The TRANS-AM: Fun or Profit ? The Trans-Am Series is a beautiful thing, I know, I grew up with. In fact, the Trans- Am is where I started my motorsport journalism career during the Ice Age. What makes this venerable sedan championship all things to all people? Namely its ability to assume new identities as required, either in terms of its rules, or its management. In short, what’s true today for the Trans-Am, most probably won’t be true tomorrow; and that’s a shame because the Trans-Am should be simplicity itself. A little traveling music please Originally, the Trans-Am started out in 1966 as a home for Ford’s then hot selling Mustang and friends. Even as a proud John Bishop, at the time the Executive Director of the Sports Car Club of America watched his new baby take its first steps that March as a preliminary show to the annual Sebring 12-Hour enduro, complications appeared in the form of future World Champion Jochen Rindt and his once rolled Alfa Romeo GTV, the Austrian topping the domestic field. By the following year, the SCCA had divided the series into two classes, the Detroiters running in the Over Two Litre division, the foreigners in the under Two Liter category, home not only to the pesky Alfa’s and their Lotus Cortina cousins, but to Porsche’s 911, an unintended interloper accepted because its interior cockpit volume was of such size as to qualify it as a sedan under the FIA scriptures used by the SCCA to determine U2L eligibility. From a Pony to a Camel Despite the presence of the 911 (which utterly dominated its class until the SCCA kicked it out of the Trans-Am following the 1969 season), the formula worked well as Detroit’s “Pony Car” set warred against each other to cheering fans, and hopefully greater sales. It was a perfect deal, at least until the government and the bean counters got into the act, safety and emissions. Along with the high costs of factory racing, bringing an end to the era by 1973 when the Trans-Am decided to emulate the IMSA Camel GT Series in format. The trouble was that the Camel GT (ironically another Bishop product, put into place when he established his sanctioning organization following his enforced resignation from the SCCA in 1969) did it better. The newly re-installed Porsches, now in Carrera RSR form and their IMSA rivals doing little to improve interest in or attendance at Trans-Am events. By 1975, the series had declined to the point where it had become a venue for SCCA Club racers looking for a little extra pocket money. Such was its shape that no one would bet on the Trans Am seeing another season. But, that was before Joe Hoppen, Porsche’s North American competition boss, found himself saddled with a bunch of unwanted, an unpaid for Zuffenhausen-built 934 Turbos that had been slated for the Camel GT until Bishop nixed their presence at the last minute. Hoppen might have escaped unnoticed except for the fact that he had signed for the cars, essentially without his employers’ knowledge. Getting a BOOST Faced with adversity, Hoppen did the only practical – he conned the SCCA into creating a Trans-Am category especially for his Porsches (oh, and if you happened to have an IMSA legal car from a different brand, such as Chevrolet or BMW, you could bring that too). In the end, the newly formed Category II (Category I being for the now surplus Club set), saved the series. Yet, the SCCA wasn’t happy, and by the early 1980’s had turned the Trans-Am into a tube frame sedan tour –still however accepting both domestic and foreign-bodied machinery, at least until Hoppen and his all-wheel-drive, all-conquering Audi Quattros smoked the opposition. After that it was” made in America only.” That lasted until Ralph Sanchez leased the marketing and operational rights to the Trans-Am from the SCCA at the end of the decade. Still sanctioned by the SCCA, the Trans-Am, which under the club’s stewardship had gone through a raft of different title sponsors, the series had some bumpy times as the officiating left something to be desired on occasion (one such incident resulting in a nearly instant change in the Trans-Am’s on-track SCCA management corps). More importantly health issues forced Sanchez to step back, leaving the Trans-Am’s fate in the hands of his new partner Don Panoz. Rocket 88 Panoz, busy with his own American Le Mans Series tour, was soon looking around for someone to take the Trans-Am off his hands. That someone turned out to be Paul Gentilozzi, a talented multi-time Trans-Am champion, known for his aggressive, often successful driving style, who over the years had developed his own thoughts on what the Trans-Am ought to be. Forceful, and truthful, Gentilozzi, quite frankly, went through a learning curve with the series when he took it over last season from the Panoz people as he tried to balance being a driver, team owner of the Rocketsports operation, series head and newly installed CART team owner. It was a difficult meal for anyone to digest, particularly one not used to having to deal with the perceived conflict of interest issues that so often attend such combined functions (see Andy Evans’ tenure at IMSA). By the end of the season, Gentilozzi’s Rocketsport Jaguars were in full command, his hired gun Scott Pruett easily winning the title (and, oh yes, did I fail to mention that foreign body styles were again back in vogue). Now comes the interesting part. Gentilozzi, who has become a principal in the Open Wheel Holdings group that has purchased the assets of the now bankrupt CART organization, decided to sell his Trans-Am lease agreement (or more specifically the company: Trans-m Racing LLC, which hold the lease) to Open Wheel Racing so that the Trans-Am could become a partner with newly formed Open Wheel Racing Series in 2004. Pressed Rat and Warthog In December a press release announced that deal, followed a day after by the SCCA’s own release saying that Gentilozzi’s deal would run out with the New Year and that he would have to re-negotiate for 2004 and beyond. Having secured the Motorock folks as sponsors for theTrans-Am (or, again more specifically Trans- Am Racing LLC – which is now an Open Wheel property) Gentilozzi and his partners say they want the Trans-Am name but will run a Trans-Am like sedan series with Motorock backing no matter what. The SCCA says they want to be a part of it all, subject to a successful conclusion to the negotiating process, of course. So that’s where we are. Once again the Trans-Am’s fate is up in the air, for if the parties don’t agree, the SCCA will be left with just a name and little chance of running a successful season at this late date, while Gentilozzi and pals will have the guts of the thing, but no title. Confusing you bet. Normal, you bet as well it is. How will things turn out? Gentilozzi being a smart man, one suspects that he will not only prevail, but prevail with the SCCA coming to see things his way. If not, well it could be an interesting year, on and off the track. |
Bill Oursler |
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