Nitro Motorsports Brings Seven Trans-Am Series Drivers to Watkins Glen and Expands Trackside Support Program

August 20, 2024

Riding the wave of momentum Nitro Motorsports aims high in New York

August 20, 2024 – With the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli summer break now over, it is time for back-to-back race weekends beginning at Watkins Glen International. Traveling to Corning, New York, Nitro Motorsports will look to carry their momentum into the last stretch of the season as they bring seven hungry competitors and expand their trackside support effort.
 
Leading the way into Watkins Glen will be championship point leader Rafa Matos as he enters the race with a 129-point advantage over his closest rival. With four wins on the season, Matos has been the class of the field as he aims to take Nitro Motorsports to back-to-back TA2 championships. Thomas Annunziata has shown great speed all season and earned two podium results and six top-five finishes. He comes into the event P3 in the title chase, 13 points behind second and 13 points ahead of Nitro Motorsports teammate Ben Maier. Maier comes into the weekend with two pole positions, a victory, and just off a solid drive from 17th to sixth in the last event as he looks to find his way back to the podium. Joining Matos, Annunziata, and Maier in the TA2 National Championship class will be Tyler Kicera, who earned a P5 result in his only race this season.
 
In the TA2 Pro/Am category, Nitro Motorsports will enter a trio of drivers in Michele Abbate, Cale Phillips, and Jared Odrick. Odrick leads the way for the Pro/Am drivers as he was victorious in his most recent event at Road America and will look to keep that momentum going in New York. Entering the weekend fourth in the championship, the former NFL star is only 44 points out of the second position but will need some strong results and luck to make a run at the title. Abbate competed in four national events in 2024 and never finished outside the top-ten, with second, seventh, fifth, and tenth-place results. Running a partial schedule, Michele is hoping Watkins Glen is the track where she can find her way to the front. The third and final Pro/Am driver this weekend will be Cale Phillips. Much like Abbate, Phillips has been in the top-ten in the three events he has raced in and is entering this weekend with back-to-back top-five results at Mid-Ohio and Road America despite missing much of the season.
 
Aside from the seven full-time entries, Nitro Motorsports will provide trackside support for Pro/Am competitor John Weisberg. Also running a partial schedule this season and with a best result of fourth at Lime Rock Park, Weisberg switches to Nitro Motorsports as he aims to put himself on the Pro/Am podium in New York.
 
In a format that will see TA2 drivers on track only on Thursday and Friday, a test session and an official practice session will take place on Thursday with qualifying and the race on Friday.
 
Weekend Schedule
Thursday, August 21
Test – 2:00-2:35pm
Practice – 4:45-5:15pm 
 
Friday, August 22
Qualifying – 12:00-12:35pm 
Autograph Session – 1:30-2:30pm 
Race – 4:00-5:15pm 
 
Follow along live all event long at GoTransAm.com.  

For more information on Nitro Motorsports, please visit them online or contact Nick Tucker via email HERE or visit them online at www.RaceNitro.com.