The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli kicked off its 60th-Anniversary season at the home of its inaugural event in 1966, Sebring International Raceway. Matthew Brabham controlled the season opener from green to checkers in his No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang, holding off relentless pressure from two-time champion Paul Menard to earn his ninth-career TA victory and second at Sebring.
Brabham took the green flag from the point position after rain washed out yesterday’s qualifying session. A series of restarts gave Menard (No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang), the two-time defending Sebring winner, multiple shots at the lead, but Brabham was flawless each time. He led every lap en route to victory, with Menard finishing second and Martin Ragginger (No. 7 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro) completing the podium.
Adam Andretti (No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro) and Kaylee Bryson (No. 2 LSI/Team Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger) delivered two of the most impressive drives of the day. Andretti, who missed the practice session that set the grid while competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at St. Petersburg, charged from the rear of the field into the top five by lap five, and secured fourth with four laps remaining. Bryson rebounded from a lap-one spin that dropped her to the back of the field, carving through the pack to claim fifth in the closing laps.
“A big thank you to everyone who watched our race, it was good to see fans up there watching us,” said Brabham. “A big thank you to Gym Weed and [CD Racing team owner] Chris Dyson. It’s going to be good to have him back [in the field] later on in some other races to make it more competitive up front, but this was an awesome race. Paul [Menard] pushed me all the way to the end. It was definitely interesting having so many restarts. I really had to kind of manage things and try different things to try and spice it up so I could try and stay ahead of Paul, but it was awesome out there; I had a great time. Lastly, a big thank you to the race team, CD Racing. They do such a great job putting this car together, these cars are so much fun to drive. Thank you to my mom and dad who came out, my dog Brumby and my new wife Kim.”
TA Top Five:
- Matthew Brabham, No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang
- Paul Menard, No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang
- Martin Ragginger, No. 7 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro
- Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro
5. Kaylee Bryson, No. 2 LSI/Team Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger
