The Trans Am Collection introduced by Pirelli’s Western Championship returns from a virtually three-month hiatus this weekend for the PIR SpeedTour at Portland Worldwide Raceway. The Trans Am Collection has been visiting Portland since 1972, holding 31 races on the 1.97-mile circuit between the Nationwide and Western Championships.
With 5 races accomplished between three rounds of racing thus far this season, the Western Championship has formally handed the midway level, which means that the championship battles are heating up and that this weekend’s doubleheader may have main penalties on the standings.
The CUBE 3 Structure TA2 Collection standings are the tightest, with two ties between the top-five racers. Tim Lynn (No. 17 Roof Choices Ford Mustang) and Portland-area native Ken Sutherland (No. 68 Kallberg Racing/Wyatt Hearth Chevrolet Camaro) are presently tied within the high spot with 425 factors. Curiously, neither of the purpose leaders have pushed to Victory Lane but this yr.
Simply 17 markers again are Kyle Kelley (No. 80 PK+okay Properties/UPRacing.com Ford Mustang) and Michael LaPaglia (No. 31 Papini’s Storage/F.A.S.T. Auto Racing/Howe Ford Mustang), additionally tied with 408 factors. Each Kelley and LaPaglia have tallied one victory, with LaPaglia successful Race 2 at Thunderhill Raceway Park, and Kelley successful within the sequence’ most up-to-date race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. LaPaglia beforehand held the factors lead, however suffered an electrical challenge at Laguna Seca. Tim Barber within the No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang rounds out the highest 5 with 404 factors and victories in Race 1 at Thunderhill and Race 1 at Sonoma Raceway.
The XGT class additionally has a aggressive factors race, which is presently led by Michele Nagai within the No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro with 425 factors after incomes victories in Race 1 at Thunderhill, Race 1 at Sonoma and Laguna Seca. She is adopted by Tim Rankin (No. 5 TCR IT Options Ford Mustang) with 390 factors. Chris Evans (No. 92 Central Welding Provide Ford Mustang) is third with 300 factors, adopted by Will Rodgers (No. 12 Central Welding Provide/Chris Evans Race Vehicles Ford Mustang) with 286 factors and wins in Race 2 at Thunderhill and Race 2 at Sonoma Raceway. Fifth in XGT is Rick Wright within the No. 45 AR Motorsports Audi R8 LMS GT3 with 250 factors.
In TA, Steve Goldman (No. 13 LIG Racing Chevrolet Corvette) presently has a big lead over Greg Pickett (No. 6 Pickett Racing Ford Mustang), with 215 factors over Pickett’s 115. Goldman has wins in Race 1 at Thunderhill and Race 1 at Sonoma, in addition to Laguna Seca, whereas Pickett took the victory in Thunderhill’s Race 2.
David Hampton within the No. 14 AR Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport has a commanding lead within the GT standings, with victories in each race thus far this yr incomes him a complete of 270 factors. Kevin Michaels (No. 98 Killer Shrimp Restaurant Chevrolet Corvette) is second with 110 factors.
Every little thing is developing roses for Sutherland
Simply two weekends in the past was the 63rd-annual working of the Rose Cup Races at Portland Worldwide Raceway. The Rose Cup is a historic race as the primary main occasion held at PIR in 1961, and Trans Am legends like Willy T. Ribbs and George Folmer have taken the checkered flag in earlier runnings. Ken Sutherland (No. 68 Kallberg Racing/Wyatt Hearth Chevrolet) drove to victory within the prestigious occasion in a brand-new Chris Evans Race Vehicles Dodge Challenger, which we will anticipate to see in XGT competitors quickly. That is the second-consecutive season {that a} Chris Evans Race Vehicles car drove into the Winner’s Circle on the Rose Cup Races, as proprietor Chris Evans (No. 92 Central Welding Provide Ford Mustang) earned the victory in 2023.
Father and son
Making his Trans Am debut this weekend within the CUBE 3 Structure TA2 Collection is Cole Moore within the No. 54 Naake-Klauer Motorsports Ford Mustang. The 27-year-old California native has a substantial amount of expertise racing on the West Coast, having competed within the ARCA Menards Collection West and SRL Spears Southwest Tour over the course of a number of seasons. Moore has three earlier begins at Portland Worldwide Raceway in ARCA West, with a finest end of fourth in 2022. The youthful Moore shall be sharing the racetrack this weekend together with his father, John Moore, who drives the No. 5 Central Welding Provide Ford Mustang within the XGT class. This received’t be the primary time the daddy and son workforce have been in the identical discipline. In 2022, the duo competed towards one another in ARCA West at All American Speedway. The youthful Moore earned his first-career ARCA win in that occasion.
Hampton a Nationwide winner
GT’s David Hampton (No. 14 AR Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport) has been maintaining busy for the reason that Western Championship took the checkered flag, making his debut in Trans Am’s Nationwide Championship at Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course. In intense rain, Hampton drove his Porsche to his first-career Nationwide Championship victory with a third-place end general. Hampton backed that up with a second-place end at school the next weekend at Street America.
Nagai is aware of Portland
Present XGT factors chief Michelle Nagai (No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro) is aware of what it takes to face atop the rostrum at PIR. Simply final yr, Nagai made the swap to XGT racing in a Chris Evans Race Vehicles/Jefferson Racing-prepared scorching rod and drove to her first victory within the class at Portland. Nagai had beforehand competed within the Western Championship’s TA and TA2 courses earlier than getting into XGT. In actual fact, previous to final yr’s victory, her finest end at Portland had been a detailed second-place end behind Trans Am legend Greg Pickett.
“Operating a mixed-class races out right here within the Western Championship will be tough at instances getting via visitors safely, however that’s all of the extra motive I like driving my Chris Evans Race Vehicles Camaro to Victory Lane,” mentioned Nagai. “I’m wanting ahead to getting again on monitor and choosing up the momentum we had within the first three rounds after a really lengthy 88-day hiatus since our final run at Laguna Seca again in early Might.”
Calling the Northwest house
There are 5 drivers on this weekend’s entry checklist which can be from close to Portland Worldwide Raceway within the states of Oregon and Washington. The 2 most native drivers are Ken Sutherland and Caleb Schrader, who’re from the close by Portland suburbs of Sherwood and Tigard, respectively.
TA
Steve Goldman, No. 13 LIG Racing Chevrolet Corvette (Mercer Island, Wash.)
XGT
Chris Evans, No. 92 Central Welding Provide Ford Mustang (Powell Butte, Ore.)
GT
David Hampton, No. 14 AR Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport (Bend, Ore.)
TA2
Ken Sutherland, No. 68 Kallberg Racing/Wyatt Hearth Chevrolet Camaro (Sherwood, Ore.)
Caleb Shrader, No. 99 CONSONUS Healthcare Chevrolet Camaro (Tigard, Ore.)
Portland winners
There are seven opponents on this weekend’s discipline who’ve stood atop the rostrum at Portland in a Trans Am automobile. The entire victories got here in Trans Am’s Western Championship aside from one: Rudy Revak has a victory within the Nationwide Championship’s GTA class.
TA
Steve Goldman, No. 13 LIG Racing Chevrolet Corvette: 2023
XGT
Michelle Nagai, No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro: 2023
Chris Evans, No. 92 Central Welding Provide Ford Mustang: 2022 (SGT)
SGT
Rudy Revak, No. 7 Xyngular Pontiac Grand Prix: 2005 (GTA Nationwide)
GT
David Hampton, No. 14 AR Motorsports Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport: 2023
TA2
Ken Sutherland, No. 68 Kallberg Racing/Wyatt Hearth Chevrolet Camaro: 2022
Tim Lynn, No. 71 RoofOptions Ford Mustang: 2021
Information & notes
Caleb Shrader (No. 99 CONSONUS Healthcare Chevrolet Camaro) has beforehand received at Portland in SCCA. The reigning SCCA SRF3 Tremendous Tour Champion made his Trans Am debut within the Western Championship’s final outing at Laguna Seca.
The final time Tim Barber (No. 33 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang) raced at Portland within the Trans Am Collection was in a Nationwide Championship occasion in 2005 the place he completed second within the GTA class.
Sean Berardi shall be making his Trans Am Collection debut this weekend at Portland within the No. 9 Berardi Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro within the CUBE 3 Structure TA2 Collection.
The SGT class will see some new faces within the paddock at Portland. Tim Brown within the No. 66 Brown Bros. Ford Lincoln Mustang GT4 shall be making his Trans Am debut this weekend, whereas 2005 Portland winner Rudy Revak (No. 7 Xyngular Pontiac Grand Prix) shall be making his first begin of the 2024 season.
