Today, I want to revisit a series that’s been on hiatus for a while, but one that I really enjoy researching, and one that you will enjoy reading (I hope!). For this is installment of Racing Worth Watching, I want to share with you some information about what I think is some of the best racing in North America – the Trans Am series.
Lime Rock. Road Atlanta. Brainerd. VIR. COTA. These are just a few of the classic road courses that the Trans Am series will visit this year. Forget street circuits, parking lots, or rovals (OK, there are a few of those): Trans Am visits some truly epic road courses across North America, tracks that have hosted F1, NASCAR, and IMSA, just to name a few! Today, the Trans Am is classic American sports car racing with modern equipment, for a modern audience.

The iconic Dodge Challenger seen here, sliding through a corner. Skinny tires + 500hp = awesome.
In past posts, I would give you a rundown of the history of a particular series, with lots of cool pictures. However, you all know the glorious history of Trans Am, and modern TA really is an exciting series in its own right, so let’s focus on the here and now. After a short timeout (from 2006-2009), the Trans Am series is back with a vengeance, and better than ever.

To keep things nice and simple, and to accommodate the growing number of cars, Trans Am has three classes: TA, TA2, and TA3. Here’s a quick rundown of the classes.

TA is the top dog, of course, with monster engines and monster performance. They are full-on racing machines, with 850hp engines. Most guys are using Corvette bodies, although you’ll see a few Mustangs, too.
TA2 is the iconic pony car racing series. If the idea of Mustang vs. Camaro vs. Challenger excites you, this is what you want to watch. These guys put on an incredible show, and the field is growing with every event.
TA3 is comprised of the International Group, and the American Muscle Group. This is a production-based class, based on SCCA GT2 rules, which keeps costs down, and puts the focus on factory performance. Everything from the M3 to the Camaro is eligible.

Intrigued? Trans Am has all of their races on YouTube. Here’s the TA/TA3 race from Lime Rock last month.
[youtube width=”700″ height=”525″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTi0Gnd-zXc[/youtube]
Here’s the TA2 race, also from Lime Rock.
[youtube width=”700″ height=”525″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNLEWgFKHzc[/youtube]
So, let’s summarize what we find in the Trans Am series. TA: massive power, big GT cars. TA2: pony cars on steroids, car counts growing like crazy. TA3: factory sports cars fighting for dominance. No matter which class you like most, you really can’t go wrong with Trans Am. We really are spoiled for choice when it comes to road racing in the US, and I believe Trans Am makes a very good case why you should watch. Let us know what you think in the comments.