Hours of Sebring. He has earned three ARCA Menards Series wins (Dover Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park), and one ARCA East win (Flat Rock Speedway), and earned a pole and top-five finish in his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Circuit of The Americas. He also tallied a victory in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour at Hickory Motor Speedway. He has a multi-year development contract with Trackhouse Racing and Chevrolet, and is scheduled to make his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut with JR Motorsports at Watkins Glen International later this year.
2023 TA2 champion Brent Crews has earned one-career ARCA win and has scored a top-five finish in almost every start he’s made in the series, most recently with a second-place finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just a few weeks ago. Crews has also earned two CARS Late Model Stock Tour victories this season, with the most recent coming on the Fourth of July at Caraway Speedway. Although only running part-time with Trans Am in 2024, Crews has already won two races this year: Mid-Ohio in TA2 with Nitro Motorsports and Road America with Weaver Racing Concepts in his first-career TA-class start. Crews already has a development deal with Toyota Racing Development and is managed (and sometimes fielded) by NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick’s KHI Management and Kevin Harvick Inc.
Two-time Trans Am winner Connor Mosack continues to run full-time in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series for Silver Hare Racing in 2024, but he’s also making waves beyond Trans Am. The 25-year-old has scored two-career ARCA victories, with the most recent coming at Kansas Speedway earlier this year. Mosack has also made a number of starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series this season, most recently qualifying third and finishing sixth in the star-studded Xfinity race on Chicago’s Street Course in a field full of Cup Series regulars.
In addition to Zilisch, Crews and Mosack, other Trans Am alumni have been finding success in ARCA Racing Series. William Sawalich, who began racing in Trans Am in 2022, has tallied four victories in ARCA this season (Phoenix Raceway, Mid-Ohio, Berlin Raceway, Salem Speedway) as well as an ARCA West win at Portland International Raceway. 2024 ARCA winner at Talladega Superspeedway Jake Finch also has experience in the Trans Am Series. In fact, nine out of 11 ARCA Menards Series races this year have been won by current or former Trans Am competitors. Gio Ruggiero has an ARCA East Series victory to his name at Five Flags Speedway, as well as a pole in the flagship series, Sam Mayer has earned an ARCA West Series win at Sonoma Raceway and 2023 TA2 driver Sean Hingorani has back-to-back ARCA West wins at Irwindale Speedway.
The Xfinity Series is another place where many Trans Am alumni are shining. Austin Green, who raced full-time in 2023 and is currently racing part-time in TA2 has made a splash in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for Trans Am team Peterson Racing, which is owned by two-time TA champion Doug Peterson. Green has scored three top 10s and one top-five finish in Xfinity, including a fourth-place finish at Sonoma Raceway. Green is the son of 1994 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion David Green.
At Iowa Speedway a few weeks ago, the entire top five in the Xfinity Series race was composed of drivers who have experience in TA2. Winner Sam Mayer, Riley Herbst, Corey Heim, Sammy Smith and Sheldon Creed have all made starts in Trans Am. At New Hampshire Motor Speedway, winner Christopher Bell, Creed and Carson Kvapil were top-five finishers and Trans Am alums.
At the NASCAR Cup Series level, some of the most successful competitors such as Bell, Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs have also dabbled in Trans Am’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series.
For some, the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series is a destination with the most competitive and cost-contained road course racing in the world. But for those who have dreams of making it to the next level, it is one of best development series for purpose-built, high-horsepower stock cars.
