Sebring, FLORIDA – February 27, 2022 – Showtime Motorsports Principal Ken Thwaits continued where he left off last season with a terrific podium third place on the opening race day of the 2022 Trans Am presented by Pirelli Championship season. Ken has been a model of consistency since joining Trans Am and his podium finish today was his third since joining the TA1 Class last year. Piloting the No. 7 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro, Ken had a smooth, untroubled drive for P3 for virtually the whole race, securing a provisional 26 Championship points in the process.
Ken and teammate Paul Menard in the No. 5 car were both well positioned on the second row of the grid after a qualifying session that saw both of the two Showtime Motorsports drivers duck under 2 minutes for the lap at the famous old Florida circuit. Competing in Trans Am for the first time with Showtime Motorsports, Paul recorded a best lap of 1:58:774 for P3 with Ken right beside him in 1:58:780. The Showtime drivers and the front row of the grid were the only ones to break the 2 minutes barrier.
The effervescent Ken alluded to what was arguably Franklin Road’s best ever qualifying session in Trans Am when he spoke to us after the race, “It was a great result. Qualifying [in P4] was kind of like the cherry on top of the ice cream and then I had to eat the ice cream! We finished third and it’s worked out great. It’s the first time we’ve raced on these tires, it’s sweltering hot here this weekend and they went off big time! It’s like being on roller skates out there. No grip.”
Thwaits’ terrific result went a long way to compensate for the disappointment of Paul Menard’s entry who had less luck on his return to the iconic muscle car series. He experienced early mechanical issues on the pace laps, meaning he lost his grid position and valuable time. The team did a tremendous job to get the car back on track but unfortunately the rear end had a failure on lap 24.
Tomorrow Showtime Motorsports are back in action in the TA2 Race at 1:00 p.m. ET today, Sunday Febuary 27 when a huge 48 car field take to the track. All the action can be streamed on the Speed Tour and Trans Am YouTube channels.
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.
