Atlanta, GEORGIA – November 23, 2020 – Ronald Reagan was President of the United States back in 1985 when Ken Thwaits won the Pro Formula Mazda Professional Championship – his last series championship title – so it was with understandable delight that Ken ended his 35 year wait for another National Championship Saturday, November 21 at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Having qualified the Audi in 1:25:898, a new record in the class and a time that put him in P8 overall, ahead of some of the TA Class cars, the Tennessee pilot went on to wrap up the inaugural XtremeGT Class Championship with the minimum of fuss. Securing pole position and then leading his class in the race from start to finish, a typically smooth drive from Ken secured maximum points. Ken also finished in P8 overall out of 23 starters and posted a best lap of 1:27:056 – another new record in the XGT class.
“You never know if you’re going to get a yellow – so you can get a rest – but not this time,” Thwaits said after climbing out of the cockpit. “Justin Oakes and I had a good battle at the beginning, but traffic allowed me to get a gap on him. Then the TA cars started coming through, and it was give and take. I am the first XGT champion – we finished all nine races this year. Great job to the Showtime Team.”
“I locked up the championship and brought the car home unscathed,” He told our reporter Sunday morning. The No. 5 Franklin Road Apparel Audi R8 LMS Ultra he has piloted with such expertise has been ever present in the XGT Class, proving as reliable and consistent as the man behind the wheel.
“I’m not pressing my luck. It’s been a really great year, starting nine races and happily, finishing nine races,” stated Ken with a grin. Across the season Ken has had four pole positions, four wins, four 2nd places, and a 3rd place – a clean sweep of podiums. Those results propelled Ken to a total of 253 Championship points, more than 100 points clear of nearest rival Erich Joiner.
There’s no doubt Ken and the Showtime Motorsports Franklin Road Apparel team have made a huge contribution to the Trans Am presented by Pirelli series this year, something series live stream reporter Ben Cissell referred to when he spoke to Ken in the paddock, “This is a concours winning paint job,” he said, referring to the stunning black Audi, before adding, “I feel like this XGT class is going to blow up in 2021!”
Showtime Motorsports is an outstanding case study of success in North American GT3 road racing bringing home the hardware for Audi Customer Racing in the inaugural season of XGT racing in the Trans Am presented by Pirelli Series.
Ken will no doubt be back for more in 2021, and it’s worth remembering that there is a seat available next to Ken in an identical car for next season, but for now congratulations and hats off to Ken and to Showtime for a job really well done. Fantastic result, Ken!
Visit the team’s website for Showtime Motorsports, showtimemotorsports.net. Learn more about the Showtime Motorsports team partner, Franklin Road Apparel, at franklinroad.com and keep up to date with the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli at gotransam.com. #GoTransAm
Check out the Showtime Motorsports Facebook page: facebook.com/showtimemotorsp/ and @ShowtimeMotorsp on Instagram.
About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwait’s racing team and racecars, and an outstanding classic Camaro collection. Showtime Motorsports brings together a dynamic staff who employ diverse talents and share a passion for cars, racing and caring for clients like they are our own family members.
