Dodge claims first-ever Trans-Am manufacturer’s title

[wingcar]

Dodge claims first-ever Trans-Am manufacturer's title
Matt Litwin Nov 24th, 2014

Think about the volumes of memorable race victories Dodge has been a part of. At the circle track it was Pearson (and others) in the Sixties, and Petty through most of the Seventies. For quarter-mile aficionados, it was the Ramchargers and Dick Landy. And on the road course it was, er, well not much, until Viper stunned the IMSA world with its overall victory at the 2000 24-Hours of Daytona.

Okay, road courses haven't exactly been its forte. Not that Dodge didn't try; think Sam Posey and his lime-green Challenger that, while somewhat competitive, couldn't muster a Trans-Am win during the golden era of the SCCA's series. While Posey went on to greatness, the few Challengers (the car) that remained through 1972 could barely finish.

Even in the Eighties, when the Trans-Am series was revitalized by a lucrative cable sports network contract and legitimate sponsor dollars for factory-backed teams, it was Ford and Mercury that dominated the circuit. Rules, manufactures and venues changed thereafter, and the series was put on hiatus in 2007 and '08, but never was Dodge in the hunt for a manufacturer's title. Until this year.

On Saturday, November 15, at Daytona International Speedway, 2013 Champion Cameron Lawrence held the slimmest of point leads in the TA2 class going into the 11th and final race of the 2014 Trans-Am season. A total of 50 cars across four classes took the green flag, 17 of them under the TA2 banner.

When the checkers fell on the 29-laps sprint around the speedway's 3.56-mile road course, Cameron came home first in class and fifth overall behind the wheel of his Dodge Challenger. In doing so, he joined an elite fraternity of drivers who have won back-to-back Trans-Am titles and gave the automaker its first-ever manufacture's title in the series.

"I'm so happy for Dodge. I'm incredibly lucky to be in this position working with a great team with a great car and all the people who have made this happen. I'm looking forward to keeping this going and seeing where it all takes us. It's remarkable how close this championship ended up being; we entered the weekend only a point ahead. We just took care of business all weekend long; the team worked so incredibly hard to give me the perfect car for the race—everyone deserves this, Miller Racing and Dodge," said an elated Cameron.

Claiming the event's overall win and TA class win was Amy Ruman in a Chevrolet Corvette, her second win this season, while Doug Peterson celebrated his TA class title in a Corvette. In TA3A (American Muscle Group), Ernie Francis Jr. took both the class win and season championship at the helm of a Chevy Camaro. Finally, in the TA3I (International Group), Russ Snow took the class win in his Corvette, but the title went to Jason Berkeley in a Corvette.

[Ghoste]

Awesome!  Kind of puts a sock in the mouth of all the Mustang fans who have been whining about the Hellcat being powerful but unable to brake or turn because the Challenger is so big and fat.

[HPP]

The Hellcat is big and fat and easily has a few hundred pounds over a Mustang.

The TA2 cars are purpose built racing chassis that are skinned in the car of choice with the respective manufacturers powerplant.

For $80k, or around $15-20k more than a Hellcat, you can have a TA2 Challenger too.  http://www.howeracing.com/Adobe/HoweTA20811.pdf

[Ghoste]

Yes I'm aware of that but the Mustangs in TA are race prepped as well so the overstated (in my opinion) street advantage apparently didn't automatically transfer over to the race chassis for Ford?

[myk]

Way to go Dodge boys!

[JB400]

Time for them to pull out of the series, isn't it? 

Good for them 

[ACUDANUT]

Where does it say T/A ?

[RallyeMike]

Awesome!  Kind of puts a sock in the mouth of all the Mustang fans who have been whining about the Hellcat being powerful but unable to brake or turn because the Challenger is so big and fat.

Sorry but car prep in this series is so far away from stock it does not compare at all.

Congrats to Dodge anyway.

[myk]

Awesome!  Kind of puts a sock in the mouth of all the Mustang fans who have been whining about the Hellcat being powerful but unable to brake or turn because the Challenger is so big and fat.

Sorry but car prep in this series is so far away from stock it does not compare at all.

Congrats to Dodge anyway.

Was there/is there a series that more closely resembled somewhat stock cars?

[Ghoste]

Bah, you guys can apologize for the Mustang all you want.  I'll say again that the Fords get as much race prep as the Dodge and the big car still bested the go kart.  Go Mopar!

[Troy]

Bah, you guys can apologize for the Mustang all you want.  I'll say again that the Fords get as much race prep as the Dodge and the big car still bested the go kart.  Go Mopar!

Uh, they all run on the same chassis with a resized fiberglass body. The fat pig of a street car is certainly competitive once you shrink it to size.

Troy

[Ghoste]

I'm still cheering for the home team. 

[JB400]

True.  The championship Challenger used to be a Camaro.  All they did was swap bodies and install a Hemi to replace the LS engine.

[200MPH]

good for Dodge

[HPP]

Was there/is there a series that more closely resembled somewhat stock cars?

The original Trans Am series from 66-72 was stock based, as was Nascar and NHRA in the same era.  There is SCCA Solo, which is so stock it is painful, but in their classes even Mustangs are oversized pigs and the dominate cars are Miatas. NASA American Iron series is somewhat stock based and has modern pony cars from the big three running, but as a rules based series the cars will be adding or subtracting weights to met minimums. http://www.nasaponycars.com/Racing_Schedule.html

[myk]

Was there/is there a series that more closely resembled somewhat stock cars?

The original Trans Am series from 66-72 was stock based, as was Nascar and NHRA in the same era.  There is SCCA Solo, which is so stock it is painful, but in their classes even Mustangs are oversized pigs and the dominate cars are Miatas. NASA American Iron series is somewhat stock based and has modern pony cars from the big three running, but as a rules based series the cars will be adding or subtracting weights to met minimums. http://www.nasaponycars.com/Racing_Schedule.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIWaSSk3Ms

It's nice to see "somewhat" every-day cars being run.  The 3-wheeled action seems interesting!

[RallyeMike]

I'm still cheering for the home team.  nana

Yer Italian?      

[Ghoste]

Canadian, cuz that's where they make Challengers. 

[HPP]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIWaSSk3Ms

It's nice to see "somewhat" every-day cars being run.  The 3-wheeled action seems interesting!

Some of those are more stock than you might think. For example, if you took your vintage Charger down there and you had welded in subframe conenctors, your car is no longer eligible for stock. Welded a seam shut - ineligible. Took your factory a/c out - ineligible. Have wheels bigger than 1" over stock - ineligible. Stock is stock as stock off the dealers floor with only tire and wheel changes allowed. Rules start to loosen up as you more into street prepared, and street modified. The video above encompassed these three classes.

However, they have recently come up with a class called Classic Americ Muscle or CAM, where we can run our cars. Albeit against newer pony cars and highly modified pro-touring type cars, but you can show up with a slightly to heavily modified muscle car and dodge cones.

[myk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpIWaSSk3Ms

It's nice to see "somewhat" every-day cars being run.  The 3-wheeled action seems interesting!

Some of those are more stock than you might think. For example, if you took your vintage Charger down there and you had welded in subframe conenctors, your car is no longer eligible for stock. Welded a seam shut - ineligible. Took your factory a/c out - ineligible. Have wheels bigger than 1" over stock - ineligible. Stock is stock as stock off the dealers floor with only tire and wheel changes allowed. Rules start to loosen up as you more into street prepared, and street modified. The video above encompassed these three classes.

However, they have recently come up with a class called Classic Americ Muscle or CAM, where we can run our cars. Albeit against newer pony cars and highly modified pro-touring type cars, but you can show up with a slightly to heavily modified muscle car and dodge cones.

Wow in that case CAM would be my only recourse for the Charger.  As for the Firebird however...