TRANS AM

History

Billed as the Trans American Sedan Championship, the Series held its first race March 25, 1966, at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. Future Formula One World Champion Jochen Rindt took the overall victory and Bob Tullius won the Over 2-Liter class. Other first-year notables included A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, Jerry Titus and Belgium's Jacky Ickx and the others may have been the star attractions during the inaugural season, but the foundation was built with regulars like Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey in Alfa Romeos, Tullius and Tony Adamowicz in Dodge Darts, and Bob Johnson in a Plymouth Barracuda. In 1967, Mark Donohue entered the Trans Am Series, and a legend was born. Donohue earned three victories in 1967; 10 in 1968; six in 1969; three in 1970; and seven during 1971, his final season in the Series. Donohue scored a record 29 victories while driving for Roger Penske, as well as 43 top-three finishes in 55 Trans Am races, and won the championship three times (1968, 1969 and 1971), with two runner-up positions.

Donohue Dominance

The Donohue played a major role in establishing the Trans Am Series as the ultimate American automobile showdown. Donohue's Penske-prepared Camaro waged a season-long war with Parnelli Jones' Ford Mustang in 1969. Donohue prevailed, but only after winning six of the final seven races. The 1970 season began where 1969 left off, as American manufacturers waged war on the Trans Am battlefield. The Series featured Donohue and Peter Revson in AMC Javelins; Parnelli Jones and George Follmer in Ford Mustangs; Jim Hall, Vic Elford and Milt Minter in Chevrolet Camaros; Sam Posey in a Dodge Challenger; and Swede Savage in a Plymouth Barracuda.

Jones won the closest Drivers' Championship-by a one-point margin ahead of Donohue-guiding Ford to its third Trans Am Series manufacturers' title. The 1971 season was another Donohue steamroller as he won seven races, including six straight, in his AMC Javelin. Donohue easily won the Drivers' Championship, and AMC was the hands-down winner among the manufacturers.

Rule Changes

In 1973, the Trans Am Series went through its first major rule change. FIA Group 4 cars became the dominant force as Peter Gregg and Al Holbert finished first and second, respectively, in Porsche Carreras. In 1974, Gregg won two of the three races on the schedule. Holbert won the other race as Porsche swept one through five in the points and took eight of the 30 top spots.

In 1975, the Trans Am Series was restructured based on the SCCA Club Racing's fastest production car classes. Group 4 and 5 cars were added to the mix in 1976, and the Trans Am Series went to a two-class system-Category I and II. In 1978, Greg Pickett won the Category II drivers' title, in a Chevrolet Corvette. Bob Tullius clinched the Category I championship in a Jaguar XJS.

Due to rising costs, the Category II class was eliminated at the end of the 1979 season.

Modern Era Begins

In 1980, the Trans Am Series began to utilize a handicapping system based on engine size-to-car-weight ratio, with tube-framed cars entering the picture. The tube-frame standard has remained since and signaled the start of "modern-era" Trans Am Series racing. After a 14-year absence, the Chevrolet Camaro reclaimed the Trans Am Manufacturers' Championship in 1983 as the DeAtley Racing team won 10 of 12 events, with David Hobbs winning the title ahead of Willy T. Ribbs. In 1984, Tom Gloy and Lincoln-Mercury won three races en route to his first title. Lincoln-Mercury won 11 of the 16 races, including five straight, to win its first championship.

The Roush Dynasty

Entering the Trans Am Series in 1984, the Roush Racing dynasty dominated for the next six seasons, winning 46 of the 83 races, posting 97 top-three finishes, winning 40 poles and recording 40 fastest race laps. The Roush Capris proved unbeatable in 1985, winning 12 of the 15 races as 22-year-old Wally Dallenbach, Jr. won five races and became the youngest Trans Am Series champion in history. Ribbs, also in a Roush Capri, won more races (seven) and more money ($132,933) than Dallenbach, but finished second in the title chase for the second time in his career.

Chevrolet and Lincoln-Mercury waged a fierce battle in 1986, and the title came down to the last race. With victories in five of the first six races, it appeared Chevrolet was headed for the championship, but Lincoln-Mercury staged a comeback, and Roush's drivers won four of the last five races to bring the automaker its third-straight manufacturers' title. Also in 1986, Dallenbach left Lincoln-Mercury to become Chevrolet's lead driver-and he didn't disappoint. Dallenbach won four races en route to his second-straight title, placing him among the elite company of three other back-to-back Trans Am champions up to that point: Tullius (1977 and 197, Gregg (1973 and 1974), and Donohue (1968 and 1969).