Trans Am – it’s quite possibly one of the best & most accessible pro race series you’ve been sleeping on.
Why?
- Because of the heritage.
- Because it’s relatable.
- Because America.
Trans Am began in the late 60’s, and defined the pony car era in motorsports. Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, Mark Donohue, Sam Posey… Sunoco Camaros, Boss Mustangs, Challengers, etc. My personal Cliff’s Notes of racing history goes kinda like this: While European manufacturers were pursuing & creating refined race cars & gentlemen racers. Trans Am was going off the rails. The Rock n’ Roll of motorsports. More power, more tire, and more thunder! Cars you steered with the throttle… as much as the steering wheel.
The 60’s & early 70’s were the glory years of ground-pounding Detroit Iron. An era of paddock cigarette smoking + open face helmets. Then the gas crunch of ’73 killed the party… and Trans Am fell into a slump. It found it’s rhythm again by the 80s/90s when it paired up with the original Cart. Except by that time, it was total excess: 700 horsepower, tube-chassis, and proportionately distorted (albeit radical) versions of the Mustang/Camaro/Corvette production cars they represented. Maybe it lost a little bit of that “Win on Sunday; sell on Monday” relate-ability. But it didn’t seem to matter to enthusiasts, because Trans Am was back in full swing. And it was one hell of a wild series… AND a televised proving ground for up-&-coming road racers.
Then inner politics at Cart came to a head. The Cart series split, went to shit, and Trans Am basically lost their headliner. Trans AM went back underground again.
But now – here we are. The pony cars are back! And so is Trans Am! The Ford, Chevy, and Mopar horsepower wars are more competitive than ever! It may be hard to see in the moment… but we are, in fact, in the midst of another ‘glory years’ period. And now – the Trans Am series offers 4 classes: TA, TA2, TA3, and TA4.
TA is your completely off-the-rails, 850hp monsters.
TA2 is roughly 500hp. The class is packed full of cars, and a sweet spot for great competition.
TA3 holds your global production race cars. Corvette, BMW, Porsche, Viper, etc.
TA4 is your “buy it at your local dealer, mod it, and then go racing” domestic class.
Right now… right under your nose… Trans Am really is the best of all worlds!
People wonder why auto racing is in a slump?! Just look around… it’s become totally un-relatable! You’ve got diehard car guys, tuners, and even track day participants these days… who don’t follow an ounce of professional racing?! I mean c’mon… Nascar is basically life-size slot cars. Formula 1 cars are from another planet. And IMSA, while awesome in it’s own right, is kinda of saturated with posh teams & ultra high-end cars & tech that are un-relatable on a tangible level. All of this adds up to make Trans Am the ONE & ONLY most relatable series in America right now. And if you’re missing it… well then what can I tell ya… you’re missin’ it!
Catch upcoming events HERE.
