I just received an e-mail from a GT-1 racer friend of mine.
The SCCA Trans-Am Series is coming back for 2009.
They have 6 confirmed dates and are working on three more.
Jim Derhaag was the driving force behind the revival.
Muscle Milk is the series sponsor.
You can see more on the SCCA's website, www.scca.org.
The rules will be based on a full tube frame chassis race car.
With the three auto makers each sporting a pony car again, I was hoping they would bring the TA series back in the original stock-bodied format. Oh Well.
Personally, this is the only series I ever liked from SCCA.
I am glad to see it coming back.

I look forward to seeing these races.

Howdy,

I imagine they'll suck, actually.

I'd like to see something tub-based, using the new Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger. GT-1 motor/tranny, factory-like suspensions (i.e. strut fronts stay strut fronts), mondo brakes, factory sheet metal from the firewall back.

GT-1 cars, unless they magically get way more support, is just about the top two or three folks that can spend the money.

Mark

I wrote a letter to the SCCA last year about them reviving it as a series to slot between Speed World Challenge GT and Touring. Tub-based like Mark said, but with significant mods and of course some amount of parity. With the new crop of ponycars coming out I thought it would be great. Maybe this will be a precurser to that I don't know, but as of now I think going back to tube-frame cars is a mistake.

Costas, if you read this, is this good news for Scratcher?

Stan, I do believe I saw him post "some" interest over on CC.

Great to see the series back, but big disappointment it isn't production based. They could have revived the series big time with the new muscle cars arriving. I'll put money it quickly becomes another has-been series that fades away if they don't push the renewed Big 3 muscle car rivalries. Well, Big 2 at least.

Used to love GT-1 and Trans-AM! They were my favorite cars/series.

Not so much anymore. Tub based cars are nearly as fast, and are more interesting....the fiberglass boxes with wildly unappealing shapes killed it for me in the end....

I agree....a SUPER World Challenge would be better.....like German Touring cars or the Austrailian ones...

Australian Supercars make me wet. Their tracks are so small that they're basically rr autox's. And, they might as well be running 10° of neg camber the way the fronts sit. Go Marcos Ambrose! Even the Ford Falcons are kind of cool.

Ask GM, Ford and Chrysler how tayloring product in the rear view mirror works out!!!!

THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHAT THE NEW TRANS-AM SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT!!!!

The Aussie's flat out get it done!

Yeah, I'm pretty excited. I realize some folks think it will suck, but personally I don't. The cost of entry to these isn't too bad now and while there are always those who can outspend (or chose to) it is still a damn fun formula to race and (personally speaking) to watch. We've got quite a few gt1s in sowdiv and on another board they were talking about 17 cars at last years Road Atlanta race. I'd bet the T/A series will bring in another dozen or so and maybe it is just me, but 30 GT1 cars on a grid would make my pants tight. We had 12 or so at the last double national I did (with another 5-6 that couldnt make the race) and according to this months SportsCar, GT1 is the 6th most popular class in the SCCA.

I'll likely keep the smallish cam in mine and give up an easy 100hp in exchange for more hours between overhaul, but the car is just so stupidfun as it is I can barely stand it. Yes, I'll get walked a bit on the straights but I'll do my best to be out there for the Road Atlanta opener. Hopefully one of the three TBA events is closer to Texas than the others listed. The GRM ultimate Track Car challenge is back at VIR for 09 and they are running the long course, so that is exciting too.

Costas
cars and such...

I talked to a few guys from the SCCA at PRI about it. Seems like there is a lot of interest in the TransAm concept. They want to get it more back to the roots when it was production based.

Was at TWS this weekend and saw first hand them grinding the bumps out of the banked turns. If weather permits, rejuvinator and sealer will be applied within the next few weeks.

Since Texas World is a sister track to Michigan, NASCAR teams are very interested in testing at TWS. I also over heard discussions about NASA running the 3.1 in August.

The new owner is really starting to make the place look nice once again.

Maybe Trans AM in Texas?