SCCA Trans-Am

[Jonerz]

It's back! http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/artic...turns-in-2009/

It's not much to start with, but... it is a start! How many Trans-Am heads do we have here? I've been to my fair share of Victoria Day Trans-Am Speedfests (not to mention a couple TA races back when it was featured as a support race at the 12 Hours of Sebring), and I'm stoked to see them back again. My Dad will be too, and at least one ten-tenth-er will be back at Mosport Victoria Day!

Chris

[Zurbert82]

Why start a new series during a recession, not to mention when Speed GT/Touring already exist?

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Zurbert82

Why start a new series during a recession, not to mention when Speed GT/Touring already exist?

Because a bunch of older drivers, needed a place to race their tube frame cars, and Greg Pickett put up the money. See Muscle Milk sponsorship. There is no real corporate interest, manufacturer interest... or much of anything. But there are a few cars around, and they've made a series. It will be a shadow of what the Trans Am name once was, and will die off after a few seasons...

[Jonerz]

WOO! Such optimism! Ideally, SCCA will realize that "Trans-Am" has much greater meaning than "World Challenge" and the GT cars will replace the current crop of tube framers. Of course, as I understand it, there is quite the underground industry still building the GT-1/Trans-Am spec cars so perhaps it won't die off. Perhaps my initial reaction is a little romanticized, but I do have great memories of Trans-Am and it bugs me a few times a week that Trans-Am had to die off while other series are still kicking around. I will love to see, hear, and smell Trans-Am cars again.

Chris

[cmk]

If all you want is for them to rename World Challenge to Trans-Am, why not just stick to watching the former and be happy? Who cares what it's called?

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by Fogelhund

Because a bunch of older drivers, needed a place to race their tube frame cars, and Greg Pickett put up the money. See Muscle Milk sponsorship. There is no real corporate interest, manufacturer interest... or much of anything. But there are a few cars around, and they've made a series. It will be a shadow of what the Trans Am name once was, and will die off after a few seasons...

Well, Trans-Am in my lifetime has never been worth much of anything, so it's hard to say it'd be a shadow of that. All I remember was Tommy Kendall winning every year, it's where Gentilozzi came from, Ron Fellows raced there awhile, and the cars when it ended were Jaguar XKRs (what's that?) and Qvale Mangustas (no, seriously, what's that?).

[Dani Filth]

the Qvale is in fact a De Tomaso .. and well . i much rather see a Qvale than a Camaro or a Firebird

[Aslak Vind]

An offtopic noob question.

The Callaway Corvette, with Memo Gidley (I think), which series did it take the title years ago?

[AU N EGL]

This is what I recieved from the SCCA

SCCA® Trans-Am® Series Returns In 2009
Pro Racing12/11/2008

LINK OT ORIGINAL SCCA.COM PRESS RELEASE http://www.scca.com/newsarticle.aspx?hub=4&news=3541

A series Web site is being established at www.sccatrans-am.com. Future announcements will be placed there and at www.scca.com.

2009 MUSCLE MILK SCCA TRANS-AM SERIES SCHEDULE*

Date Venue With
March 21-22 Road Atlanta, Braselton, Ga. Atlanta National
April 17-19 VIRginia International Raceway, Alton, Va. North Carolina National
May 15-17 Mosport International Raceway, Canada SPEED World Challenge
June 12-14 Portland International Raceway, Portland, Ore. Oregon Region National
July 11-12 Watkins Glen Int'l, Watkins Glen, N.Y. Finger Lakes National

* - Three additional dates to be announced

Four races on the east coast. Basically using the current SCCA GT1 rules. ( cars are faster then SWGT cars) but NO EFI engines, carberators 800-900 bhp old Stock cars and tube frame sports cars. Unless some of the rules change.

SCCA numbers in the club and semi pro races have been dropping. SCCA-PRO with the VW Jetta Cup has gone up up that is from VWs help.

as the VW Jetta was not competitive in SW touring, so they made their own races.

SCCA has also or will allow NASA members to come race with them as well The SCCA also made some tech rule changes too allow the NASA cars. Not sure how this will pan out.

I guess the good thing about TRANS-Am return is the name and possible TV coverage. Building a competive car is out of my budget.

[Flyin Ryan]

Originally Posted by Dani Filth

the Qvale is in fact a De Tomaso .. and well . i much rather see a Qvale than a Camaro or a Firebird

Okay. Romanians prefer the Cue-vell. Americans, the people that would actually be watching on TV and buying tickets at the track without which the series disappears as it already did partly because no one had any clue what the heck those allegedly stock-based cars were on the track, prefer Camaros and Firebirds.

I forgot, there was also the Panoz Esperante.

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by Flyin Ryan

Okay. Romanians prefer the Cue-vell. Americans, the people that would actually be watching on TV and buying tickets at the track without which the series disappears as it already did partly because no one had any clue what the heck those allegedly stock-based cars were on the track, prefer Camaros and Firebirds.

I forgot, there was also the Panoz Esperante.

Wish I have the 1976 camero I raced back in 1978.

The NEW Trans-AM is just SCCA GT1 rules IIRC Would be great if it was a pony car race again. Mustang, Camero, Challenger

[Jonerz]

They weren't "allegedly stock-based" for the last twenty years of the series at least. I think it died more as a result of naming rights issues between SCCA, SCCA Pro and Paul Gentilozzi (OWRS/CCWS?). These things are crazy racecars. It may be a "you had to be there" thing, but they are incredible to watch. I was at an "AGT" race at Mosport in '06 where it was hailing during qualifying and watching those boys (admittedly amateurs for the most part) tiptoe around Quebec corner in those beasts was fantastic. They are quite the spectacle! I challenge you all to go watch a race, come back, and tell me that you don't think they are brilliant.

Chris

[veeten]

Well, looks like all that purposing on sites and chats have paid off.

Most of the groundwork was laid with the new Mustang, and has picked up speed with the Dodge Challenger. Now, just in time for the new Camaro, SCCA has decided to revise the Trans Am series.

While present conditions might be a little hard, establishing the basis for this series may work well when things are a bit better. Personally, I say use a rules package similar to that when the series started in '66; a two-tiered system with a 3.5L & under and a 5.4L class. There are plenty of cars that fit that 3.5L engine base, and the 5.4L works with the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger, since all have, or will have, engines that are available in or near that size.

[JHamilton]

I always go to the local SCCA regionals and nats and this will just add to the show. In my mind, this is good news!

[Fogelhund]

Originally Posted by Jonerz

I think it died more as a result of naming rights issues between SCCA, SCCA Pro and Paul Gentilozzi (OWRS/CCWS?). These things are crazy racecars. It may be a "you had to be there" thing, but they are incredible to watch. I was at an "AGT" race at Mosport in '06 where it was hailing during qualifying and watching those boys (admittedly amateurs for the most part) tiptoe around Quebec corner in those beasts was fantastic. They are quite the spectacle! I challenge you all to go watch a race, come back, and tell me that you don't think they are brilliant.

Chris

I've seen various iterations of Trans Am since the seventies. Yes, some incredible, and incredibly fast cars. That being said, the series may have had the final nail driven into the coffin by the factors that you mention, but they aren't the real reason. The bottom line is that the series ran out of funding sources. The factories lost interest, then the fans lost interest, TV went away and sponsors lost interest. Missteps along the way certainly accelerated that though.

There will be no factory involvement, name sponsors, name drivers... or much of anything.

Can-Am cars were brilliant, and GTP... but the bottom line is that they have been binned to Historic Racing, where Trans Am really belongs too.

While present conditions might be a little hard, establishing the basis for this series may work well when things are a bit better. Personally, I say use a rules package similar to that when the series started in '66; a two-tiered system with a 3.5L & under and a 5.4L class. There are plenty of cars that fit that 3.5L engine base, and the 5.4L works with the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger, since all have, or will have, engines that are available in or near that size.

The reason that Trans Am has been raised from the dead, is that people with existing cars, have some money and recreated the series. The rules will continue to be close to the old Trans Am, and SCCA GT-1. It is unlikely that there will be many, if any new bodied cars. This isn't a spectator sport, it is for the entrants, by the entrants.