Five-Race Challenge Creates Flexible Class for SCCA Club GT1 Cars
CHARLOTTE (January 16, 2025) — The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli announces the unveiling of a new class for the 2025 season. The GT1 Challenge will provide competitors that race in SCCA Club Racing’s GT1 class with an opportunity to compete for a title in the Trans Am Series with a shorter, more flexible schedule and reduced entry fees.
The GT1 Challenge is a class that focuses on offering vehicles competing in the SCCA Club GT1 class a way to easily cross over to Pro racing in the Trans Am Series. The GT1 Challenge allows drivers to compete in a maximum of nine races per season, with their five highest points-scoring races making up their championship points total. The driver with the most points accumulated in their five best races will be recognized and awarded a championship trophy at the year-end Trans Am Awards Gala in November.
Additionally, the GT1 Challenge will allow teams to use older equipment that is no longer eligible for the TA National Championship, providing car owners with more opportunities to utilize their current equipment. The GT1 Challenge will have more flexible vehicle eligibility, with fewer changes from their SCCA Club GT1 setups. Tube-frame vehicles with a silhouette body from 1982 or later that are legal for the SCCA Club Racing GT1 class will be eligible for this class. Drivers with current TA class cars that are unable to do the full National Championship schedule may also compete in this championship if their cars are prepared per the SCCA Club Racing GT1 class rules.
As an additional benefit to newcomers to the Trans Am Series, a rookie driver entered in the GT1 Challenge will have their TA class rookie status preserved throughout their first season, allowing them to move up to the TA class in the National or Western Championships and compete for Rookie of the Year honors.
“Due to the roots of the Trans Am Series being tied so closely to SCCA, we have always tried to foster crossover between our TA class and the SCCA GT1 class, and many of the TA teams do run in both the TA and GT1 classes throughout a season,” said TA Technical Director Aaron Coalwell. “As the current TA cars have developed, a performance gap between the current TA cars and the older cars competing in the GT1 class has developed. SCCA has balanced that performance difference through various weight adjustments. The new GT1 Challenge championship will utilize the same rules and weights as the SCCA GT1 class so that no setup changes need to be made to bring a GT1 car over to the Trans Am Series. Now that we have a separate championship for the GT1 cars, they will not be competing at a disadvantage with the cars currently in the TA class.
“It is said that the best way to improve your skills is to compete against better drivers,” Coalwell continued. “This makes it very easy for teams with GT1 cars to come out to the Trans Am races in their area, enjoy competing in a professionally-run series with longer races, and see how they stack up against the TA drivers.”
“I think this is an awesome chance to give GT1 competitors a chance to come together with Trans Am for an amazing combination of big V8-car racing that I know our fans will love,” said Trans Am President Andy Lally. “This is also a way for an older generation Trans Am car to compete on a more level playing field.”
Any parties interested competing in GT1 can reach out to Lally with any questions at ALally@GoTransAm.com.
The Trans Am Series will kick off the 2025 season with the Sebring SpeedTour at Sebring International Raceway, February 20-23.
About the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli: The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli is the longest-running professional road racing series in North America. The Trans Am Series was founded in 1966 for racing factory pony cars on iconic road courses. More than 55 years after the series’ launch, Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers continue to be sold today, with Trans Am racing credited as playing a major role in their success and longevity. With several diverse and competitive classes of racecars and both National and Western Championships, Trans Am offers something for every fan and every competitor. The series will host 15 events nationwide in 2025. For more information, visit GoTransAm.com.
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