Matthew Brabham Powers to Victory at Sebring to Open Trans Am’s 60th-Anniversary Season
March 1, 2026
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:
1. Matthew Brabham, No. 16 Gym Weed Ford Mustang
2. Paul Menard, No. 3 Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Ford Mustang
3. Martin Ragginger, No. 7 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro
4. Adam Andretti, No. 17 Top Liner Chevrolet Camaro
5. Kaylee Bryson, No. 2 LSI/Team Weaver Racing Dodge Challenger
TA Cup:
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:
1. Cole Moore, No. 32 Chris Evans Race Cars Ford Mustang
2. Ken Thwaits, No. 9 Franklin Road Apparel Chevrolet Camaro
3. Matt Crandall, No. 08 Avant Garde Collection Ford Mustang
4. Jim Guthrie, No. 62 Guthrie’s Garage Ford Mustang
XGT:
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:
1. Billy Griffin, No. 14 Griffin Auto Care Mercedes Benz AMG GT3
SGT:
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:
1. Lee Saunders, No. 84 LandSearch LLC Dodge Viper
2. Chris Coffey, No. 97 Traffic Grafix/NAI Racing/GTE Engineering Ferrari 458 Challenge
3. Patrick Utt, No. 49 RaceQuip/Driven Racing Oil Chevrolet Camaro
4. Milton Grant, No. 15 Sentry Self Storage/Springhill Suites Porsche 992
5. Ray Mason, No. 68 TRB Autosport Ford Mustang
GT:
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:
1. Derric Carter, No. 24 PortableHoist.com Dark Horse R
GT1 Challenge:
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:
1. Jordan Bupp, No. 11 Hamilton Safe & Security Systems Chevrolet Camaro
2. Axel Rivera, No. 22 RIAX Contractors/Flexitank Ford Mustang
3. David Jans, No. 70 Ave Motorsports Ford Mustang
4. Paul Fix, No. 77 StopFlex Ford Mustang
Full provisional race results can be found here.
