Alas, CC Drops Trans Am... [Archive]

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NismoZ

12-12-05, 03:16 PM

It has been a slowly developing train wreck and even it's total demise would be no shock, but I was hoping a merger with perhaps the Speed World Challenge might have helped. I think CC needs some fenders in it's 3 day festivals. I wonder what the effect to PG and the CC amigo team might be? Hope a plan of some sort is in the works.

nrc

12-12-05, 04:01 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (CP) - The Champ Car World Series announced Monday it will no longer be the sanctioning body of the Trans-Am Series.

''We have elected not to renew the licensing agreement with the Trans-Am Series,'' Champ Car president Steve Johnson said in a statement. ''We have enjoyed having the Trans-Am series compete at our events, our fans enjoyed the series and we wish the series and all its competitors, the best of luck in the future.''

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=146741

extramundane

12-12-05, 04:41 PM

but I was hoping a merger with perhaps the Speed World Challenge might have helped.

There was a bit of talk that the SWC GT class would take the TA name, but a "merger" would not have been possible or practical.

I think CC needs some fenders in it's 3 day festivals.

USTCC, baby. :gomer:

KLang

12-12-05, 04:48 PM

What a shame. My first exposure to live racing was the Des Moines Grand Prix, starting back in 89. TransAm was the headliner each year. I liked it so well I started attending Champ Car races the following year.

I wonder who will replace them as a support series?

cameraman

12-12-05, 04:57 PM

The press release:

INDIANAPOLIS -- What follows are statements from the Champ Car World Series regarding its future with the Trans-Am Series. As of today, the Champ Car World Series will no longer be affiliated as the sanctioning body of the Trans-Am Series. Any use of the following quotes should be attributed to Champ Car President Steve Johnson.

“We have elected not to renew the licensing agreement with the Trans-Am Series. Any further comment on the matter should come from Trans-Am.”

“Trans-Am had been a mainstay in road racing for many years and has been a popular component of our three-day festivals of speed for the last two seasons. We have enjoyed having the Trans-Am series compete at our events, our fans enjoyed the series and we wish the series, and all its competitors, the best of luck in the future.”

Winston Wolfe

12-12-05, 05:03 PM

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=146741

Can anyone "translate" that for me.... I mean, is there some behind the scenes stuff going on, and did Paul G have his hands pretty deeply involved with TA for a while ?
Obviously he is NOT the mouthpiece for CCWS any longer, which is a good thing, but I thought TA was still his baby...
Anyone, anyone... ?

pchall

12-12-05, 05:08 PM

Somebody had to drive a stake through that walking dead series.

T/A is thirty years out of date and beyond resuscitation. The concept died in 1973, folks. Check out your old stubs and programs. The SCCA should be able to find another use for T/A's lingering brand equity with a couple of years of thinking. :flame:

cameraman

12-12-05, 05:14 PM

So it seems that Trans Am is now independent from CCWS.

If it is going to continue "... further comment on the matter should come from Trans-Am"

I guess we wait for P.G. to hold a press conference (or not).

extramundane

12-12-05, 05:25 PM

“With Champ Car’s decision not to renew the Trans-Am name in 2006, SCCA is considering its options of how the name might be utilized in the future. These options include, but are not limited to, licensing the name out to another organization for a racing series or utilizing the name ourselves.” - SCCA Statement (http://www.scca.com/News/News.asp?Ref=491)

NismoZ

12-12-05, 06:51 PM

coolhand

12-12-05, 08:23 PM

L1P1

12-12-05, 08:33 PM

The SCCA should be able to find another use for T/A's lingering brand equity with a couple of years of thinking. :flame:

Perhaps Pontiac would be interested.

extramundane

12-12-05, 08:42 PM

Merge with the Speed World Challenge, call it the The SPEED Trans World Challenge. Buff it up, prettify it, slap it all over SPEED TV, live, and put it in front of ChampCar again. I think CC's 3-day festivals need some car variety too.

Why spoil a perfectly good production-based series by adding tube-frame mockups? If they want to rebrand SWC GT as Trans-Am, fine, whatever, but a "merger" would a bad idea.

Then again, it's been a while since SCCA Pro really screwed up a good series.

pchall

12-13-05, 12:00 AM

Perhaps Pontiac would be interested.

They could at least sponsor the Jerry Titus Trophy for most persistent competitor.

Lest all the good be forgotten. :(

FCYTravis

12-13-05, 03:03 AM

How about the SPEED Trans American Challenge.

I don't see why they need world in their name.
Umm... because there's a bunch of different *world* manufacturers in the series?

They wanted to emphasize the "sport compact" nature of the Touring Car series.

Perhaps it could be SPEED World Touring Car Challenge and SPEED Trans-American GT Challenge?

NismoZ

12-13-05, 10:42 AM

No, I wasn't suggesting "screwing up" anything. I think both of those series could use some help and the merger suggestion was based on organization/promotion not specs. I would hope the experts in both series would be able to come up with something workable. As a fan I would very much like to see fast, loud competitive GT cars running at ChampCar events. (As far as the name goes, I wanted to keep the Trans Am name in there but understood the "world" concept, so I compromised. After reading your little argument though, I now believe the old name should be used because I think it's more about where they are racing than what is being raced! :) The SPEED Trans Am Challenge!) FCYT, Great idea for the class names, too. Better than the old "2.5" or IMSA's GTO and GTU