The reign continues: Peterson retains Trans Am Championship for 2014
October 16, 2014
Peterson joins select club, makes it four in five for Tony Ave Racing
MIAMI, Fla. (Oct 7, 2014) – At Virginia International Raceway, Round 10 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship, Doug Peterson powered the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette past the checkered flag and onto its customary podium appearance, this time a second place to teammate Paul Fix; but in that action, he also powered his way into the Trans Am history books—clinching the 2014 Trans Am Championship.
In doing so, Peterson secured his second Championship in two years, gaining admission to an elite club of Trans Am drivers who not only managed to win it all twice, but did so in back-to-back seasons. Now, Peterson joins the likes of Peter Gregg, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., Tommy Kendall, Paul Gentalozzi, Tony Ave and Mark Donohue (retrospectively).
“I don’t know if I quite belong up there with those guys,” said Peterson. “But it’s a great feeling to be listed among them. We work so hard as a team, every weekend we’re working on the setup. We change the car up more than anyone else, and I just drive my heart out.”
While Peterson coasted to the 2013 Championship, maintaining a very respectable points lead throughout the majority of the last half of the season, this year was far less clear cut, despite clinching a race early.
“This year has been a bit of a struggle,” said Peterson. “I got hit at Homestead, almost went a lap down, blew a motor at Canadian Tire. This has been kind of a tough little year for me, but it makes it all that more rewarding.”
Now a veteran of the TA platform, Peterson remains a stout proponent of the class and its ranking in the road-racing world.
“These cars are just so fast and sound so great,” said Peterson. “The guys at Tony Ave Racing always make sure that the car is easy to drive and well suited for each track, but the bang for the buck is untouchable. I’ve raced in a lot of series and in a lot of cars, and by far you get more speed and more performance here than anywhere else.”
Peterson’s Championship also marked the fourth title in five years for Tony Ave Racing, with the other two coming courtesy of Ave himself.
“This is what we work so hard for,” said Ave. “Obviously, I think we have the best cars we can build and the best engines, pair that with the best drivers and a touch of luck and you get these kind of results. Next year will only get tougher though, so we’re building a new car for Doug and going all out trying to get ready for Daytona and the very short offseason we have coming our way. So we’re going to go about improving all of our equipment for next year, and I feel we’re going to have to do that to stay on top.”
Ave is also excited about the future not just for Tony Ave Racing but the TA class and its position as the flagship platform in Trans Am.
“There’s tons of development going on in TA,” said Ave. “The new C7 bodies are making their way out. We’ll have a Cadillac body out next year, a new Mustang body right after that, and, here at Tony Ave Racing, we’re building five cars right now—two are nearly finished and three more will be done in February. You’re going to be seeing more and more cars in TA, and teams are going to be updating the bodies as well, so I’m excited about it.”
There’s still one final race looming in 2014, Daytona International Speedway, where Peterson won in 2013, where Peterson and all of Tony Ave Racing will continue to gun for the top spot.
As for the Championship in 2015?
“That’s the plan,” said Peterson.
The 2014 Trans Am Champion, Doug Peterson, and the Tony Ave Racing team will take to the track once more, on November 15 for Round 11 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship for the season finale.
###
About Trans Am:
The Trans Am Series dates back to 1966. Throughout the years, some of the greatest names in motorsports have participated in the Trans Am Series. Past Trans Am Champions include Paul Gentilozzi, Tommy Kendall, Mark Donohue, Scott Pruett, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., George Follmer, Greg Pickett, Scott Sharp, Bob Tullius, Tony Ave, Bob Stretch, Simon Gregg, Doug Peterson, Cameron Lawrence and Chuck Cassaro.
The iconic Trans Am Series – America’s Road Racing Series–is operated by The Trans Am Race Company, LLC. Through a five-year agreement, the Trans Am Race Company manages the marketing rights to the series and is responsible for Trans Am Series public relations and promotions. SCCA Pro Racing sanctions Trans Am events and provides event operations services to the series. To learn more about Trans Am visit www.gotransam.com, www.facebook.com or @gotransam.
