BRASELTON, Ga. – With a quick turnaround after visiting Circuit of The Americas, the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli returns to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta for the Atlanta SpeedTour Nov. 19-22.
Teams and drivers were originally scheduled to visit the technical 2.54-mile road course in March, but the event was postponed due to the global pandemic.
Trans-Am drivers will now face off in a double header at Road Atlanta this weekend as the 2020 championships race to a conclusion.
Trans-Am will hold separate 100-mile races for the Trans Am/XtremeGT/SuperGT/GT and TA2 powered by AEM classes on Saturday, Nov. 21, before a combined event on Sunday, Nov. 22 for all five classes.
Fifty-four drivers are slated to compete in the Atlanta SpeedTour double feature, and the three-way split start scenario during Sunday’s race is sure to spark excitement in the already-tight title chases.
Ernie Francis Jr. (No. 98 OneSouthFloridaWealthAdvisors Ford Mustang) is still on a quest to claim his seventh championship title, leading the Trans Am class by 43 points over the No. 8 Lucas Oil Chevrolet Camaro of Tomy Drissi.
Last season, Francis Jr. struggled with electrical issues around a damp and foggy Atlanta circuit. After taking the point, Francis Jr. was forced to the pits to fix a faulty brake light.
The stoppage sent him to the back of the competitive field, but the Breathless Racing driver rallied for an eighth-place finish.
“We are looking to bounce back after last year, but this year at Road Atlanta will be more about solidifying the points lead,” explained Francis Jr. “We are looking forward to the doubleheader for the extra points.”
But, returning in the Pancho Weaver built No. 2 WeaverRcng/Techniques/SRIPerfor Dodge Challenger is Boris Said, who has been a thorn in Francis Jr.’s side since his championship resurgence in Virginia.
Chasing down a victory, a podium finish and two pole positions, Said has stolen valuable points from the reigning champion and other Trans-Am drivers trying to seal up the points title.
“I love this series,” Said noted. “We help each other off the track but we will gladly put each other in the wall on the track.”
Two Audi R8 Ultas and a Chevrolet Corvette will headline the new XtremeGT class. Leading the chase for the inaugural title is Ken Thwaits in the No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Audi R8 GT3 Ultra.
Thwaits’ closest points rival, Erich Joiner, is not entered for the doubleheader.
However, he will be challenged by newcomer Justin Oakes in the No. 11 Droneworks Chevrolet Corvette. In his debut race at Circuit of The Americas, Oakes led the opening laps of the XGT race before retiring from the round.
In the budding SGT class, a collection of 10 high-performance production race cars from around the world, American powerhouses are pitted against European exotics in a contest of global proportions.
Entering the weekend with the narrowest points margin, Lee Saunders in the No. 84 Landsearch LLC Dodge Viper tops the SGT class standings with 200 points, just five points ahead of series rookie Adrian Wlostowski (No. 98 F.A.S.T. Auto Ford Mustang).