2024 Trans Am finale at CoTA could spell the end of Corvettes on a regular basis

Kaylee Bryson finished second in the SGT class at CoTA in her # 02 C6 Z06, having already clinched the championship at VIR.

With nothing more to prove, the odds favor that a youthful champion like Bryson will further her career by moving on to a higher level.

 The six or more Corvette-bodied TA GT1 tube frame cars that raced in Trans Am have been reduced to one, the # 23 piloted by Amy Ruman.  Mustang and Camaro bodies are felt to have better aerodynamics and are easier to replace.

Ruman is a fixture in a close-knit racing family that has enjoyed success for over 30 years.  The McNichols company helps fund the team’s 2024 budget that includes hauling more than 9,000 miles - the cumulative total distance from track to track starting in February and returning in November to home base just west of Kent OH.  

After finishing fifth in the points this year, the former two-time series champ could well opt to scale back, serving as an ambassador at chosen events.

Chris Dyson # 16 Mustang failed to repeat as TA champion but won the 2024 Trans Am finale at CoTA.

Paul Menard # 3 Mustang had already amassed enough points to win the TA championship but was disappointed by completing only 16 laps of the 30-lap race.

The Trans am, once hailed as America’s longest running road racing series, fell on its own petard after the 2005 season.  Rejuvenated in 2009, the Trans Am series has never quite regained the stature it once held.  But that’s a story for another time.

Photo credits David Gillen, Chris Clark, Tony Mezzacca