SEBRING, Fla. — The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli kicked off its 60th-Anniversary season at the home of its inaugural event in 1966, Sebring International Raceway.
Matthew Brabham controlled the season opener from green to checkers in his No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang, holding off relentless pressure from two-time champion Paul Menard to earn his ninth-career TA victory and second at Sebring.
Brabham took the green flag from the point position after rain washed out yesterday’s qualifying session. A series of restarts gave Menard (No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang), the two-time defending Sebring winner, multiple shots at the lead, but Brabham was flawless each time. He led every lap en route to victory, with Menard finishing second and Martin Ragginger (No. 7 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro) completing the podium.
Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro) and Kaylee Bryson (No. 2 LSI/Team Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger) delivered two of the most impressive drives of the day. Andretti, who missed the practice session that set the grid while competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at St. Petersburg, charged from the rear of the field into the top five by lap five, and secured fourth with four laps remaining. Bryson rebounded from a lap-one spin that dropped her to the back of the field, carving through the pack to claim fifth in the closing laps.
“A big thank you to everyone who watched our race, it was good to see fans up there watching us,” said Brabham. “A big thank you to Gym Weed and [CD Racing team owner] Chris Dyson. It’s going to be good to have him back [in the field] later on in some other races to make it more competitive up front, but this was an awesome race. Paul [Menard] pushed me all the way to the end. It was definitely interesting having so many restarts. I really had to kind of manage things and try different things to try and spice it up so I could try and stay ahead of Paul, but it was awesome out there; I had a great time. Lastly, a big thank you to the race team, CD Racing. They do such a great job putting this car together, these cars are so much fun to drive. Thank you to my mom and dad who came out, my dog Brumby and my new wife Kim.”
The debut of TA Cup in the National Championship delivered immediate excitement. Cole Moore (No. 32 Chris Evans Race Cars Ford Mustang) seized control early, making a decisive lap-one pass on first-place starter Jim Guthrie (No. 62 Guthrie’s Garage Ford Mustang) and never looking back.
New Racing America Chief Operating Officer Ken Thwaits (No. 9 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro) followed Moore through to take second. After a lap-four restart, Guthrie suffered a tire issue that forced him to pit and go a lap down, elevating Matt Crandall (No. 08 Avant Garde Collection Ford Mustang) to the final podium position. Guthrie recovered to finish fourth.
“That was an amazing race,” said Moore. “It was one of those where everything went my way. I made the right zigs and zags on the first lap. Jeff Jefferson just gave me a really good car this weekend. I want to thank my mom and dad for everything they do in my career in racing. And Chris Evans, he called me last week to be here, so thank you, Chris. This is an honor to race these TA Cup cars. They’re unbelievable. Thank you, Ken [Thwaits], for everything you do. I just love being a part of Trans Am. This is amazing.”
As the only competitor in the XGT class, Billy Griffin took the top step in his No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes Benz AMG GT3. He managed to avoid the adversity that befell many of the competitors over the course of the race, finishing the race seventh overall.
In a stacked SGT class, Lee Saunders drove his No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper to his eighth victory at his home track. First-place starter Chris Coffey (No. 97 Traffic Grafix/NAI Racing/GTE Engineering Ferrari 458 Challenge) led the race for the first 13 laps, but was hit by a competitor in another class and spun, allowing Saunders to take over the point position.
For the remainder of the race, Coffey challenged Saunders, swapping positions with him multiple times on the final lap, but it was Saunders who took the checkered flag. Coffey finished second, and Patrick Utt (No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro) claimed the final podium spot. Milton Grant (No. 15 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 992) finished fourth and Ray Mason (No. 68 TRB Autosport Ford Mustang) crossed the finish line in fifth.
In just his second-career start in the GT class, Derric Carter overcame mechanical issues early in the weekend and a car switch before the race to claim his first Trans Am victory.
Jordan Bupp had an incredible day in GT1 Challenge, leading from start to finish in his No. 11 Hamilton Safe & Security Systems Chevrolet Camaro. In the kickoff to Trans Am’s 60th-Anniversary season, he drove the same car his father, Kenny Bupp, drove to victory at Sebring in the series’ 50th-Anniversary stop at the track. Bupp dominated as his competitors each battled mechanical issues and on-track contact, taking the checkered flag for his second-career Trans Am victory. He was followed by Axel Rivera (No. 22 RIAX Contractors/Flexitank Ford Mustang) in second, David Jans (No. 70 Ave Motorsports Ford Mustang) in third, and Paul Fix (No. 77 StopFlex Ford Mustang) in fourth.
