ALTON, Va. — The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli will enjoy the last days of summer at Virginia International Raceway with the VIR SpeedTour.
VIR is a venue that the Trans Am Series visited in its inaugural 1966 season, and it has included the track on its schedule every year since 2013, with 27 previous events held at the 3.27-mile road course.
This year, the track celebrates its 25th Anniversary Reborn, marking 25 years since reopening in the year 2000, following its original 1974 closure. The track has since been restored and modernized, and is a favorite of many Trans Am competitors.
There are nine drivers on this week’s entry list who have previously driven into GYM WEED Winners Circle at VIR. They are Paul Menard, Chris Dyson and Adam Andretti in TA, Billy Griffin, Danny Lowry and Kaylee Bryson in XGT, Carey Grant in SGT, Chris Coffey in GT and Adrian Wlotowski in TA2.
Menard & Jones
With five victories so far this season, Paul Menard (No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang) continues to lead the point standings for the TA class, holding a 37-point advantage over second-place Adam Andretti (No. 17 TOP LINER Chevrolet Camaro).
The 2025 champion has three races remaining to top last year’s win tally of six, and he has the stats on his side. Not only did Menard take the checkered flag in last year’s race at VIR, but he has seen more clean air in front of him than any other TA competitor. Out of 361 laps this year, Menard has led 182, holding the point position for just over 50% of competition this season.
This weekend, Menard is joined by teammate Brandon Jones (No. 31 Menards/Masterforce Tools Ford Mustang), who raced with the team earlier in the season at Sebring International Raceway and Road America.
A driver in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Jones finished fifth in the Xfinity Series regular season as one of 12 drivers to make the Playoffs. He is currently sixth in standings after the first playoff event.
Dyson’s Chase
Chris Dyson (No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang) is third on the all-time National Championship TA win list with 28 victories, tied with fellow Trans Am Hall of Fame inductee Tommy Kendall.
A win this weekend would tie Dyson for second, placing him in good company with another Hall of Famer, Mark Donohue, at 29 victories. Dyson is no stranger to GYM WEED Winners Circle at VIR, as he took the checkered flag at the track in 2021. He also shared a victory with Andy Wallace in 2002, winning the VIR 500, the track’s first international event in more than 30 years after reopening in 2000.
Bryson Returns
After taking a brief hiatus to focus on her other racing efforts, Kaylee Bryson returns to the XGT class this weekend in her No. 02 Logical Systems Inc. Chevrolet Corvette.
Bryson, who currently leads the XGT standings with two victories this season, recently took a detour from road courses to visit a bullring, making her ARCA Menards Series debut at the half-mile Madison International Speedway three weeks ago and finishing an impressive eighth. Bryson is en route to win her second-consecutive title in the Trans Am Series, which would make her the first female driver to win championships in two different classes (XGT and SGT), and just the second woman in series history to claim two championships.
TA’s Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) was the first, winning back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016.
McKee At Home
Last year, Tristan McKee (No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) made his first Trans Am start in a points-paying race at VIRginia International Raceway, scoring a fourth-place finish in his debut.
Today, he returns to the track leading the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series point standings, as well as the Young Gun Award and Rookie of the Year points, having won three of the last four races. 15-year-old McKee was born and raised in Williamsburg, Va., before moving to Kannapolis, N.C., to be closer to the Chevrolet Driver Development Program in recent years and considers VIR to be his home track.
Roster Growth
TeamSLR continues its dominance in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, coming into this weekend seeking its fifth-straight TA2 class win.
In addition to fielding points leader Tristan McKee, TeamSLR and M1 Racecars have a full stable this weekend, with Carson Brown returning to the series in the No. 2 PayCafé/Ebb Logistics/SLR-M1 Toyota Camry that Mike Skeen drove to victory after winning the pole and leading every lap at Road America in June.
Like McKee, Brown is also a Virginia native, born and raised in Chesterfield before moving to New London, N.C.
The team will also field two drivers making their Trans Am debut: 18-year-old Lanie Bruce will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet/CUBE 3/Franklin Road/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro and
Ukrainian Naz Olkhovskyi gets behind the wheel of the No. 48 TeamSLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro.
Odrick Takes Control
For the first time in his Trans Am career, Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black Underwear/CoolBoxx Chevrolet Camaro) leads the point standings in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge.
With consistent finishes and two wins under his belt this season, Odrick has shown tremendous improvement and maturity in his sophomore Pro/Am season, converting pressure into results. At the same time, he is also currently leading the SCCA GT2 National standings, with just the Runoffs remaining at the end of the month. The former NFL player also has found success in the past at VIR, as that is the track where Odrick won the SCCA GT2 National Championship in 2023.
Ben Maier Returns
This weekend will see the return of Ben Maier (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) to the TA2 paddock. Maier joins forces with Nitro Motorsports, the team with which he scored his 2024 victory at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Maier is taking a week off from his late model racing, as he currently leads the CARS Pro Late Model Tour standings. Maier has made one other TA2 start this season, finishing sixth at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Maier comes into this weekend with past success at VIR, scoring a previous Miata victory at the track.
Boes Memorial
Those wishing to pay their respects to late CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge Champion Barry Boes will have the opportunity this weekend, as the series will be hosting a celebration of life on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Trans Am Series hauler.
Watch both of this weekend’s Trans Am races on SPEED SPORT 1.
