Event Preview: Trans Am at Mid-Ohio SpeedTour

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli returns to action this weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for Round 6 of the 12-round 2025 season. The Trans Am Series has been racing at the Lexington, Ohio, facility since 1967, with competitors taking the checkered flag 50 times in 58 years. The first event was won by Jerry Titus, who was also the fastest qualifier in that event. This weekend will see nearly 50 competitors take the green flag between the TA/XGT/SGT/GT/GT1 classes and the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. The facility has seen a number of improvements since Trans Am last visited Ohio, including an extensive update around Turn 4 and the replacement of safety barriers and fencing in multiple places around the track.

Making Wishes Come True at Lime Rock

The Trans Am Series will welcome nine-year-old Gideon and his family from the Make-A-Wish Foundation to Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course as a guest of CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series driver Bob Accardo (No. 39 Guthrie’s Garage/Race Marketing USA Ford Mustang) and Guthrie’s Garage.

Called Gio by those closest to him, his life changed forever just three days after his seventh birthday when he experienced his first seizure. What followed were nearly two years of hospitalizations, emergency rooms, and endless tests, until his family finally received the diagnosis: Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a rare, life-threatening form of epilepsy that resists nearly every form of treatment. His seizures are unpredictable, relentless, and cruel, and because of them, Gio has lost the ability to do so many things other children take for granted. In searching for answers, doctors discovered two additional genetic disorders: NF1 and KIF4A-related syndrome. These have contributed to his epilepsy, as well as intellectual disability, autism, and many other lifelong challenges. Yet, through all of it, Gio remains a light.

Past Winners at Mid-Ohio
There are 10 drivers on this weekend’s entry list who have driven to GYM WEED Winners Circle in the Trans Am Series at Mid-Ohio. CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series driver Rafa Matos has the most victories at the track of anyone entered this weekend, tallying three wins.

TA
Paul Menard, No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang: 2024
Wally Dallenbach, No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang: 2023 (TAH), 1985
Chris Dyson, No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang: 2023, 2021
Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro: 2014 (TA2)

SGT
Milton Grant, No. 15 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 992: 2022

GT
Todd Napieralski, No. 39 Synergy Composites Howe HR6: 2013
Chris Coffey, No. 97 Norwood Auto Italia/Traffic Grafix Maserati MC GT4: 2023

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Thomas Merrill, No. 26 HP Tuners/Franklin Road/Cope Chevrolet Camaro: 2022, 2020
Rafa Matos, No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro: 2023, 2021, 2018

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge
Barry Boes, No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro: 2024

TA/XGT/SGT/GT/GT1

Wally Dallenbach Jr.’s Last Ride
This weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio will be the final start for Trans Am Hall of Fame inductee Wally Dallenbach Jr., piloting the No. 4 Ultimate Headers Ford Mustang for team owner John Cloud, who will also participate in his final event this weekend. Known for his exceptional driving skills and charismatic personality, Dallenbach Jr. made an impression in his first full-time season, earning the 1984 Rookie of the Year honors. Impressing legendary team owner (and fellow Hall of Fame inductee) Jack Roush and the Ford Motor Company, Dallenbach Jr. was brought into the Roush Protofab stable in 1985, where he captured five victories and the championship, edging out teammate Willy T. Ribbs. At 22 years old, he became what was then the youngest-ever Trans Am champion. He followed that up with another title the following season, winning the championship by a huge margin while racing a Chevrolet Camaro. Dallenbach Jr. earned his first and only TA class victory at Mid-Ohio in 1985, the season he captured his first title. He attempts to take the checkered flag 40 years later in his final event at the track. He has one other victory at Mid-Ohio in TAH in 2023.

100 Starts for Andretti
Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro) will hit a tremendous milestone when he takes the green flag at Mid-Ohio this weekend, tallying what will be his 100th start in the Trans Am Series. Andretti made his Trans Am debut in 2013, starting off in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series in the No. 44 Engineered Components Camaro for ECC Motorsports. He scored his first-career wins in TA2 in 2014, scoring victories at Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio and VIRginia International Raceway that year. Andretti made his first start in the TA class in 2015, and his first win in the class came in 2019 at Circuit of The Americas driving the No. 44 Anchor Bolt & Screw/SRI Performance/ECC Dodge Challenger. In total, Andretti has eight-career wins (two in TA, five in TA2 and one in TAH), with the most recent coming at Road Atlanta in 2024 in the TA class. Andretti is the 21st driver to reach 100 starts in the series.

Ohioan Ruman Looking for Home Track Win
Two-time TA champion and Trans Am Hall of Fame inductee Amy Ruman (No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette) and her family-owned Ruman Racing team will be coming home this weekend at Mid-Ohio, which is located less than 90 miles from her hometown of Stow, Ohio. Currently fourth in the point standings, Ruman has made 14 starts at her home track, but has never made it to the top step of the podium at Mid-Ohio, earning a best finish of second at the facility in 2012.

Menard Hoping for Back-To-Back Victories
Fresh off his win at Lime Rock Park, Paul Menard (No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang) heads to Mid-Ohio to defend his 2024 victory in the rain at the Ohio track. Menard continues to lead the point standings in the TA class, holding a 20-point advantage over second-place Adam Andretti. Although he already knows what it takes to stand on the top step of the podium at Mid-Ohio, if he needs advice, he need look no further than 3GT Racing team owner and Trans Am Hall of Fame inductee Paul Gentilozzi, who scored victories at the track in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

STANDINGS
TA
1. Paul Menard (501)
2. Adam Andretti (481)
3. Tomy Drissi (440)
4. Amy Ruman (433)
5. Chris Dyson (373)

XGT
1. Paul Tracy (177)
2. Danny Lowry (154)
3. Kaylee Bryson (151)
4. Mustafa Bakir (73)
5. Erich Joiner (50)
5. Xuanqian Wang (50)

SGT
1. Joshua Carlson (310)
2. Patrick Utt (135)
3. Milton Grant (70)
4. Lee Saunders (65)

GT
1. Chris Coffey (235)
2. Mike Fitzpatrick (65)

GT1 Challenge
1. Jon DeGaynor (50)
1. Rob Dickey (50)

XGT Pick 6
1. Billy Griffin (153)

SGT Pick 6
1. Carey Grant (65)
2. David Melnick (55)

GT Pick 6
1. Colin Cohen (120)
2. Jeff Lindstrom (55)
3. Maciej Tuniewicz (50)

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series

Tristan McKee Takes Points Lead
After securing his third-straight podium at Lime Rock Park last month, 14-year-old Tristan McKee (No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) has taken the lead in the championship standings for the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. With 448 points, he holds a six-point advantage over second-place Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Gazoo Racing/Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry), and also tops both the Rookie of the Year and Young Gun Award standings. Having only competed in seven points-paying Trans Am races in his career, the young rookie has only one finish outside the top five in points. With mentors like TeamSLR’s Scott Lagasse Jr., Scott Lagasse Sr. and Chevrolet Motorsports’ Josh Wise, Scott Speed and Lorin Ranier, the youngest driver in the series has the support to potentially find himself on the championship stage at the year-end awards gala.

Corry Finds Victory Lane 
In just his fifth Pro race in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, Sam Corry (No. 70 Stilo Helmets/Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) found his way to GYM WEED Winners Circle in Trans Am’s most-recent outing at Lime Rock Park. In his first podium of the 2025 season, Corry led a 1-2 finish for Nitro Motorsports after a late-race battle with teammate Thomas Annunziata. The 17 year old from Cornelius, N.C. has been a quick study in Trans Am, winning the Pro/Am Challenge race in his series debut at Circuit of The Americas last November.

SCCA Success
A handful of drivers competing in this weekend’s event found recent success in the SCCA Super Tour event at Mid-Ohio last month, providing them with additional experience at the historic track. Pro/Am Challenge competitor Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black Underwear/CoolBoxx Chevrolet Camaro) won GT2 Race 2 at the recent event, while last year’s Pro/Am champion Barry Boes (No. 27 Accio Data/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) finished second in the race. Young Gun Gian Buffomante (No. 95 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) finished second in the Group 7 GE2 class’ Race 2 in the May event, and has previously won in the GT2 class in a past Super Tour race weekend at Mid-Ohio.

Annunziata’s Mid-Ohio Victories
Currently second in the point standings, Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Gazoo Racing/Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) comes into the weekend with previous success at Mid-Ohio in other racing series. In the summer of 2022, Annunziata dominated a Mazda Motorsports weekend, capturing a pole and winning races in the Lucas Oil Formula cars and Spec MX-5 Challenge. Annunziata already has two TA2 victories this season (Sebring International Raceway and Road Atlanta), and with a podium finish at Lime Rock Park and a ninth-place finish at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, he has only finished outside the top 10 once this year.

Matos vs. Merrill
The two drivers in Sunday’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race who have tallied the most victories at Mid-Ohio are former champions Rafa Matos (No. 57 Concord American Flagpole/SHR Chevrolet Camaro) and Thomas Merrill (No. 26 HP Tuners/Franklin Road/Cope Chevrolet Camaro). Defending champion Matos has driven to GYM WEED Winners Circle three times at the Ohio track, in 2018, 2021 and, most recently, in 2023, whereas Merrill has two victories, recorded in 2020 and 2022. Even though Matos has the most recent win, Merrill has the most recent experience at Mid-Ohio, having competed on the circuit just one week ago in the IMSA Pilot Challenge. In that event, Merrill won the pole and shared his ride with Trans Am driver David Hampton, for whom he is a driver coach.

STANDINGS
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series
1. Tristan McKee (448)
2. Thomas Annunziata (442)
3. Rafa Matos (407)
4. Adrian Wlostowski (380)
5. Sam Corry (371)

CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge
1. Barry Boes (491)
2. Jared Odrick (465)
3. Keith Prociuk (417)
4. Tom Sheehan (387)
5. Doug Winston (325)

YOUNG GUNS
1. Tristan McKee (448)
2. Thomas Annunziata (442)
3. Sam Corry (371)
4. Julian DaCosta (359)
5. Gian Buffomante (323)

ROTY
1. Tristan McKee (448)
2. Sam Corry (371)
3. Julian DaCosta (359)
4. Gian Buffomante (323)
5. Noah Harmon (302)