Why is it one never sees these races on TV nor hear about the competitiors?

Is it THAT dead?

Do you mean these guys?

http://www.trans-amseries.com/

I personally think that the SCCA can only effectively peddle one series at a time. Their current favorite is World Challenge, not Trans Am...

One only needs look at the owners to see the problem with Trans Am.

Before I posted I went there and saw a schedule of races but no air time for them.

I would think that it would be the premeire series ...

Even if it didn't have it's ownership "issues", Trans Am does not appeal to the masses anymore. "Younger" folk want to watch underpowered fwd cars race (Mazda 6, Mazda Protege, Acura RSX's, etc.) World Challenge "plays" better to a wide TV audience...

I went to see Lou racing T/A at Lime Rock, and walked away wanting to see more of the Touring and GT races. At that particular T/A race there was only 16 car, compared to about twice as much with the Touring race, thus more action (except seeing Lou and Louis fabbing up a new nose and duck taped it).

And the cars in GT are better looking than those T/A cars, especially the Vettes. The T/A vettes are just not as graceful looking as the GT cars, IMO.

I'm personally not missing the T/A series so much. Despite all the "conspiracies" and what nots, GT and TC are my favorite series to watch.

I was planning to go see the T/A race at the Toronto Molson Indy a few weeks ago, but the Friday test times showed only 11 cars. That included Ron Fellows and two other local Canadians. Only 8 regulars showed up.

Yup, I stayed home.

I watched the T/A races when they were in portland with the champ cars.

Other than being a 2 car, Jag only show, the rest of the racing was not bad. but a small field, and 2 cars the completely dominated any other compition (they lapped all but 1 or 2 cars.) sort of turned me off to them.

I went to the ALMS sereis in DC a few years ago, the only year they were there. I would rather watch the TA series because there were fewer cars.... the GT cars were too crowded and ran a huge portion of the race under caution. I would prefer to watch cars that resemble street cars a little more, but I was sick of seeing yellow. That was the race where Lou was punted into a wall, then the tow truck towed him into the opposite wall on the way out!

IMO, the Speed GT series is resembling what Trans Am used to be when it first started (such as the era where Mark Donohue and Parnelli Jones dominated) -- recognizable cars that closely resembled cars you could drive off the showroom floor (not counting the Caddies ). Which is why I'm more interested in the Speed GT series ... and Touring Car ... and also why I'd rather watch NHRA Stock and Super Stock cars over top fuel cars, but that's for another thread.

Yeah....I LOVED TRANS AM RACING.....but in the last years it was bad....when the cars didn't even resemble any car they were "based" on...

I think what others have said is true....it is dying not only because Gentillozzi's ownership, but because the fan base is not into that anymore....like it or not....tuner's are in....

I think WC fits nicely into "their" world, and I get to see big cars run in GT that are approaching TA speeds!



That and WC is very close to the "original" Trans Am cars/concept anyway....

let Gentellozi have the dying animal....

It could be said we're all driving dying animals. They're not being made anymore and so much of the market is moving away from cars like ours - racing and on the street. However, I say make hay while the sun shines.

Chrysler is starting to bring v8 rear drive cars to market. They are not exactly F-bodies, but I'd drive a dodge magnum (I'm still not sold on the styling) over a honda/acura any day. So, maybe this is more than the "last gasps" of a dead configuration. BMW still has RWD and some HP, Vettes exist, Vipers, 911's. There are still fast RWD cars, but affordable performance is getting harder to find.

Thanks for bringing up Chrysler since I work for them. BTW, I drove a RWD Chrysler this week with our new engine in it (soon to hit the presses BTW). It really gives me a good sense of satisfaction to know that I've been a part of a package that I know will get great reviews once it's publicized. Driving it just completes the picture. Sometimes, as an engine component product engineer, you get so focused on base engine that you forget your parts have to make up a whole package for a consumer.

If you are ever in the Detroit area this summer or early Fall let me know and I'll see if I can borrow one of our cars.

However, as you say, the F body market was falling away and the new RWD V8 cars are clearly in a different marketplace.

I'd like that alot. I'm only a few hours from Detroit and always need a road trip. I drove to west bloomfield to get a set of steel V6 rims for my car from Ebay. 500 miles for $40 in wheels?

It is a different market, but the Chrysler 300 is "F-body fast" and looks more Bently than Camaro. I've not driven one yet, so I can't say if I'd like it or not. But I'm glad it exists. Choice is never a bad thing.

I've been looking real hard at trading my Camaro for a 3/4 ton truck with a Hemi/5 speed combo and buying a real track car. I just can't bring myself to part with the 2002 Z yet. But they are nice trucks.

Our new car is faster than any F body ever was.

And, I'm guessing that it is not "viper based". Sounds fun. I'm also guessing that you can't tell anything about it either. Drop me a line, I'll come drive it for them. Have helmet, will travel.

Not Viper based. Other than that, the details will finally be coming out soon.

I expected as much. Can you get me a job there? That sounds like much more fun that I have everyday. Though I once interviewed with the Forsythe racing McDonalds team for a Telemetry position (I'm an ex-avoinics tech). They were ready to hire me when a team member decided to take that job, so they hired a gearbox technician. The good news is that the team "went away" the next year. So, maybe I dodged a bullet.

I doubt I will ever go back to working in the racing industry. Like you say, the jobs are very volatile and now that I'm married and have a kid it just wouldn't be prudent. Working at SRT is a lot of fun, and the guys I work with are ALL car enthusiasts. Very few jobs here, especially with an OE, are that way.

A coworker test drove a hemi Magnum. He said it was an awsome car ... just not $40K awesome.

I haven't seen a Hemi Magnum at $40K. Heck, even the 300C with the Hemi is about $35K with many options. Magnums are cheaper I thought.

Time elapses . . . just priced one on carpoint.com with a lot of options for $33K. Are dealers in Dallas marking them up due to low supply or something?

yeah.....I like the Magnum....I would buy one.....

...low 30's is what I have seen...good price I would say...

Chrysler's gonna hafta make a TON of "cars faster than an f-body ever was" before I switch to them however....sorry Mike....

Just passing on 2nd hand info.

I personally haven't priced one, although $40K sounded high, but feasible ...

I don't know, but it seems to me rwd is making a huge comeback. We're just to the point where fwd doesn't make sense when you're cranking out so many ponies. Hell, even my wife's accord (ok, Acura TL-S) makes 270hp.

I think anyone that makes a CHEAP, fun, rwd car will sell shitpiles of them. The problem is the cheap part. Look at Mustang. How many does Ford sell every year? How many more are they going to sell beginning with this new one? How about that Pontiac Solstice that might come out? That'd be a great car.

Randy, that's OK. You're not the target market for Chrysler's current cars. Maybe we'll make something in the future that might fit your bill though.

....well if Gm keep F'in up like they have in recent memory....making me switch MAY, in fact, be possible some day....

....at LEAST for a street vehicle...

:drive:

Would Chrysler at least have a better chance than BMW of selling you a daily driver?

....HELL YEAH!...

....its a good thing the "OTHER" German car company owns your but!...

Well, actually I work for Ricardo, an engineering consulting firm that SRT has hired to do this new engine. We are a British owned firm. I only work for Chrysler, but they don't sign my paychecks.

Outsourcing is a big thing nowadays . . .

OMG, there are yet more smiley faces. I've obviously been gone for a couple of days or something.