Virginia is for (Racing) Lovers
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli kicks off fall at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR) for the penultimate race of the 2024 season. VIR is a track that goes back to the very beginning, as Trans Am visited the facility in its inaugural season in 1966 and has included the track on its schedule every year since 2009. In past seasons, VIR has been the place where champions have clinched their titles, but this year, the TA class and CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series are still too close to call, as are the TA2 Rookie of the Year and Young Gun battles.
VIR Winners
Eight drivers on this week’s entry list have previously driven into GYM WEED Winners Circle at VIR. Lee Saunders has more victories than anyone with three. Connor Zilisch made history last year when he became the first driver to win both the TA and CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series races in the same weekend, sweeping the wins and the poles in both classes.
TA
Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang: 2021
XGT
Danny Lowry, No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3: 2022, 2023
Billy Griffin, No. 43 BridgeHaul/Bennett/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3: 2020 Race 1 (GT), 2022 (GT)
SGT
Lee Saunders, No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper: 2020 Race 1, 2021, 2023
GT
Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4: 2023
TA2
Adrian Wlostowski, No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services Ford Mustang: 2020 Race 2 (SGT)
Connor Zilisch, No. 57 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro: 2023 (TA and TA2)
Rafa Matos, No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang: 2021
Other VIR Success
While only eight drivers have driven to Victory Lane at VIR in a Trans Am car, several drivers in this weekend’s field have experienced success at the historic racetrack in other forms of racing.
Jared Odrick (No. 00 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) drove to victory in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs last year at the track in the GT2 class, sharing the podium with Barry Boes (No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang), who finished second. Boes got his own victory at the track in this year’s SCCA Super Tour GT2 Race 2 in April. Gian Buffomante (No. 95 Wilwood Racing Ford Mustang) was the runner up in the class in Race 1 and finished third in Race 2 of the spring event.
Ben Maier (No. 90 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) has a previous Miata victory at VIR.
Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) shared a victory with Andy Wallace in 2002, winning the VIR 500, the track’s first international event in more than 30 years after reopening in 2000.
In addition to his XGT win at the track last year, Chris Coffey (No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4) has an IGT win at VIR. Richard Grant (No. 30 Grant Racing Chevrolet Camaro) ran in the SCCA Super Tour in April, earning a best finish of third in GT1 Race 2.
TA/XGT/SGT/GT
Annunziata Making TA Debut
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series driver and Young Gun competitor Thomas Annunziata is pulling double duty this weekend at VIR, getting behind the wheel of a TA car for the very first time. In addition to piloting his No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/The Decorators Unlimited Ford Mustang in TA2, Annunziata will compete in the No. 17 Chriswell Chevrolet/Castrol Chevrolet Camaro for Burtin Racing. This is the same car that Adam Andretti won with at Road Atlanta earlier this year, and Martin Ragginger drove it to a runner-up finish last year at VIR.
“I’m super excited to debut in the TA class with Burtin Racing,” said Annunziata. “These cars are a blast to drive, so to compete against these guys will be even cooler. I want to thank Criswell Chevrolet, Chipoys and Bayshore Mortgage Funding LLC for the opportunity. This will definitely be a challenge and test my adaptability, but I love a challenge.”
TA Championship in Final Stretch
In the last three seasons, Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) had the TA championship clinched by the time the checkered flag waved at VIR. This year, not only will we not see a clinch in the TA class by the end of the weekend, but Dyson currently trails Paul Menard (No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang) by 65 points, which will require him to have a spectacular race to put himself in a position to score his fourth-consecutive title at Circuit of The Americas (COTA). Dyson has one past victory at the track (2021) and recently participated in a test at VIR, but Menard has been a force to be reckoned with this season, earning five victories to Dyson’s two so far this year.
“Realistically, winning our fourth straight championship at this point is a tough hill to climb,” Dyson said. “The team’s given me a really strong car for this weekend. The goal is to sweep the points here and next month in Texas [in the final race at COTA in Austin], but even then, with the way points are awarded, Paul [Menard] would need to have catastrophic misfortune at both races for us to overtake his 65-point lead.”
Griffin in a Porsche
Billy Griffin will be trying all kinds of new things this weekend at VIR. Not only will the two-time GT champion be making his XGT debut, but he will also be driving something other than a Ford Mustang for the first time in his Trans Am career. Griffin will pilot the No. 43 BridgeHaul/Bennett/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3, competing alongside teammate Danny Lowry in the No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/Pitboxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3.
Bryson Could Be in Good Company
Kaylee Bryson (No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette) has the opportunity to clinch the SGT title this weekend, which would put her good company. Alline Cipriani from São Paulo, Brazil was the first woman to win the SGT title (then called TA3) in 2018, which would make Bryson just the second female champion in the class and the third in Trans Am history. Amy Ruman was the first female champion in the history of Trans Am, earning back-to-back TA titles in 2015 and 2016.
New Faces
The GT classes will welcome a number of new drivers to Trans Am this weekend at VIR. Brian Lock (No. 68 Helium Mobile/JDI/Blockjoy Porsche GT3 R) comes to XGT from NASA following a successful career with Nissan. He has also made starts in IMSA and GT America.
SGT will see the debut of Eric Foss in the No. 54 South Dallas Turf Chevrolet Corvette. Foss has had a successful career in IMSA and SRO, and was at one time the top spec Miata racer in the country, winning national championships in Spec Miata and MX5.
TA2
Matos Could Make History
With five victories so far this season, Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) comes into VIR with a 120-point advantage over second-place Thomas Merrill (No. 26. HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang). If he is able to take the checkered flag leading by at least 110 points, Matos could become the first three-time CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion in series history. Matos previously earned titles in 2018 and 2021. Although Matos has previously visited GYM WEED Winners Circle at VIR in 2021, last season was challenging for the Brazilian, who finished 33rd.
Zilisch Comes Home to VIR
As part of a whirlwind 2024 season, Connor Zilisch returns to the Trans Am Series this weekend, driving the No. 57 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro. 18-year-old Zilisch kicked off the 2024 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series season with a victory at Sebring International Raceway, following up a 2023 season where he drove to Victory Lane six times. Outside of the Trans Am paddock, he has been forging a name for himself in all forms of motorsports. He started the year with an LMP2 win in the 24 Hours of Daytona and followed that up with a victory in the same class in the 12 Hours of Sebring. He has earned five ARCA Menards Series wins, and earned a pole and top-five finish in his NASCAR Truck Series debut at COTA. He has a multi-year development contract with Trackhouse Racing and Chevrolet, and most recently made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, where he scored both the pole and the race win at Watkins Glen International.
Not only is VIR a home track for Silver Hare Racing, but it’s also a very special track for Zilisch. He made his Trans Am debut at the facility with Silver Hare in 2021, earning a pole in his first weekend in a TA2 car. Last year, Zilisch made history, sweeping the weekend and becoming the first driver to win both a TA and TA2 race in a single weekend, driving to GYM WEED Winners Circle in his first-career TA start.
This weekend, Zilisch will have the additional challenge of competing in Saturday’s race without practice or qualifying, as he will be driving in the NASCAR Truck race at Talladega Superspeedway on Friday night. Zilisch will be competing with Silver Hare Racing teammate Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro), who has had an impressive first season in Trans Am. Drew has earned three podium finishes and six top-five finishes so far, and he is currently in a tight race for the Young Gun award.
Trains, Planes and Automobiles
Jared Odrick has had an impressive first season in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge, sitting third in the standings and earning his first victory in the class at Road America in June. Since last weekend, the former NFL player has been embarking on a journey that isn’t for the faint of heart, which will culminate in a double-duty weekend. After taking a train to Wisconsin on Saturday for SCCA Runoffs practice and qualifying this week at Road America, he’s flying back East to compete in Saturday’s TA2 race. He will then head back Road America for the SCCA National Championship Runoffs GT2 race on Sunday morning. Odrick won the Runoffs in 2023 when they were held at VIR, beating out current Pro/Am points leader Barry Boes (No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang).
“This is my first time running a double-duty weekend; I see all the fast kids doing it, so it must be good,” said Odrick. “We’re in the back stretch of a very competitive season and I’m starting to get the familiar hunch of conserving my energy, especially for a 10-day road swing. The train ride was by no mistake; we wanted to take our time and rest as much as we could before laying the hammer down for 10 days straight. We’re in a very fortunate position to be able to compete this much and this intensely. SCCA invites their championship racers to return the following year and compete for the championship without running for qualifying points all year. We accepted the invite, returning in a Nitro Motorsports TA2 Mustang, where the previous year we drove a 991.2 Porsche Cup car. I’m excited to keep building on the progress we’ve made this season and finish strong with wins. We had a test at VIR recently that went well. Nitro is dialed in and I’m doing my best to wheel their machines better and better.”
Tight Young Gun Race
Always one of the most competitive titles of the season, this year’s Young Gun battle is as tight as it can be coming into VIR. Ben Maier (No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/The Decorators Unlimited Ford Mustang) are tied at 784 points each going into this weekend. The two Nitro Motorsports teammates have been competitive all season, with Maier holding a slight advantage with his victory at World Wide Technology Raceway in May. Not far behind the duo is Silver Hare Racing driver Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro), who is just nine points behind, despite missing the season-opening race at Sebring International Raceway. This is one race that likely won’t be decided until the checkered flag waves at COTA.
The Rookie of the Year standings are also close, with Drew leading Josh Hurley (No. 20 Greenlight Simulation/BCR Ford Mustang) by 38 points. Hurley has a TA class podium at the racetrack, which he scored in 2018.
Third Generation Legacy
This weekend will see the Trans Am debut of Gian Buffomante, the son of 2016 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Tony Buffomante. Gian, whose grandfather Angelo Buffomante was also a racer, has been participating in the SCCA Super Tour this season, and is currently second in the GT2 class standings. For his debut weekend, Gian will have a great coach in his father, as Tony won the TA2 race at VIR in 2016 as part of his title run.
Welcome to TA2
In addition to Gian Buffomante, there are several drivers who will be making their CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series debuts this weekend at VIR.
14-year-old Tristan McKee will pilot the No. 28 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro in his first points-paying race. McKee does, however, have experience in a TA2 car, as he was paired with Scott Speed in the SpeedTour All-Star Race at Lime Rock Park in July. Originally from Williamsburg, Va., McKee considers VIR to be his home track.
“I get to do it all by myself this this time without Scott [Speed] or anybody else, so I’m looking forward to it,” said McKee. “I’ve tested at VIR twice in the TA2 car, so I think I’m pretty prepared. I’ve got some things to work on, to clean up when we go back, but I think we’ll have some good speed.”
Brazilian Touring Car Championship driver Mauri Zaccarelli will make his first-career Trans Am start this weekend piloting the No. 4 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang.
This weekend will also see the debut of Amir Haleem in the No. 66 Helium Mobile/JDI/Blockjoy Chevrolet Camaro. Haleem comes from the IMSA Pilot Challenge and GT America.
In addition to all the new faces, the series also welcomes back a TA2 competitor this weekend. Nathan Herne will be making just his second start of 2024 in the No. 15 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Chevrolet Camaro. Herne had one of the best finishes of his 2023 campaign at VIR, earning a podium finish in the event last year.
Trans Am Series
