The Biggest Race of the Year
The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli heads to Austin, Texas for the final event of 2024 at Circuit of The Americas (COTA), the COTA SpeedTour. Always the biggest race of the year, both in terms of stakes and entrants, 66 competitors will take the green flag between the National Championship and Western Championship in Sunday’s two races. The big finale still has many titles up for grabs, including TA and the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. You won’t want to miss any of the action, and you can purchase your tickets here. Admission for military and veterans is free with a valid military ID. Kids 12 and under are also admitted free with the purchase of an adult ticket.
SpeedTour Sim Racing Trailer Debut
This weekend’s event marks the launch of the SpeedTour Sim Racing Trailer. Located in the Main Paddock, the trailer features Simshop racing simulators running the iRacing platform. Guests in attendance can compete in the SpeedTour Checkered Flag Challenge and try to set the fastest lap of the weekend. You may even get to race against drivers from the Trans Am Series, Formula Regional Americas Championship or Formula 4 United States Championship.
COTA Victories
13 different drivers on this week’s entry list have previously driven into GYM WEED Winners Circle at COTA. Of past winners, two drivers have stood atop the podium three times: Adam Andretti has a TA win in 2015, a TA2 victory in 2019, and a TAH win in 2022. CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Western Championship title contender Michael LaPaglia has two Western SGT wins and one Western TA2 victory.
In addition to Trans Am wins, a few drivers have taken the checkered flag in other series. Chris Coffey has won at the track in NASA and SCCA, in addition to his two GT victories. Bryan Scheible (No. 53 Alliance Autosport Chevrolet Camaro) has also won at the track in SCCA, and Jon DeGaynor (No. 04 Speed Dream’n Racing Ford Mustang) has won in SVRA.
TA
Thomas Annunziata, No. 2 STEEL-IT/Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger: 2023 (TA2)
Tomy Drissi, No. 8 Drissi Motorsports/Lucas/Mission Chevrolet Camaro: 2017 (TA Western)
Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang: 2022
Amy Ruman, No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette: 2015
Gar Robinson, No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro: 2018 (TA2), 2023
XGT
Ken Sutherland, No. 85 Kallberg Racing/Wyatt Fire Dodge Challenger: 2021 (TA2 Western)
SGT
Michael LaPaglia, No. 81 Papini’s Garage/ F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang: 2022 (SGT Western), 2023 (TA2 Western), 2023 (SGT Western)
GT
Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4: 2022, 2023
TA2
Jim Gallaugher, No. 16 Regulator by Waypointe Ford Mustang: 2020 (TA2 Western)
Thomas Merrill, No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang: 2022
Adam Andretti, No. 41 Ultimate Headers Chevrolet Camaro: 2015 (TA), 2019, 2022 (TAH)
Rafa Matos, No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang: 2020, 2021
Thomas Annunziata, No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/Chriswell Ford Mustang: 2023
TA2 Western Championship
JC Meynet, No. 28 B-Bar Ranch/Killer Shrimp Chevrolet Camaro: 2023 (GT Western)
Michael LaPaglia, No. 31 Papini’s Garage/ F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang: 2022 (SGT Western), 2023 (TA2 Western), 2023 (SGT Western)
Double Duty
Thomas Annunziata will get behind the wheel of his No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/Chriswell Ford Mustang to defend his first-career CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series win last year. To add to the challenge, he’ll also be running double duty, making his second-career TA start, this time in the No. 2 STEEL-IT/Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger, less than an hour after the TA2 checkered flag waves.
Michael LaPaglia will be racing for the TA2 title in the Western Championship in his No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang just before hitting the track in the TA/XGT/SGT/GT race to compete in SGT. Last year he also competed in both TA2 and SGT in the Western Championship, winning both races.
Texas Locals
Seven drivers in Sunday’s races call the Lone Star State home. The closest to home at COTA are Gar Robinson from Spicewood, Scott Dollahite from Dripping Springs and Bryan Scheible from Georgetown.
TA
Don Yount, No. 7 Southwest Funding/Villa Carrera/DM Chevrolet Camaro (Dallas)
Gar Robinson, No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro (Spicewood)
XGT
Scott Dollahite, No. 46 Dollahite Racing Audi R8 (Dripping Springs)
GT
Colin Cohen, No. 38 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 (Southlake)
Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4 (Dallas)
TA2
Bryan Scheible, No. 53 Alliance Autosport Chevrolet Camaro (Georgetown)
John Atwell, No. 02 XRC/DFW Concrete/A&J Lab Portal Ford Mustang (Azle)
Miles & Miles
While several Texas locals will have a short commute to COTA, one driver will be earning a lot of frequent flier miles in the next three weeks. Australian Nathan Herne (No. 15 F.A.S.T. Auto Racing Chevrolet Camaro) is kicking off a three-week journey where he will travel to Austin for this weekend’s race, then back to Australia for races at the Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales and the Adelaide Street Circuit in Adelaide, South Australia. The two-time TA2 Australia champion will journey nearly 30,000 kilometers (more than 18,000 miles) over 57 hours of travel between now and November 17.
TA/XGT/SGT/GT
Menard Vs. Dyson
The TA championship all comes down to the final race of the season, where Paul Menard (No. 3 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang) and Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) will face off. All signs point to Menard earning his first-career Trans Am title, as he comes into the weekend with a 93-point advantage. However, if he has any catastrophic mechanical issues or crash damage in practice or qualifying and can’t take the green flag, Dyson would capture his fourth-consecutive championship.
GT Titles Clinched
While the TA title is yet to be claimed, the XGT, SGT and GT championships have all been clinched, meaning those drivers in attendance can focus on winning and nothing else this weekend.
XGT’s Danny Lowry in the No. 42 Bennett/BridgeHaul/PitBoxes.com Mercedes AMG GT3 has clinched his second-consecutive XGT title.
Kaylee Bryson in the No. 02 Logical Systems Inc./Sam Pierce Chevrolet Corvette has captured the SGT title, making her the second female SGT champion and third female champion in Trans Am history.
After a dominating season, Chris Coffey has earned the GT championship, with seven victories so far in his No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4.
Western Championship Update
In the Western Championship, the TA and GT titles have been decided, but XGT will come down to race day.
Steve Goldman (No. 13 LIG Racing Chevrolet Corvette) has wrapped up the TA championship with four wins.
David Hampton, who will compete in the National Championship this weekend, has tied up the GT title on the strength of five victories, winning every Western GT event he’s entered this season in his No. 14 AR Motorsport Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
Michelle Nagai (No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro) currently leads the XGT standings, but is not on the entry list this weekend. With a 52-point advantage, it appears that she will be overtaken in the standings by Chris Evans in the No. 92 Central Welding Supply Ford Mustang. Evans was the 2022 SGT champion in the Western Championship, but this will be his first XGT title.
Gar Robinson Returns
2015 and 2017 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Gar Robinson returns to the track this weekend to compete in just his second-career TA event, piloting the No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro for Riley Technologies. The Spicewood, Texas native made his TA class debut last year, winning the pole, dominating the race and driving to GYM WEED Winners Circle. Prior to dipping his toe into TA, Robinson previously started 44 races in TA2, earning 11 victories, including one at COTA in 2018.
Annunziata Back in TA
After making his TA class debut earlier this month at VIRginia International Raceway, Thomas Annunziata is back for more, this time getting behind the wheel of the No. 2 STEEL-IT/Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger for Weaver Racing Concepts. Annunziata has one previous win at the track, driving to his first-career CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series victory at COTA just one year ago. Once again competing in both TA and TA2 this weekend, Annunziata will have a much bigger challenge than he did at VIR, as both races are on the same day, with the green flag for the TA race waving less than an hour after the checkered flag for the TA2 race. The stakes are also higher in this TA start, with a larger field, a combination of both National and Western Championship competitors, and the championship for the flagship class still on the line.
John DeGaynor a Winner at COTA
TA Pick-Six Challenge competitor Jon DeGaynor will be making only his third start of the season this weekend in his No. 04 Speed Dream’n Racing Ford Mustang, but he already knows what it takes to win at COTA. DeGaynor has a previous victory at the track in the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), earning one of the series’ coveted Gold Helmets in 2018. DeGaynor will once again be competing in SVRA this weekend in addition to his Trans Am duties, piloting the No. 111 1959 Devin Evolution in Group 6.
Will Rodgers a Liver Disease Survivor
The month of October is National Liver Awareness Month, and one driver who has beat the odds is Will Rodgers (No. 12 Central Welding Supply Ford Mustang). Diagnosed at the age of three with a rare form of liver disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, he recovered at the age of five following aggressive treatment at Johns Hopkins University and has stayed in remission. He has since started the Will Rodgers Liver Health Foundation, and is dedicated to spreading the word about liver disease both on and off the track and helping people afford the treatment they need. Find out more here.
XGT Debuts
Two drivers will be making their first-career Trans Am starts in Sunday’s TA/XGT/SGT/GT race, both in the XGT class. Michael McAleenan will be competing in the No. 31 Smith Alling PS/Lowe Group Racing Lamborghini GT3 Huracan EVO and comes to the series from Pirelli GT4 America.
Scott Dollahite in the No. 46 Dollahite Racing Audi R8 has previously competed in GT America and has a start in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
TA2
Title Decider
Once again, the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion will be decided in the season finale at COTA. This year’s title fight is between two-time champion Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and 2022 champion Thomas Merrill (No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang). Matos leads the standings by 106 points over Merrill, who sits in contention for the title for the third year in a row. While Matos’ advantage makes him the favorite by far, in 2022, Merrill edged out Matos by earning every possible point at COTA, scoring the pole, leading the most laps and winning the race, tying Matos for the points lead and winning the title by virtue of a tiebreaker. Both Matos and Merrill have victories at the track, with Matos scoring two (2020, 2021) to Merrill’s one. If Matos secures the crown, he will become the first three-time TA2 champion in series history.
Wide-Open Western Championship
While the National Championship has narrowed to two competitors vying for the title, the Western Championship has three drivers mathematically eligible to win the championship in TA2. Michael LaPaglia (No. 31 Papini’s Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang) currently sits atop the standings, holding a 42-point advantage over Tim Barber (No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang). Both LaPaglia and Barber won races in the final doubleheader round of the season at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, with LaPaglia taking Race 1 and Barber taking Race 2. Also in the mix is Kyle Kelley (No. 80 PK+k Properties/UPRacing.com Ford Mustang), who is 39 points behind Barber. In addition to his points tally, LaPaglia has one other advantage going into this weekend: wins. LaPaglia has driven to Victory Lane at COTA three times, winning the TA2 event in 2023, and winning in SGT the last two-consecutive seasons.
Young Gun and Rookie of the Year Up For Grabs
In addition to both the National and Western Championship TA2 titles being decided this weekend, two other big awards are still up for grabs in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series.
The Young Gun Award, which rewards the highest-finishing TA2 competitor under the age of 25, has three drivers chasing the $20,000 cash prize. 19-year-old Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/Chriswell Ford Mustang) currently leads the charge, sitting 21 points ahead of 24-year-old Jake Drew (No. 57 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro). Also mathematically eligible is 15-year-old Ben Maier (No. 40 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), who is 16 markers behind Drew.
Rookie of the Year honors has two drivers in the chase, with Drew currently leading Josh Hurley (No. 20 Greenlight Simulation/BCR Ford Mustang) by 76 points.
One driver who knows a lot about winning Rookie of the Year and the Young Gun Award will be taking the green flag this weekend. 2023 TA2 champion Brent Crews (No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) will be making his fourth start of the season this weekend at COTA. Crews won Rookie of the Year in 2022 and scored the $20,000 Young Gun payout in both 2022 and 2023.
Bob Accardo Making Wishes Come True
Bob Accardo, driver of the No. 39 Accurate Arms/R.A.C.E. Marketing USA Chevrolet Camaro, is going to have a very special guest by his side this weekend, an eight-year-old racing fan named Jackson. Jackson was diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma in 2023, undergoing both surgery and aggressive chemotherapy treatments. Now one year in remission, Accardo’s non-profit R.A.C.E. Marketing USA has partnered with Make-A-Wish Foundation to bring Jackson back to the racetrack, something he first got to experience when he attended the Daytona 500 in February. In addition to enjoying a weekend of racing with Accardo’s team, Jackson will give the command to start engines before Sunday’s TA2 race alongside Nik Middleton, founding partner and CEO of CUBE 3.
Team SLR Bringing the Youth
Team SLR has a powerhouse lineup of young drivers this weekend, with three entrants under the age of 21. 18-year-old Evan Slater (No. 8 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro) will be making his second start of the season, coming off a second-place finish at Lime Rock Park in May. 21-year-old Carson Kvapil (No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro) will make his third start of the year. Kvapil finished third in his season debut at Pittsburgh International Race Complex and had a strong run in his most recent outing at Watkins Glen International before a shredded tire took him out of the race. Finally, 14-year-old Tristan McKee (No. 128 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro) returns after finishing fourth in his series debut at VIRginia International Raceway last month.
TA2 Debuts
Three drivers will be making their first-career starts in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series this weekend. Vince Apple will pilot the No. 5 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro. Apple comes to Trans Am with a primarily open-wheel background, racing karts, Formula Fords and Formula Renault. The last few years he has focused on endurance racing, most notably winning the 25 Hours of Thunderhill in NASA.
Sam Corry (No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) also boasts an open-wheel background, winning races in USF2000 and USF Juniors.
Jordan Anderson hops behind the wheel of Doug Peterson’s No. 87 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang. Anderson is a long-time competitor and team owner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series.
Trans Am Series
