SCCA® Trans-Am® Series Returns In 2009 - The Mustang Source

roadracingmustang · 12/11/08, 10:02 PM

SCCA announced today the return of Trans Am. They are going to use the current GT1 rules.
Welcome Back!
http://www.scca.com/newsarticle.aspx?hub=4&news=3541

**Evil_Capri** · 12/12/08, 5:51 AM

. . . I am interested in the return of Trans-Am. However, the Speed World Challenge has done a fine job as a replacement for Trans-Am. Let's hope this new 'grass root' Trans-Am series can recapture some magic!

Thanks for posting!

DanS.02GT · 12/12/08, 5:48 PM

Hopefully, this can turn into something big, but at this point, it's just an extra race for the GT-1 Club racers added on to existing National weekends. If I'm not mistaken, only Mosport and Portland are spectator events.

That said, I know that Tony Ave has put a lot of work into this, and he's also working on building new body style Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers as customer cars. This could get interesting.

reddsun1 · 12/17/08, 2:24 PM

So it's going to be similar to the last incarnation of Trans-Am, i.e. tube-framed "sihlouette" cars?

"Meh. Oh well..." is about the best response I can muster to that idea.

Would have preferred seeing a reincarnation closer to the spirit of the original series, production-based racing. I guess that would have been seen as "too similar" to existing racing series that can cater to the pony-car market, like Grand-Am/KONI series? [although I'd say the new Challenger is more like a Clydesdale than a pony-car...]

I'd have loved to see a "new" Trans-Am more along the lines of....

a) production body shells. full cages; driver protection PRIMARY, chassis stiffening comes as 2ndary benefit only, NO extensive bracing [or limited] ahead of front firewall or behind cabin

b) let 'em run on racing slicks. Heck, if you're gonna bother modding the motors to make gobs of power, they shouldn't be hampered trying to put it to the ground on shaved DOT's.

c) allow LIMITED fender/body flares to accomodate bigger tires [2" - 3" MAX flaring?], but don't let it get rediculous *cough* *cough* BMW *cough* *cough*

d) maybe limit the amount of changes allowed to suspension pick-up points, ie. allow for correcting any stock geometry shortcomings, but within limits? again, the idea is staying away from going to full-on tube frame stuff that has NO relation to the production cars

e) allow MINIMAL aero mods; maybe allow an airdam or spoiler at the front, option of spoiler or simple wing at rear [limit mounting height, like no more than 6" above rear deck?], allow NO under-body aero mods [flat-bottom trays, etc.]

f) allow NO extensive chassis changes/mods, i.e. channeling/tubbing/etc to create chopped and slammed Franken-racers *cough* *cough* Caddy *cough* Volvo *cough* *cough*

The idea would be to allow for cars that could start off as bodies-in-white, hence the manufacturers have a sales-stake in this. Allow them some semblance of a tie-in to "motorsports development/marketing," without having to go full-bore into factory or "works" teams that just wouldn't be justifiable, given their current financial "crisis." The cars should ideally be configurable to be competitive in a multitude of series, i.e. GrandAM-KONI/World Challenge/FIA GT3/etc, without EXTENSIVE modification or having to start over from scratch, building a whole new car for EACH series...

Just a thought...

**tacbear** · 12/17/08, 2:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reddsun1

So it's going to be similar to the last incarnation of Trans-Am, i.e. tube-framed "sihlouette" cars?

"Meh. Oh well..." is about the best response I can muster to that idea.

Would have preferred seeing a reincarnation closer to the spirit of the original series, production-based racing. I guess that would have been seen as "too similar" to existing racing series that can cater to the pony-car market, like Grand-Am/KONI series? [although I'd say the new Challenger is more like a Clydesdale than a pony-car...]

I'd have loved to see a "new" Trans-Am more along the lines of....

a) production body shells. full cages; driver protection PRIMARY, chassis stiffening comes as 2ndary benefit only, NO extensive bracing [or limited] ahead of front firewall or behind cabin

b) let 'em run on racing slicks. Heck, if you're gonna bother modding the motors to make gobs of power, they shouldn't be hampered trying to put it to the ground on shaved DOT's.

c) allow LIMITED fender/body flares to accomodate bigger tires [2" - 3" MAX flaring?], but don't let it get rediculous *cough* *cough* BMW *cough* *cough*

d) maybe limit the amount of changes allowed to suspension pick-up points, ie. allow for correcting any stock geometry shortcomings, but within limits? again, the idea is staying away from going to full-on tube frame stuff that has NO relation to the production cars

e) allow MINIMAL aero mods; maybe allow an airdam or spoiler at the front, option of spoiler or simple wing at rear [limit mounting height, like no more than 6" above rear deck?], allow NO under-body aero mods [flat-bottom trays, etc.]

f) allow NO extensive chassis changes/mods, i.e. channeling/tubbing/etc to create chopped and slammed Franken-racers *cough* *cough* Caddy *cough* Volvo *cough* *cough*

The idea would be to allow for cars that could start off as bodies-in-white, hence the manufacturers have a sales-stake in this. Allow them some semblance of a tie-in to "motorsports development/marketing," without having to go full-bore into factory or "works" teams that just wouldn't be justifiable, given their current financial "crisis." The cars should ideally be configurable to be competitive in a multitude of series, i.e. GrandAM-KONI/World Challenge/FIA GT3/etc, without EXTENSIVE modification or having to start over from scratch, building a whole new car for EACH series...

Just a thought...

Sounds good to me!!!

StangMahn · 12/17/08, 3:37 PM

looking forward to it, I like the speed GT series

reddsun1 · 12/19/08, 10:34 AM

Hmm, seems like other folks have thought along these same lines--and well before little ol' me. From the SPEED World Challenge boards:

"Hal Brown wrote: GT-1 based rules? Running with Club Racing? I was hoping that this was going to say "using production based Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers. Guess you'll have to go to Koni Cup to see that.

What ever happened to "win on Sunday sell on Monday? I can't go to a dealer and buy a 30 year old tube frame car. Makes absolutely no sense at all to me. But good luck with that anyways!

Hal-

We spent some time a couple years back with all three manufacturers about re-launching the series based on bodies in white--at a prep level less than WCGT. While it's safe to say there was interest from the Dodge, Ford and GM, we were not able to put a full program together that would do the concept justice.

There was strong interest to do a series like the one announced last week, and we were able to put together a business plan together that works with the potential for future growth and expansion.
_________________
Eric Prill
SCCA Pro Racing"

DanS.02GT · 12/19/08, 6:11 PM

I'm all for racing production-based pony cars, but the place for that is SWC GT or Koni GS. Why would SCCA Pro want to compete against themselves with a Trans Am series that's nearly the same as World Challenge? The nice thing about going with the GT-1 package is that the cars are already out there, and there's a lot of interest from drivers and teams in getting things going again. The cars are also quite a bit less expensive to build and maintain than SWC GT, and a heck of a lot faster.

DanS.02GT · 12/25/08, 9:29 AM

There's still a little bit of "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday." It's just that it's Tony Ave Racing and Deerhag that will be doing the selling. Tony's already sold 5 or 6 new cars.

I'm all for it, as long as it doesn't cut already limited track time for the club racers. There's talk of adding a TA race at the Runoffs next year, which seems like a tight squeeze at an event that's already dropping and combining classes to make everything fit. But it worked out fine in '06 when they ran the Sunday before. Much more entertaining than the episode of Pinks that they were also recording.

GT_350 · 12/28/08, 12:28 AM

SCCA is a dollar short and a day late.....would of, could of, should of.......

NASA has American Iron, The Camaro - Mustang Challenge and American Iron Extreme for us the Grassroots guys and gals.

http://www.nasaforums.com/

Koni Challenge for the Pros........

DanS.02GT · 12/28/08, 8:45 AM

None of those are anywhere close to GT1/TA in performance potential. The only NASA class that they would fit in would be SU. Although AIX would be interesting if they could get more than 3 or 4 guys to show up for their national championship.

DanS.02GT · 12/28/08, 9:33 AM

Speaking of AI/AIX, the video of this year's championship race at Mid-O is finally up. http://nasachampionships.com/2008media.html
Gotta love Faessler's '65. It was about 100 hp shy of the big boys last year, but a rear-mount turbo seems to have more than made up the difference this year.

reddsun1 · 12/29/08, 1:44 PM

Good points raised earlier. No point in the SCCA trying to "re-create" what's already out there, so to speak...

Thanks for the video links. I'll have to try to watch them later, time allowing.

Lord knows, I'm so sick and tired of the Pinks and Wrecked and Livin the Lowlife re-runs on the SPEED Ch--I'm about ready to commit hari kari with a wooden kitchen spoon!