Cole Moore Wins TA Cup, Billy Griffin Victorious in XGT, Lee Saunders Tops SGT, Derric Carter Best in GT, Jordan Bupp Wins GT1 Challenge
SEBRING, Fla. (March 1, 2026) – 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
- Kaylee Bryson, No. 2 LSI/Team Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger
The debut of TA Cup in the National Championship delivered immediate excitement. Cole Moore (No. 32 Chris Evans Race Cars Ford Mustang) seized control early, making a decisive lap-one pass on first-place starter Jim Guthrie (No. 62 Guthrie’s Garage Ford Mustang) and never looking back. New Racing America Chief Operating Officer Ken Thwaits (No. 9 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro) followed Moore through to take second. After a lap-four restart, Guthrie suffered a tire issue that forced him to pit and go a lap down, elevating Matt Crandall (No. 08 Avant Garde Collection Ford Mustang) to the final podium position. Guthrie recovered to finish fourth.
“That was an amazing race,” said Moore. “It was one of those where everything went my way. I made the right zigs and zags on the first lap. Jeff Jefferson just gave me a really good car this weekend. I want to thank my mom and dad for everything they do in my career in racing. And Chris Evans, he called me last week to be here, so thank you, Chris. This is an honor to race these TA Cup cars. They’re unbelievable. Thank you, Ken [Thwaits], for everything you do. I just love being a part of Trans Am. This is amazing.”
TA Cup Results:
- Cole Moore, No. 32 Chris Evans Race Cars Ford Mustang
- Ken Thwaits, No. 9 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro
- Matt Crandall, No. 08 Avant Garde Collection Ford Mustang
- Jim Guthrie, No. 62 Guthrie’s Garage Ford Mustang
As the only competitor in the XGT class, Billy Griffin took the top step in his No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes Benz AMG GT3. He managed to avoid the adversity that befell many of the competitors over the course of the race, finishing the race seventh overall.
“I’d like to thank my team for giving me a great car to drive,” said Griffin on the podium. “That was a wild race. I have to thank Bennett and BridgeHaul, as usual, and Danny Lowry. I’d also like everybody to check out the Kevin Popke Foundation. Kevin is an Army Ranger who passed away in a motorcycle accident after retiring, and it’s a foundation that helps veterans in need in Florida.”
XGT Results:
- Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes Benz AMG GT3
In a stacked SGT class, Lee Saunders drove his No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper to his eighth victory at his home track. First-place starter Chris Coffey (No. 97 Traffic Grafix/NAI Racing/GTE Engineering Ferrari 458 Challenge) led the race for the first 13 laps, but was hit by a competitor in another class and spun, allowing Saunders to take over the point position. For the remainder of the race, Coffey challenged Saunders, swapping positions with him multiple times on the final lap, but it was Saunders who took the checkered flag. Coffey finished second, and Patrick Utt (No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro) claimed the final podium spot. Milton Grant (No. 15 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 992) finished fourth and Ray Mason (No. 68 TRB Autosport Ford Mustang) crossed the finish line in fifth.
“First of all, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this beautiful day, and for the great country we live in,” said Saunders. “I pray that he protects all our troops wherever they are. Thank you to Trans Am for a great series that we get to race in, in its 60th year. It’s an absolute blessing that we get to do this. Sometimes I have to pinch myself just to see if it’s real. I’d like to thank my wife, my family for allowing me to do this. Thanks to KSR, Eddie, CJ; we had them there this weekend and they worked their butts off fixing stuff. It’s just amazing, the jobs they do. The new Pirelli tires are awesome. We got lucky today. Chris [Coffey] had some issues that let us get to where we are, but Chris drove the hell out of that car, super clean, I cannot thank him enough for that. I think we traded positions three or four times, and I just got lucky and did it the last time, because he was probably going to come around me again.”
SGT Results:
- Lee Saunders, No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper
- Chris Coffey, No. 97 Traffic Grafix/NAI Racing/GTE Engineering Ferrari 458 Challenge
- Patrick Utt, No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro
- Milton Grant, No. 15 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 992
- Ray Mason, No. 68 TRB Autosport Ford Mustang
In just his second-career start in the GT class, Derric Carter overcame mechanical issues early in the weekend and a car switch before the race to claim his first Trans Am victory.
“The GT 500 I entered in didn’t make it out there for the race, it broke during practice, so I had to pull out the Dark Horse R,” said Carter. “I was out there trying to put down some laps, get some points, and get some drive time in that. It was tough competition. I’d like to thank a couple of people: Portable Car Hoist, I couldn’t have done it without them. It was a bunch of work trying to get that GT 500 back on track. Having a lift that you can take to the track and have anywhere is just awesome to have. I’d like to thank Mama D for her love and support. Serpent Stangs Racing did everything they could to help me get that GT 500 here this weekend. We put 300 manhours on that thing in 10 days to try to get here. I’ll be here all season, so hopefully I’ll get some competition in the other races and we’ll see the GT 500 back on track.”
GT Results:
- Derric Carter, No. 24 PortableHoist.com Dark Horse R
Jordan Bupp had an incredible day in GT1 Challenge, leading from start to finish in his No. 11 Hamilton Safe & Security Systems Chevrolet Camaro. In the kickoff to Trans Am’s 60th-Anniversary season, he drove the same car his father, Kenny Bupp, drove to victory at Sebring in the series’ 50th-Anniversary stop at the track. Bupp dominated as his competitors each battled mechanical issues and on-track contact, taking the checkered flag for his second-career Trans Am victory. He was followed by Axel Rivera (No. 22 RIAX Contractors/Flexitank Ford Mustang) in second, David Jans (No. 70 Ave Motorsports Ford Mustang) in third, and Paul Fix (No. 77 StopFlex Ford Mustang) in fourth.
“I can’t thank my team at Bupp Motorsports enough,” said Bupp. “Thank you to my family, FlowTech Racing Engines, Ultimate Performance Shocks, and EMCO, who makes the strongest third gear in the industry, because I used it for 25 of the 27 laps since I lost the rest of the gearbox. We had a good weekend and a fast car. The new Pirelli tires are absolutely awesome, and Racing America and Trans Am are doing a great job bringing the series where it needs to be. I can’t thank my dad enough for bringing me back here. I’m driving the same car that he won in [at Sebring] 10 years ago, so shout out to Riley Technologies for building an amazing car all these years ago, and thank you to my crew chief, Todd Florey, for getting it done.”
GT1 Challenge Results:
- Jordan Bupp, No. 11 Hamilton Safe & Security Systems Chevrolet Camaro
- Axel Rivera, No. 22 RIAX Contractors/Flexitank Ford Mustang
- David Jans, No. 70 Ave Motorsports Ford Mustang
- Paul Fix, No. 77 StopFlex Ford Mustang
Full provisional TA/GT race results can be found here.
Helio Meza Goes Two-For-Two in CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, Claiming Second-Career Victory in Sebring Season Opener
2025 Champion Jared Odrick Wins Pro/Am Challenge
SEBRING, Fla. (March 1, 2026) – Helio Meza continued his sensational start in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series by earning his second win in just his second start at Sebring International Raceway. After turning heads with a victory in his Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli debut at Circuit of The Americas in November, Meza delivered another dominant performance in the season opener of Trans Am’s 60th-Anniversary season.
Driving the No. 28 Alessandros Racing/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro, Meza endured several restarts and avoided the chaos and attrition throughout the field to lead from green to checkers, crossing the finish line by a margin of more than three seconds. Joining him on the podium was Vinnie Meskelis in the No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry, who worked his way up from a seventh-place start and celebrated his 20th birthday with a runner-up finish in his Trans Am debut. Noah Harmon (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro) carried momentum from 2025 into the new season with a third-place result. Adrian Wlostowski finished fourth in the No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services/AMT Motorsports Ford Mustang, and Ethan Tovo rounded out the top five in his series debut driving the No. 10 Dick’s Sporting Goods Toyota Camry.
“That was a fun drive,” said Meza. “I just took the approach of enjoying this weekend. Last month, I didn’t know if I was going to run the full season this year. And so, to now be a full-time driver in this series is a dream come true for me. Another win for us. I can’t thank TeamSLR, Alessandros Racing, Chevrolet, M1 Racecars, just my whole team, enough. I mean, they worked so hard for this opportunity and I just can’t thank everyone enough. Josh Wise, Scott Speed, everyone at Chevrolet, we prepped so hard in the off-season for this race, and I felt like I’d already driven this race 1,000 times. I got on the track and I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t do this without the people behind me: my family, my mom, my dad, always being there for me. This one means a lot, and it’s definitely a confidence booster for the season.”
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series National Championship Top 10:
- Helio Meza, No. 28 Alessandros Racing/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro
- Vinnie Meskelis, No. 90 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry
- Noah Harmon, No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro
- Adrian Wlostowski, No. 3 CMI/Spot-On Services/AMT Motorsports Ford Mustang
- Ethan Tovo, Dick’s Sporting Goods Toyota Camry
- Sam Corry, No. 70 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry
- Eric Cayton, No. 71 Ray Skillman Auto Group Ford Mustang
- Stanton Barrett, No. 88 Acellis-8T8 Energy Drink Ford Mustang
- Tanner Reif, No. 75 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro
- Gian Buffomante, No. 95 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry
Jared Odrick delivered a commanding performance in the Pro/Am Challenge season opener at Sebring, leading from start to finish in his No. 00 Black Underwear/Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro. Odrick set the tone early and never relinquished control, showcasing pace and precision throughout the race to secure a dominant victory. Tom Sheehan, driving the No. 97 Vixen Cycle Co./LTK/COPE Ford Mustang, maintained a steady run to start and finish second, while Cale Phillips advanced one position to claim third in the No. 99 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry. Roberto Sabato brought the No. 61 6th Gear Racing Ford Mustang home in fourth, and Christina Lam impressed in her Trans Am debut with a fifth-place finish in her No. 66 Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro.
“Black Underwear feels great to have on the car, and have on my body,” said Odrick on the podium. “It was a pretty crazy effort this weekend. We started off on the back foot, missing our test session, so we really didn’t get to dial in the car the way that we wanted to. But we had a lot of good notes from when we were testing here [in January], and that carried over. We’ve got a great team this year. I really love the guys that we have. We keep refining our mission, and we keep seeing further and further up the field, and I think that’s what we’re going to try to continue this whole season. I’m super grateful for the competitors that are up here. They’re getting better and better. We’re gonna take that into consideration and keep our foot to the pedal.”
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge Podium:
- Jared Odrick, No. 00 Black Underwear/Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro
- Tom Sheehan, No. 97 Vixen Cycle Co./LTK/COPE Ford Mustang
- Cale Phillips, No. 99 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry Full provisional TA2 results can be found here.
John Atwell Earns First Trans Am Win in Inaugural TA Sprint Race at Sebring
SEBRING, Fla. (March 1, 2026) – In the inaugural race for the TA Sprint series, John Atwell scored his first-career Trans Am victory in his No. 02 XRC/DFW Concrete/A&J LabPortal Ford Mustang. Starting fifth, he worked his way through the field and took over the lead on lap three. He remained in control for the remainder of the 50-mile sprint, crossing the finish line first. Bruce Raymond (No. 54 BruCat Properties Ford Mustang) finished second, and James Libecco (No. 89 Allied Dermatology/Gunn Dermatology Chevrolet Camaro) rounded out the first-ever TA Sprint podium.
“I think this is a great format,” said Atwell. “I’ve done TA2 for years, but I just think TA Sprint is a great format for people who are not quite ready to do TA2. The thing is, there’s a lot of cars out there, and it’s a fun thing to do. I just did it because I wanted to support the series. We actually brought two other cars with us, my teammates Paul [Ruth] and Rob [Kacprowicz]. Everything went great, they all got personal bests of what they’ve done here before. I think everybody who has an old car should bring it out.”
TA Sprint Results:
- John Atwell, No. 02 XRC/DFW Concrete/A&J LabPortal Ford Mustang
- Bruce Raymond, No. 54 BruCat Properties Ford Mustang
- James Libecco, No. 89 Allied Dermatology/Gunn Dermatology Chevrolet Camaro
- Rob Kacprowicz, No. 27 5×5 Brewing Ford Mustang
- Alan Davison, No. 16 FPEC Ford Mustang
- Rene Molina, No. 8 5×5 Brewery/Mission, Texas Chevrolet Camaro
- Paul Ruth, No. 11 Paul Ruth Realtor Chevrolet Camaro
