TRANS AM ANNOUNCES WEST COAST EXPANSION
Series will hold four-race West Coast Championship in conjunction with SVRA
After a nearly decade long absence, the iconic rumble of Trans Am engines will make its long awaited return to the West Coast, with The Trans Am Race Company formally announcing an independent West Coast Championship for 2017.
A stand-alone competition, the Trans Am West Coast Championship will have its own points championship and will be independent of the Trans Am Championship— which is held primarily on tracks throughout the East Coast, Midwest and South. With the addition of a West Coast Championship, Trans Am aims to regenerate a historically vibrant competitor community on both professional and SCCA Club levels.
“ The West Coast has always been core to the spirit of Trans Am,” said John Clagett, President of The Trans Am Race Company.“ Some of the greatest races in Trans Am history took place on the West
Coast, and some of our greatest talents called it home. From 1996 to 2005 nearly a quarter of all Trans Am events were held in the West, so many of our competitors and race shops were based there— the region is engrained in our history. The Trans Am West Coast Championship is the first of many steps towards rebuilding that core competitor base and making Trans Am a national brand for our stakeholders, drivers and fans.”
Trans Am will partner in the endeavor with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association( SVRA), as it does for many of its events in the Trans Am Championship. The Series will continue with the format of 100-mile sprint races and will enforce a modified version of the 2016 Trans Am rulebook while staffing the events with core members of the Trans Am Series staff, including the Series’ Technical Director and Chief Steward.
“ The timing is just right for Trans Am,” said Clagett.“ The Trans Am Championship is stable and continuing to grow as we bring in additional marketing partners for 2017. Our relationship with SVRA has presented us with the opportunity to expand westward with minimal risk while providing the vital components for success, quality venues and competition platforms, while we work to rebuild Trans Am’ s presence in a region it has historically called home.”
The 2017 Trans Am West Coast Championship
2 / 10- 2 / 12 Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch
4 / 29- 4 / 30 Auto Club Speedway
7 / 29-7 / 30 Portland Interna tional Raceway
11 / 4-11 / 5 Circuit of the Americas