Indianapolis, INDIANA – December 13, 2021 – The annual Performance Racing Industry Show roared back to life at the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis last week after an enforced sabbatical in 2020. This year saw a power packed show that had buyers and exhibitors flocking from all over the globe. A real gathering of motorsport manufactures, teams and media was present in full force. The show was very well attended and among the keenest participants was Showtime Motorsports principal Ken Thwaits, whose Franklin Road Apparel cars have made such an impact since joining the Trans Am family.
Ken was crowned Extreme GT Champion in 2020 behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS Ultra and arguably surpassed that achievement when finishing in P4 overall in the 2021 Trans Am TA Class Drivers’ Championship in the Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro. We were lucky enough to catch up with Ken in Indianapolis and asked him about his presence at the show and his plans for 2022.
“The main reason that I’m here is that it was canceled last year! This is the first PRI Show in 24 months which is awesome, and it’s packed here which is great to see. I don’t know if you’d call the attendees fans but they’re the hardcore buyers of parts for the racecars and it’s great to see them flocking here.”
“The reason I’m here is to catch up with my Trans Am circles and affiliates and see what rules will be in place and what will not be in place [for next season]. We had a draft of the rules sent out to all the teams and I want to see what transpired. We are already full steam getting all the cars ready for Sebring.”
Ken is always keen to upgrade his cars and find new partners, something he alluded to when he added, “The other thing is to meet the suppliers that we work with or that we want to work with and discuss if there are potential synergies between our race team and the products that they sell. Can they benefit from our TV package and social media machine that we’ve created. We can in turn benefit from the products that they provide us to go racing. We’re also seeing our good friends at Mike Cope Racing and really everybody that’s involved in the Series that’s here.”
The media profile Ken referred to was further boosted by a CBS Sports Network announcement for the 2022 season – giving The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli a fine platform for cable viewing in the new year.
Although still relatively new to Trans Am, Ken is a successful and experienced driver in his own right, “I came from the Ultimate Street Car Series sponsored by Optima batteries. I was the Champion in 2014 and their racing winner in 2017 after the SEMA show and that’s really the grand prize, it is their Indy 500. It’s great to catch up with them and they’ll be joining us in 2022 and SVRA for six races with us which is exciting news. It’s a stepping stone for drivers for the future.”
Ken was also quick to acknowledge his existing partners and suppliers and highlighted the important changes to the Trans Am TA Class formula for 2022, “PFC brakes have been great. We’ve got a new wheel and tire package with Forgeline wheels. The new wheel and tire package is expensive for the team owners to get the cars outfitted but you have to take advantage of the new diameter. We’ve got an 18-inch wheel so you can fit a bigger brake package under the car. The car really should be transformed. It’s going to make it feel much more like a tight race car. This is going to make it a little bit more predictable even though you’ve got that wild power, maybe more manners.”
Ken is keen to add a TA Class teammate to the Franklin Road Apparel team having just signed Cameron Lawrence and Carl Rydquist for the TA2 Championship, “We’re building an all new Camaro body TA car for a driver that we’re seeking and that car is coming along nicely. It’s going to be beautiful. It will be black and blue, car No. 7.”
The car No. 7 Ken is building represents a unique and truly outstanding opportunity for the right driver to establish a place for him or herself in Trans Am TA Class right from the outset. With the season beginning with the traditional curtain raiser at Sebring at the end of February just a few weeks away, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think you could be interested in the hot seat via this link Showtime Motorsports: Contact Us.
In the meantime, teams and fans can find the Franklin Road Apparel Trans Am clothing here: https://www.franklinroad.com/search/trans+am/
About Showtime Motorsports:
The Showtime Motorsports brand includes Ken Thwaits’ 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.
