BOWMANVILLE, Ontario — The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli heads north of the border to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Saturday.
The longest-running professional road racing series in North America has a long history at CTMP, with 31 events held at the track since 1970. The series returned to the premier Canadian track for the first time in a decade last year, in a race won by 2024 TA Champion Paul Menard (No. 31 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang), who is the only past winner in this weekend’s field.
This Saturday’s race will combine all entrants from TA/GT and the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series in an exciting display of Trans Am’s diverse classes.
Watch Saturday’s multi-class race LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1.
Hall Of Famer
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is co-owned by Canadian racing legend Ron Fellows, who earned his place as an inaugural member of the Trans Am Hall of Fame earlier this year.
A 20-time winner in the Trans Am Series, Fellows is often considered the greatest Trans Am driver to never win a championship. His first victory appropriately came at CTMP in 1989 while driving for fellow Hall of Famer Jack Roush.
With three victories in 1993, Fellows finished second in points, and he was a runner up again in 1994. He earned his third-consecutive second-place finish in the points in 1995 with five victories, and fell short of the title again in 1996 despite four wins.
New Numbers
With the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series and TA/GT classes combining in this weekend’s race, there will be a few number changes in the field to avoid duplicates.
Paul Menard’s Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang will sport the No. 31 since Adrian Wlostowski will claim the No. 3 for his CMI/Spot-On Services/AMT Motorsports Ford Mustang.
Jim Gallagher will run the No. 6 Regulator by Waypointe/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang in lieu of his traditional No. 16, which will be utilized by Chris Dyson on his GYM WEED Ford Mustang.
Menard Returns a Winner
After taking the checkered flag in Trans Am’s first race at CTMP in a decade, Paul Menard (No. 31 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang) comes into this weekend’s event as the only driver in the field with a TA victory at the track.
Menard continues to lead the TA point standings as he pursues his second-consecutive Trans Am championship, tallying four victories in the first eight rounds of the season, including Trans Am’s most recent outing at Watkins Glen International.
New Paint For Andretti
Adam Andretti comes into CTMP second in the point standings, just 29 points behind leader Paul Menard. He also will be sporting a new look on his No. 17 TOP LINER Chevrolet Camaro.
Team owner Claudio Burtin’s company TOP LINER recently announced a nationwide partnership with Service Partners, the nation’s leading distributor of insulation and building supplies.
CTMP Experience
Although he hasn’t driven to GYM WEED Winners Circle at CTMP in the Trans Am Series, three-time champion Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) does know what it takes to win at the Bowmanville track.
Dyson drove to a 2003 American Le Mans Series victory in the LMP675 class at the legendary Ontario circuit. His family’s team, Dyson Racing, is steeped in success at CTMP, with multiple IMSA/American Le Mans Series wins at the venue.
Ruman Back at CTMP
Two-time champion and Trans Am Hall of Fame inductee Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) will return to CTMP for the first time in more than a decade. Ruman missed last year’s event, but has four starts at the track between 2011-2014, earning a best finish of second in 2014.
McKee On Top
Just like his team, Tristan McKee (No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) is on a roll, coming into CTMP with all the odds in his favor.
Arriving with a six-race podium streak, McKee leads the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series standings, holding an 82-point advantage over second-place Thomas Annunziata. McKee can only add to that advantage this weekend, as Annunziata will miss this weekend’s trip to Canada while racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series West at Portland International Raceway.
McKee also sits atop the standings in the Rookie of the Year and Young Gun Award races.
Should McKee become the TA2 champion, he would be the youngest title holder, besting the current youngest champion Brent Crews by more than four months.
Feeling At Home
While Pro/Am Challenge driver Roberto Sabato now considers Bonita Springs, Fla., home, he was born in nearby Toronto, Ontario, and his team, 6th Gear Garage, is also based in Ontario’s capital city.
Sabato also knows what it takes to win at CTMP, which he considers his home track. The driver of the No. 61 6th Gear Garage Ford Mustang won at the facility twice in 2011 in IMSA’s Lites 2 class on his way to winning that season’s championship.
Success at CTMP
Other drivers in this weekend’s field also have found past success at CTMP outside of the Trans Am Series. Tyler Gonzalez (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) won at the track in Mazda MX-5 Cup in July.
Gonzalez is currently third in the standings in that series. Julian DaCosta (No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) has also podiumed at the track in MX-5 Cup, finishing second in 2024.
Buffomante on the Rise
Gian Buffomante (No. 95 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry), the son of 2016 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Tony Buffomante, has been rising through the ranks this season, advancing 13 positions from 19th to sixth in the standings since beginning the year at Sebring.
The 17-year-old has been constantly improving and showing consistency, finishing in the top 10 every week since Round 3 at Sonoma Raceway. Claiming a best finish of second at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Buffomante now holds his highest position in the standings so far this year following a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen.
Football Season
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge driver Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black Underwear/CoolBoxx Chevrolet Camaro) is having a stellar sophomore season in Trans Am, capturing two victories so far this year and holding the second position in the standings. He is also currently leading the SCCA Super Tour GT2 standings with one race remaining in their season.
The former NFL player won the National GT2 championship in 2023 and finished second in the points last year.
