Yahoo Autos Trans Am TA2 set to go solo in St. Louis
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series contenders will be on their own for a standalone weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway as part of the WWTR SpeedTour. This is only the second time that Trans Am will take the green flag at the St. Louis-area track, where the series made its first stop in 2023. Connor Zilisch, who is not entered for this weekend’s race, won the inaugural event in the TA2 class, meaning that we will see a brand-new winner at the track on Saturday.
Three rounds are complete in 2024 and TA2 has yet to see a repeat winner, with Zilisch, current points leader Thomas Merrill (No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang) and Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) taking the checkered flag at Sebring, Road Atlanta and NOLA, respectively. Will we see another unique winner this weekend, or will Merrill or Matos claim another victory on their paths to compete for another championship? Come out and see! Tickets can be purchased at SpeedTour.net. Entry for children 12 and under, military members, police officers and firefighters is free at the gate.
Schedule
Qualifying:
Saturday, May 11
8:30-9:05 a.m. CT
Race:
Saturday, May 11
12:35-1:50 p.m. CT
Race Length: 63 Laps/75 Minutes
Matos Breaking Records
Last month at NOLA Motorsports Park, Rafa Matos took the checkered flag for the 21st time in his career and surpassed Cameron Lawrence to become the winningest driver in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. The record was broken in Matos’ 77th-career start in the Trans Am Series, and the victory was his first with Nitro Motorsports. The two-time champion last visited GYM WEED Winners Circle at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last June. He currently sits third in the point standings, with a podium finish at Sebring in addition to his NOLA win.
The Champion Returns
This weekend will mark the return of 2023 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Brent Crews (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang). Crews, who became the youngest champion in Trans Am history at COTA last year, intended to start his season at Sebring International Raceway in February by running double duty in both TA2 and the TA class, but illness kept him out of both of his racecars that weekend. Crews is the highest-finishing driver from last year’s inaugural race at World Wide Technology Raceway who is returning this weekend, having finished second in that event. Crews recently got his first CARS Tour victory at Orange County Speedway.
Keeping It Cool
This weekend, Trans Am will present a new award on the podium as it welcomes a new sponsor to the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. The Cool Boxx Coolest Move of the Race serves as a way to highlight a cool racing moment such as a great pass, awesome save or display of sportsmanship. Cool Boxx is owned by Matthew Rivkin and Viktor Czapla, TA2 competitors in the Western Championship, and produces iceless driver cooling systems. Learn more about Cool Boxx’s products at coolboxx.la.
Jake Drew on a Roll
Newcomer Jake Drew made his Trans Am debut in the No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro at Road Atlanta in March and has made quite the impression. After finishing fourth in his debut, Drew led the first 10 laps at NOLA Motorsports Park and captured a second-place finish in just his second Trans Am event.
Local Grant Palmer Is Back
St. Louis local Grant Palmer returns to World Wide Technology Raceway for another go in his No. 10 BC Race Cars Ford Mustang after making his Trans Am debut at the track last year and impressively driving from 21st to finish 11th. Palmer got his start racing at the age of 14 in karts and was Vice Champion in both local and regional series by the age of 15. He is the 2020 SCCA Super Tour FX Class champion.
Staying Busy
In the month since Round 3 at NOLA, TA2 drivers have been keeping busy on the racetrack.
Connor Mosack (No. 77 Silver Hare Racing/PRG Chevrolet Camaro) ran double duty at Kansas Speedway, competing in both the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races. Mosack drove to Victory Lane in the ARCA race, winning for the second year in a row at that track.
Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) also got behind the wheel of an ARCA car at Talladega Superspeedway, driving his Days of Thunder-inspired paint scheme to a 12th-place finish.
Following heartbreak in New Orleans where his car broke an axle on the final lap while running third, Ben Maier (No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) headed west to California to race Stadium SUPER Trucks in the Long Beach Grand Prix in front of 250,000 spectators, finishing fifth and sixth in the two events.
Pro/Am Update
After Barry Boes (No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang) earned back-to-back victories in the first two races of the season, Keith Prociuk (No. 9 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang) finally got his first win of the year in Round 3 at NOLA Motorsports Park. Boes currently leads the standings, with Prociuk just 18 points behind. Sitting in third is former NFL player Jared Odrick (No. 81 CB Motorsports Ford Mustang), who earned his first-career podium finish at NOLA.
A new Pro/Am driver will enter the fray this weekend, with 18-year-old Jake Finch making his Trans Am debut in the No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro. Finch comes from a late model background, with wins in Montgomery Motor Speedway’s Show Me The Money Series and South Alabama Speedway’s Baby Rattler. He most recently visited Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway in the ARCA Menards Series.
