Trans Am Regeneration

If Rick Jeffrey, shown here, races his screaming yellow ’67 Z28 at The Glen this year, he might have a lot of new company.

August 8, 2017, brought forth Sportscar Vintage Racing Association’sannouncement CEO Tony Parella, through Parella Motorsports Holdings, acquired a controlling interest in Trans Am Series Racing and The Trans Am Race Company. Deeply rooted in contemporary American racing history, Trans Am brought American pony and muscle cars to race tracks around the country over 50 years ago. TransAm & SVRA make a perfect fit since SVRA is the country’s sole nationally based vintage racing organization.

Just in time for SVRA’s 2017 US Vintage Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International Raceway, September 7-10, witness SVRA’s Trans Am transition from their more traditional Historic Trans Am single group format to 4, count ‘em 4, Trans Am classes including Trans Am, Trans Am2, Trans Am 3 and Trans Am 4. SVRA’s 2016 HTA September 9 qualifying race, lists 24 competitors. 2017’s TA class entrant list features no less than 83 competitors. If they all race, The Glen’s 3.4 miles of 2+-year-old track surface will be very busy.

Nearly every US-based manufacturer entered Trans Am series racing as a great way to place high-performance hardware in front of dreamy-eyed American (mostly male) youth from 1967 on. Fast-forwarding to 2017, entrant lists include these same racing legends but add 2 Viper ACRXs, 2 Cadillac CTSXs & a CTSV, a Vantage GT-4, 2 Porsche 997s, and a BMW M3. Trans Am is alive and not just growing but thriving under Tony Parella's leadership. Visit gotransam.com for their latest developments.

My first Watkins Glen race ran under a then relatively new Trans Am banner way back in 1971. My friends and I witnessed Mark Donohue’s AMC Javelin lead Ford & Chevy around the track by serious car lengths. Can’t wait to see Trans Am’s new life wring that history from The Glen. Daily Derbi will be there. I hope you will be too! See you at the track.