Brabham, Day Trans Am Winners at Road America
Photo courtesy of Trans Am
By Dennis Krause
Matthew Brabham continued his winning ways in the TA class of the Trans Am by Pirelli Series, Sunday, at Elkhart Lake’s Road America.
After posting a track record sub two-minute time in Saturday’s qualifying, Brabham took the lead at the drop of the green flag in his No. 16 Gym Soda Chris Dyson Racing Ford Mustang and slowly but steadily stretched it over Wisconsin’s Paul Menard in the No. 3 Pittsburg Paints Ford Mustang…that is until Menard experienced a tire going down about mid distance and was forced to pit for repairs.
A late race yellow in the 25-lap, 100-mile event around Road America’s 4.048 mile, 14-turn road course, bunched up the pack but Brabham easily outdistanced second place Tommy Drissi in the No. 8 Trench Shoring Chevrolet Camaro on the restart with one lap to go to claim an easy win.
“Look, it's never easy out there,” the third generation driver said. “I mean, obviously Paul had some issues there, but you know, he was there for the restart. I know he's a lap down, but I thought, hey, I know he's going to want to have a race, especially after the race he’s already had, and he had something there for me. I mean, we were so close in qualifying. I think that's the closest he's been to our car all year, and those guys are doing a great job. So, hats off to Paul Menard. That sucks for him in that race, but he's getting there, and it's going to be on for the rest of the year. So, it's going to be a good fight.”
It’s the 14th Trans Am Series by Pirelli victory for Brabham, and his sixth of the year in seven races, which extended his points lead over Menard, who finished in nine place, but fourth in class.
Photo courtesy of Trans Am
In the 25-lap, 100-mile CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race, Brabham started from pole in his first race in the series, but was passed by teammate for the weekend Helio Meza in the No. 28 TeamSLR Chevrolet Camaro at the drop of the green flag and was running second until a late race caution.
On the restart with 5 laps to go, Brabham’s No. 48 TeamSLR Chevrolet Camaro was passed by another TeamSLR driver, four-time NASCAR Euro Series champion Alon Day, dropping him to third. In retrospect, it turned out it was a pass for the lead as the 18-year-old Meza experienced a broken axel coming to the white flag out of turn 14, gifting the lead and ultimately the race win to Day.
“This is not exactly the kind of victory I wanted to have, especially when it’s because something happened to my teammate, but I will take it,” Day said. “Sometimes you need some luck, and I’m just happy and grateful it was on our side. It’s nice to have JSSI in victory lane again. It will bring us some good points for the championship and we will take it to Watkins Glen and fight hard there. I’m glad TeamSLR still took first and second. Matt (Brabham) was pretty hard to pass. I saw the opportunity in turn five and went after it.”
For his part, Brabham came up just one place short of sweeping his double duty weekend.
“I think with just a little bit of experience with these cars and these tires, I was a little bit slow on the restart. Usually I’m the guy on the restarts in TA, but it was the other way around. Still have a little bit to learn off these guys. They’re really good, they’re really talented, and I just am so thankful to be out here racing with these guys. I mean, it’s awesome.
“So cool race against these guys, “Brabham continued. “I obviously feel bad about what happened to Helio at the end there. I think he had a little bit on us, and then Alon got me into turn five, so I’m a little bit livid at myself that I let him through, but I know he deserved the win. Congrats to everyone, and thanks again, Scott Lagasse Racing.”
The win was the Israeli driver’s second in TA2 competition this season, his first coming at Lime Rock Park.
Despite his eventual 18th place finish, Meza, a five-time winner in the series this season, maintained his championship lead.
The next stop for the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series is Watkins Glen International for rounds eight and nine during the second and final doubleheader weekend of the season (July 16-19).
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.