Paul Menard commenced the 2025 Trans Am Series, sponsored by Pirelli, in a way reminiscent of his 2024 championship season. He claimed victory at Sebring International Raceway, replicating his triumph that marked the beginning of his previous championship win. From his pole position at the start of the race, Menard led the initial five laps until Brent Crews, the 2023 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion, overtook him. However, Crews’ ill-timed mechanical malfunction returned Menard to the lead, setting the stage for his first victory of the season.
The green flag marked the start of the season, and Menard, in his No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang, swiftly propelled ahead, leaving his competitors behind. Adam Andretti, in his No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro, overtook Chris Dyson in the No. 16 GYM WEED Ford Mustang for the second position in the first lap. On the following lap, Crews, who started the race in the fifth position, managed to surpass Tomy Drissi in his No. 8 Trench Shoring Co./Motul Chevrolet Camaro, Dyson, and Andretti to take the runner-up spot. Crews’ No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro exhibited remarkable speed, and by the sixth lap, he was locked in a side-by-side tussle with Menard for the lead, eventually emerging victorious.
A double yellow flag was displayed on the 12th lap, signifying a mechanical failure for Dyson, who had held the fourth position. This resulted in a hard collision with the wall and ended his race prematurely. Racing resumed on the 18th lap, and despite Menard’s challenge, Crews once again took the lead. Tragically, a mere two laps later, Crews was forced to withdraw from the race due to a transmission issue.
Menard regained the lead, closely pursued by Andretti, Amy Ruman in her No. 23 McNichols Co./Valley Automotive Group Chevrolet Corvette, Humaid Masaood in his No. 21 allgram Ford Mustang, and Tomy Drissi in his No. 8 Trench Shoring Co./Motul Chevrolet Camaro. Despite Andretti’s relentless challenges, Menard held onto the lead till the end, with Andretti finishing second and Ruman securing the final podium position. Drissi managed to overtake Masaood in the final laps, securing the fourth position while Masaood finished fifth.
A triumphant Menard commented, “It was an eventful day. We had a fast car all weekend. Brent Crews was exceptionally quick and after five laps, he managed to overtake us. We had a bit of a battle but he surpassed me cleanly. Then, Adam [Andretti] started catching up. The caution saved me from him. We had a short-run speed; we need to work on a bit of a long-run speed, but we know what we need to do. I’m incredibly proud of my team. We had two cars this weekend and the team worked tirelessly, juggling between Brandon Jones and myself, ensuring we both ran strong. It’s great to be back at Sebring and it’s a phenomenal way to start the year.”
The XGT class witnessed an exhilarating race, with Paul Tracy leading from the get-go in his class debut. Despite facing stiff competition, he managed to hold off Kaylee Bryson’s aggressive challenge in the final laps and emerged victorious. Bryson secured the second position, and Billy Griffin finished third.
Joshua Carlson led the SGT class from start to finish, marking an auspicious beginning to his season. He triumphed over Lee Saunders and Patrick Utt, who managed to secure a podium finish for the first time in his Trans Am career.
The GT race was equally thrilling with 2024 class champion Chris Coffey leading from start to finish, closely tailed by Mike Fitzpatrick. Despite Fitzpatrick’s persistent challenges, Coffey managed to secure his first win of the season.
Jon DeGaynor, the only competitor in the GT1 Challenge this weekend, unsurprisingly finished first but not without demonstrating an impressive performance amidst a large field of competition.
The Trans Am Series will resume next at Road Atlanta from March 20-23 for the Mission Foods Road Atlanta SpeedTour. Tickets are already up for grabs for this highly anticipated event.
