Chevys are still winning sports car races in today’s Grand-Am and Trans-Am series

From the April, 2012 issue of Super Chevy / By Rod Short / Photography by Courtesy Of Grand-Am, Rod Short

Circle track and drag racing tend to dominate today’s motorsports news, but there is another form of competition in which today’s Chevys are finding success—sports car racing. In 2011, both the Grand-Am and SCCA Pro Trans-Am series provided a venue that pitted Camaros against some of the world’s best known (and most expensive) nameplates.

Entering its 13th season in 2012, Grand-Am road racing can be seen on TV on historic road courses throughout North America. With its exotic Daytona prototypes and production-based GT-series cars running together, the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is the top of the food chain in this series. Grand-Am’s Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) also races two different classes simultaneously with the Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) divisions. Running within both the Grand Touring and Grand Sport classes, fans were thrilled to see Camaros run—and win—against BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Subaru, Mazda, Dodge, and Ford.

Chevrolet won the Rolex Grand Touring Engine Manufacturer’s standings in ‘11, but missed the overall season championship by just two points, as Bill Lester and Jordon Taylor co-drove the #88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro to one win and three podium finishes. On the Continental Tire Grand Sport side, Stevenson Motorsports broke through to win two events, with John Edwards and Matt Bell driving while finishing Seventh overall. Mitchum Motorsports also placed in the top 10 in season championship points.

On the SCCA side, Chevrolet has had a distinguished history since 1966, particularly in the renowned Trans-Am series. Tony Ave of Maiden, North Carolina, won his second consecutive season title in Trans-Am at Road Atlanta’s season finale in the #4 Lamers Racing/Beebe Racing/Optech/PME Corvette. At the same event, Amy Ruman became the first woman to win in Trans-Am’s 45-year history while driving a Corvette. In the new Trans-Am TA2 class, Camaros dominated the series as Greg Rodgers won the season opener at Sebring in a 2011 Camaro. Despite breaking early on in the final race, Bob Stretch of Arlington, Texas, still won the season championship by nearly 200 points in his #98 Fix Rim Mobile Wheel Repair Camaro.