Brabham to Do Double Duty at Road America
Photo: Courtesy of Trans Am
By Dennis Krause
A winner of five of the first six races in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli TA class, Matthew Brabham will make his first start in CUBE 3 ARCHITECTURE TA2 Series at this weekend’s Cheese Capital Cup at Elkhart Lake’s Road America.
In addition to his full-time ride in the No. 16 GYMWEED Ford Mustang for team owner Chris Dyson in the TA Series, the 32-year-old third generation racer will driving the No. 48 Roaring Pines Motor Club SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro for TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) in TA2.
Brabham, whose grandfather is three-time Formula One champion Sir Jack Brabham, and whose father is four-time IMSA GTP champion and IndyCar veteran Geoff Brabham, has looked to compete in the TA2 Series since his first taste of TA racing in 2021.
“For many years, really ever since I joined Trans Am, in general, I’ve always wanted to have a go at a TA2 race. Obviously, I think the TA cars are by far the most fun to drive, and I still stick by that – I mean, the TA class, in terms of just the driving experience, nothing can beat it.
“But what is really appealing and attractive to me when I’ve looked at TA2 is the competition and the size of the field and the racing aspect seem stronger. It’s just more cars and it seems like they can run closer and side-by-side. I’m a racecar driver at the end of the day, so the big attraction for me is the competition and racing side-by-side. I just looked at who the top team was and it was TeamSLR. I spoke to Scott (Lagasse Jr.) at Road Atlanta and he was super open to the idea and trying to make it work, so here we are.”
The versatile Brabham is looking forward to driving something a little different from what he’s used to.
Photo: Courtesy of Trans Am
“The TA2 obviously has less horsepower, smaller tires, less grip, and is probably more of a challenge to drive because you’ve got less grip. It’s definitely more like a stock car or like a NASCAR feel, and that’s kind of a newish world to me. It’ll be a new challenge for me and I don’t know how it’s going to go, whether I’m fast or not, but I’m very open-minded. It’ll be more so just doing it to have a go and have some fun with a new challenge. The plan is to try and adapt as quickly as possible.
“Every time I drive a racecar, I’m trying to win. But at the same time I understand that I haven’t raced those cars, and those guys are all very good. It’s hard to come in and beat people at their own game. Fortunately, I’ve adapted to a lot of other different racecars around the world, so I’m used to kind of being in that situation.”
As far as the physical, or mental, aspects of doing double duty this weekend, Brabham says he’s not concerned.
“I think I’m good at that part. I think the mental side and adapting my driving style between the two cars on the same day, I have no problem with that because I’ve had bigger extremes in the past. I’ve done Stadium Super Trucks and Indy Lights in an open-wheel car on the same weekend. So, if anything, I’m used to that big swing and change of driving styles, and I’ve always been pretty good at that, and I feel like that’s no problem.
“But I’m 32, so the challenge is going to be staying hydrated enough and fit enough to do every session properly. That’s going to be my challenge. It’s going to be tough, and hopefully it’s not too hot. I think the challenge for me is just going to be making sure I’m hydrated and physically in it. I know for sure I’ll be OK mentally, it’s just definitely going to be a big physical weekend for me.”
By virtue of his win last weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Brabham leads Wisconsin’s Paul Menard by 18 points in the TA standings.
Sunday’s TA/TAC/GT feature race, 25 laps or 75 minutes, takes the green flag at 10:05 AM with the CUBE 3 ARCHITECTURE TA2 Series, also 25 laps or 75 minutes, starting at 1:10 PM. All times CDT.
Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute.