Rick Wright Fastest in XGT, Greg Pickett Quickest in TA, David Hampton Tops GT
WILLOWS, Calif. (March 2, 2024) – Practice and qualifying are complete for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli Western Championship’s season opener at Thunderhill Raceway Park. CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series driver Tim Barber in the No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang won the overall pole award with a best time of 1:46.189. Barber returns to the Trans Am Series as a driver for the first time since 2005.
Wind and rain have been a factor since cars hit the track yesterday, and with a track damp from rain earlier in the morning, several competitors opted not to make laps during the qualifying session.
“We’ve been chasing the weather and a new car,” said Barber after qualifying. “I’m happy to be in the DIG Motorsports Mustang this weekend. We kind of partnered up for this deal; the other driver couldn’t make it, so it was kind of a last-minute deal. We’ve had some silly stuff come up; we burned some plug wires and we lost a six-inch little coolant line, which shortened our sessions, on top of the weather, but I was able to throw some changes at it and it worked out. Hopefully, it just stays dry so we can quit thinking and just leave the car alone. It’s a long race and tire degradation is a big deal in these. These cars have gotten so much faster over the years, and they need a lot of maintenance. So, [considering the doubleheader], you just want to finish, really. Stupid little stuff can break and hurt your weekend. I need to just focus on taking care of the car.”
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Qualifying Top Five:
1. Tim Barber, No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:46.189)
2. Troy Ermish, No. 38 Ermish Racing Ford Mustang (1:46.347)
3. Michael LaPaglia, No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto Ford Mustang (1:46.359)
4. Bobby Hodges, No. 54 NATC Ford Mustang (1:47.637)
5. Ken Sutherland, No. 68 Kallberg Racing/Wyatt Fire Chevrolet Camaro (1:48.149)
Trans Am Series
