What is Going on in Trans Am?

[muggle not]

What is going on in TA? It is common knowledge that the series will probably be sold, however, are there other surprising changes in the offing. I am totally confused, some things to muddle a mind:

It is generally accepted that Nascar, Grand Am, and the IRL are in one camp...........and ........CART, F1, ALMS, and for all purposes, TA are in the other camp.

Nascar, obviously, is dominant and I had always been of the opinion that they and IRL would like to see CART, ALMS, and TA cease to exist and expand their dominance.

Now to confuse things, Rocketsports initially announces their intent to leave TA and field teams in ALMS and IRL...even though the IRL is not exactly friendly to ALMS.

Then we get a kinda announcement that Rocketsports will field a team in CART and rumors of their probable buyout of Trans Am. This would make a little sense. Geez, how much money does rocketsports have. An IRL team costs between $7m and $12m alone for a season.

Next to confuse things, another site published the 2003 TA schedule. Probably prematurely as the post of the schedule was deleted within a couple hours. However, the schedule showed TA running a race at Sears Point as a support race with Winston Cup. This totally confuses me as it would be
an unlikely alliance since Nascar has the competing Grand Am series.

What is going on? Could a certain TV Network with some Nascar affiliation (initials SC) be partnered with Rocketsports in buying the Trans Am series. This still does not explain everything. Quit a puzzle.

[paul-collins]

Back in '94 Trans-Am supported NASCAR at the Glen, and ran laps 8 seconds quicker in the rain. (I was there, as my annual baseball trip had fallen through due to lack of baseball)

Speed controlling T/A? How would this affect WCTC and WCGT?

ALMS and IRL are related tangentially through Don Panoz' ownership of G-Force.

Isn't GA getting rid of their T/A equivalent, or are they being pushed into GTS?

[cybersdorf]

Who is rumoured to buy TA - Rocketsports or Gentilozzi? They are probably two commercially separate entities. Rocketsports the professional racing team can field teams in CART, IRL, anywhere it sees it commercially viable; Gentilozzi the "entrepreneur" can run a series independently from what Rocketsports does.

[bcobbus]

Never mind all the political junk, I think that Trans Am needs to get back to its roots. The cars today are nothing more then purpose built cars that have no relation to there so-called brethren on the streets. Gentilozzi's "Jaguar" has nothing in common with its street cousin, other then a similar looking body!
When looking back at the cars from the late 60's, early 70's, you can see how racing cars in Trans Am were very much closer related to the cars on the streets. I could just be talking out my a**, but I stick by what I say!

[Fogelhund]

Just throwing out ideas here.. perhaps running SCWC GT under the banner of Trans Am???

[Lee Janotta]

Actually that's not an awful idea Fogelhund...

Sadly, the cars that originally competed in the A-Sedan class are almost extinct... The Mustang's the only one left in a form even close to what it was in the '66 to '72 period. The Camaro, Firebird, Nova, Dart, Challenger, Barracuda, Valiant, Duster, Falcon, Maverick... They're all gone, and the Cougar is nothing like what is was then.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by Lee Janotta
Actually that's not an awful idea Fogelhund...

TA fans seem to think it is an awful idea, though.

[Liz]

It'd be a shame to see them disappear. Everything in motorsport is in such turmoil now though, it's hard to know what to follow anymore. I'd like to see the old Trans Am come back; but then I'd like to see the old Formula One come back too. So maybe I'm just a dinosaur.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by Liz
I'd like to see the old Trans Am come back...

http://www.historictransam.com

[Liz]

YES! Now why are they all in California? (Well Lime Rock isn't in California -- if they hold that one in 2003 I may just have to zip down there. Care to join me, MuggleNot?)

[paul-collins]

As much as I love the Trans Am race at Mosport (start of the summer for me), I have to agree that tube-framed, interchangeable-engined, silouette cars are completely divorced from the concept of Trans-Am (at least for the original years). It very nearly died, though, until the cars became essentially recyclable and much less expensive to run (after factory support pullout). Which is one of the competitors' main arguements for keeping the current cars - that they don't have to keep buying the latest white-panel model to stay competitive.

Thanks to Speedvision's bankrolling, SVGT and SVTC (err, you know what I mean) are muuucch closer to the original concept, and the series seem to have legs. The action's great, too.

Unfortunately, we love the big tires, big horses, and the factories just don't make the cars like that anymore.

[Lee Janotta]

Ah, vintage and historic racing.

Eh... I love the cars, but it's inevitable in historic racing, at least this side of the Atlantic, that the drivers are just as old, and are unwilling to really race each other. It's like a big track day.

Sorry, but I'm _really_ tired of seeing rich old white men "race". Why I hate Grand-Am, for one thing...

Hmmm.... Maybe I'm just frustrated overall by the ignorance I keep running into with the SCCA crowd, who are so completely out of touch with reality, they don't think it's weird to spend at least $9k a year for Club Racing, or almost twice that for rallying at the National Level.

Too much money among the current competitors, plus "professionalism" has become a buzzword with that crowd... Not in terms of actually allowing people to try and earn a living competing, but in terms of running events with all sorts of signage, equipment, uniforms, good-looking cars... Not to mention the insurance.

How is it a local dirt or pavement oval can host races with entry fees as low as $25, but the SCCA demands $250 for just a regional club race? It's the graft and the corporate waste... Especially that new headquarters in Topeka.

Sorry, I'm just feeling bitter right now... But I think I've got a point here... How many of the best racers America produced got their start by buying a helmet, taking their daily driver out to Riverside or Bridgehampton for an SCCA meeting, threw down a 20 buck entry fee, won the race, and got their entry money back as a prize? Quite a lot, I'll tell you.

A lot of A-Sedan races back in the '60s were won buy guys who went up to Hertz, rented a Shelby GT-350, put a number on with masking tape, won the race, and took it back the next day.

Yeah, I'm bitter alright... Because if I want to race, I'd have to leave the country and go someplace where I can afford it.

That, or just turn left all the damn time... And who's going to let you drive a sports or rally car if all your experience is turning left?

(A-Sedan, for those who don't know, was the SCCA class which Trans-Am races were run to in the '60s and early '70s. Many competitors ran in Trans-Am and National-level A-Sedan during the same year, even using Regional races as testing opportunities)

[Liz]

Lee, you are a fellow dinosaur. Sad, isn't it?

But when the entry fees were $25.00 -- back when my dad raced -- that $25.00 was as hard to come up with as $250 is now. And he'd be lucky if he made $25.00 back over the weekend.

[JohnSSC]

Does anyone remember the name of the guy who drove his car to the track, put on slicks, raced it in Trans-Am and then drove home? It was a MOPAR product, I know that. Bob Tullius ran a Dodge Dart, didn't he? It wasn't Tullius - drat! That's the problem with brain cells - never around when you need them!

I think the T/A series lost it's appeal when they went with the kit cars. Gimme the old Alfa GTV in the 2 litre division - ahh! Them were the days.

Lee, I remember Showroom Stock being the base model only. I paid $4,000 for my Ford Fiesta (still miss her!). Now you can go out and buy a nice new VW GTI at $21k a copy! Have you seen anyone drive their Showroom Stocker to a race? I used to, but know of no one who does now.

Not sure if racing is cheaper overseas, but you do see some awfully expensive MGB's at your average SCCA National, don't you? Who the heck is going to compete in a class where some loon has $40k invested in a 30 year-old MGB? No wonder why karts are popular.

Overseas forum members: "What does it cost to run a season of 'club' racing in your home country?"

[Lee Janotta]

Yup... And at 21, I'm probably one of the youngest dinosaurs around.

Then again, the dinosaurs are one of the biggest problems in the SCCA... They've been racing since the '60s, but their wallets and stock portfolios have grown along with the cost of competing, so they haven't felt the crunch.

Yeah, admittedly, everything has gone up in price since then by about 10x... Well, everything except a typical household's income.

Your dad did have a chance of recouping that entry fee... No way you're getting your entry money back at an SCCA National event these days, though you still might at a dirt oval in a sportsman class.

Sorry to keep rehashing the same themes, but, motorsport's at it's purest when it's just simple machines on a an exciting loop of pavement, or even gravel or dirt. Especially at the amateur level, it's just become far more complicated than it needs to be.

I'm not saying the ovals and NASCAR/USAC are better run, but I think they've got their priorities much clearer.

Screw the manufacturers and the insurers. Let's just have some fun.

[cybersdorf]

Originally posted by JohnSSC
Not sure if racing is cheaper overseas,...

Goodness no. Racing is expensive, always & everywhere.
I'm not a fan of historic racing either, and I see the "rich white men" argument, although at the end of the day, I'm just jealous of those folks (men, white, or otherwise) who can afford to buy their favourite racecar and have fun at such events.

[cybersdorf]

This historic TransAm thing is the only kind of professional vintage racing I can imagine, btw. A professional series with these cars would be an attractive support series, and the technology is neither too old nor too outlandish to campaign today.

[JohnSSC]

Cybersdorf, thank you for verifying that this is an expensive hobby on your side of the ocean! I for one would love to see the T/A as more of a Touring Car type series where there was some actual correlation between showroom and racetrack.

As far as historic racing, there is a wonderful event here in Pittsburgh every year. I have vowed to get a car, dust - off my old nomex and drive the thing like there is no tomorrow so that I win as I spin out across the finish line after blowing up! I will probably be banned for life as a result, but...

[muggle not]

What would you give to have been a spectator at this race?

Trans-Am 1969 Round 9 Race Result
1969 Round 9
August 24, 1969
SCCA Trans-Am Championship
Laguna Seca Raceway
Monterey, California - USA
Road Course - 1.9 miles
119 Laps - 226.1 miles
Time of Race: 2h 30m 0.77s
Average Speed: 90.43226mph
Margin of Victory: 26 seconds


Class Fin CIC Qual # Driver Entrant Engine Tire Laps Status Behind Pts
Over 2-Liter 1 1 Mark Donohue Chevrolet Camaro 119 2:30:00.770 9
Over 2-Liter 2 2 Ed Leslie Chevrolet Camaro 119 2:30:26.000 25.230
Over 2-Liter 3 3 Dan Gurney Ford Mustang 118 - 1 lap 4
Over 2-Liter 4 4 Peter Revson Ford Mustang 117 - 2 laps
Over 2-Liter 5 5 Milton Minter Pontiac Firebird 115 - 4 laps 2
Over 2-Liter 6 6 Tony Settember Chevrolet Camaro 114 - 5 laps
Over 2-Liter 7 7 Jerry Grant AMC Javelin 113 - 6 laps
Over 2-Liter 8 8 John Hall Ford Mustang 113 - 6 laps
Over 2-Liter 9 9 Roy Woods Chevrolet Camaro 112 - 7 laps
Under 2-Liter 10 1 Peter Gregg Porsche 911 111 - 8 laps 9
Under 2-Liter 11 2 Elliott Forbes-Robinson Porsche 911 110 - 9 laps
Over 2-Liter 12 10 Tom Lynch Chevrolet Camaro 109 - 10 laps
Over 2-Liter 13 11 Ron Grable AMC Javelin 109 - 10 laps
Under 2-Liter 14 3 Don Zacherie Porsche 911 108 - 11 laps
Under 2-Liter 15 4 Walter Maas Porsche 911 107 - 12 laps
Under 2-Liter 16 5 Jim Weickgenant Porsche 911 106 - 13 laps
Over 2-Liter 17 12 Mark Kelman Chevrolet Camaro 105 - 14 laps
Under 2-Liter 18 6 Carl Fredricks BMW 105 - 14 laps 1
Over 2-Liter 19 13 Frank Search Chevrolet Camaro 101 - 18 laps
Under 2-Liter 20 7 Stephen Griswold Alfa Romeo GTA 98 - 21 laps
Over 2-Liter DNF DNF 1 George Follmer Ford Mustang 92 Wheel 27 laps
Under 2-Liter 22 8 Victor Provenzano Alfa Romeo GTA 77 - 42 laps
Over 2-Liter 23 15 Ron Hunter AMC Javelin 69 - 50 laps
Over 2-Liter DNF DNF Jerry Titus Pontiac Firebird 64 Throttle linkage 55 laps
Over 2-Liter DNF DNF Rusty Jowett Chevrolet Camaro 61 Engine 58 laps
Under 2-Liter DNF DNF Gary Wright Porsche 911 59 Gear shift 60 laps
Over 2-Liter DNF DNF Parnelli Jones Ford Mustang 44 Differential 75 laps
Over 2-Liter 28 19 Gerry Gregory Chevrolet Camaro 44 - 75 laps
Under 2-Liter DNF DNF Scooter Patrick Porsche 911 41 Steering 78 laps
Over 2-Liter DNF DNF Dick Richards Ford Mustang 14 Mechanical 105 laps


2002 Motorsports Almanac

[mickj]

Muggle Not
That was a good field of cars, I would have liked to have been a spectator.

[JohnSSC]

Cars hell! What a field of drivers!!!

[paul-collins]

Yep, Donohue, Follmer, Parnelli J, EFR, Gregg, Revvie...

Those were the days of serious crossover.

[JohnSSC]

I remember seeing Follmer at the last Trans-Am held at Nelson Ledges (1976?) - he was a monster! Very aggressive but very underrated - you rarely hear his name mentioned yet he was as fast as Donohue, Gurney et al.

Good point on the crossover, too. Some of those guys did some serious damage to other series (as far as winning) in completely different vehicle types.

[Lee Janotta]

Well, David Patterson told me a while back you can do a full season in Australia for 5k, (which works out to $2800 US or in Euros)...

Hmm... I think I need to look for employment down under once I graduate...

I tell ya, there were two things that created that environment years ago with drivers doing all sorts of difference disciplines: Economics and a love of the sport.

Those guys got a meager salary if any... They lived off of whatever they won. So they had to chase the prize money, and that meant racing in a lot of difference series.

And secondly... I think they just loved it more than the guys who're around now, who've been racing since they were 5 years old... It's just a day job to them.

[muggle not]

For JohnSSC...bring back memories?

Trans-Am 1976 Round 2 Race Result
1976 Round 2
May 30, 1976
Fifty Grand SCCA Trans-Am Championship
Nelson Ledges Road Course
Warren, Ohio - USA
Road Course - 2 miles
50 Laps - 100 miles
Time of Race: 0h 59m 19.91s
Average Speed: 101.1262mph
Margin of Victory: 4.39 seconds
1 lead changes among 1 drivers


Race Length:
Category I : 48 laps 96 miles
Category II: 50 laps 100 miles

Fastest race lap:
Category I : Jocko Maggiacomo 1:12.648 (99.103 mph)
Category II: Bob Hagestad 1:09.242 (103.927 mph)

Bob Hagestad set new track record of 103.927 mph


Class Fin CIC Qual # Driver Entrant Engine Tire Laps Status Behind Pts
Category II 1 1 2 16 George Follmer Polak/1st National City Bank Porsche Turbo 50 0:59:19.910 20
Category II 2 2 4 0 Hurley Haywood Vasek Polak Porsche Carrera Turbo 50 0:59:24.300 4.390 15
Category II 3 3 1 56 Bob Hagestad KLZ Spirit of Colorado Porsche Carrera RSR 50 - 12
Category II 4 4 5 11 John Gunn Racing Consultants Porsche Carrera RSR 49 - 1 lap 10
Category II 5 5 6 3 John Graves Ecurie Escargot Porsche Carrera RSR 48 - 2 laps 8
Category I 6 1 7 63 Jocko Maggiacomo Jocko's AMC Javelin 48 - 2 laps 20
Category I 7 2 11 78 Babe Headley Babe's Garage Chevrolet Corvette 48 - 2 laps 15
Category I 8 3 8 76 Joe Chamberlain Arrow Heating Co. Chevrolet Camaro 48 - 2 laps 12
Category I 9 4 20 67 Peter Schwartzott Dimension Racing Chevrolet Camaro 47 - 3 laps 10
Category I 10 5 13 39 John Bauer German Auto Porsche 911 47 - 3 laps 8
Category I 11 6 15 93 Michael Oleyar Moly Black Gold Chevrolet Corvette 47 - 3 laps 6
Category I 12 7 22 2 Sam Feinstein Feinstein Racing "Ollie" Ford Cobra 46 - 4 laps 4
Category I 13 8 16 7 Gene Rutherford Rutherford Racing Chevrolet Camaro 46 - 4 laps 3
Category I 14 9 24 1776 Allan Anderson Yankee Silicones Chevrolet Corvette 46 - 4 laps 2
Category I 15 10 23 41 Len LaCue LaCue Racing Chevrolet Camaro 46 - 4 laps 1
Category II 16 6 28 43 Milton Minter SRA Ltd. Volkswagen Scirocco 45 - 5 laps 6
Category II 17 7 17 95 Robert Frostrom Capitol Porsche Carrera RSR 45 - 5 laps 4
Category I 18 11 14 19 Roger Bighouse Gran Turismo Jaguar E-Type 45 - 5 laps
Category I 19 12 21 17 Chuck West Automotive Interests Chevrolet Corvette 45 - 5 laps
Category I 20 13 10 9 John Huber The Big Apple Chevrolet Corvette 45 - 5 laps
Category I 21 14 29 68 Greg Pastoric Darry Ruble Chevrolet Corvette 44 - 6 laps
Category II 22 8 34 36 Brian Hardacre Hardacre Porsche Carrera RSR 43 - 7 laps 3
Category I 23 15 31 79 John Cleveland Cleveland Chevrolet Camaro 35 - 15 laps
Category I DNF DNF 19 20 Daniel Schott Schott Racing Chevrolet Corvette 32 Overheating 18 laps
Category I DNF DNF 9 80 Nick Engels King Engine Chevrolet Corvette 31 Stub axle 19 laps
Category I DNF DNF 12 55 Frank Panzarella Panzarella Racing Chevrolet Corvette 29 Unknown 21 laps
Category I DNF DNF 30 99 George Shafer Shafer Datsun 260Z 18 Accident 32 laps
Category I DNF DNF 35 13 Bob Fryer University of Pittsburg AMC Javelin 16 Overheating 34 laps
Category I DNF DNF 25 71 Thomas Fiscus Old Gold Racing Chevrolet Corvette 12 Suspension 38 laps
Category I DNF DNF 33 85 Peter Cirba Ciracing Chevrolet Corvette 11 Oil leak 39 laps
Category I DNF DNF 27 61 Mickey Agee Port City Racing Chevrolet Corvette 4 Unknown 46 laps
Category II DNF DNF 3 14 Al Holbert Dickinson Porsche Carrera Turbo 3 Engine 47 laps 2
Category I DNS DNS 18 60 John Brandt Jr. Brandt's Moving & Storage Chevrolet Corvette Engine
Category II DNS DNS 26 74 Ludwig Heimrath Henninger Porsche Carrera RSR Engine
Category I DNS DNS 32 25 Carl Trapletti Jr. Trap Racing Chevrolet Corvette