Tommy Kendall to host Trans Am 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner in Detroit
May 23, 2016
Evening at the Edison Institute to feature Penske, Roush and Trans Am’s 50 year history
MIAMI, Fla. [May 23, 2016] – With four Trans Am championships, 28 victories, 70 top five finishes, 80 top 10 finishes and now, one 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner, the Trans Am legend that is Tommy Kendall is set to serve as the master of ceremonies and host for the Trans Am Series’ 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the Edison Institute on Thursday, June 2, 2016.
“Trans Am was the central piece of my career,” said Kendall. “You don’t really realize how important something is until it has passed by. The late 80s and the 90s, it was a second golden age really, the competition, the drivers we had— I’m just happy to have played a part in the history of the series and am looking forward to reliving 50 years of Trans Am with everyone as I approach my own 50th birthday.”
As the Trans Am Series makes its long-awaited return to the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix the weekend of June 4-5, for the Motor City 100, presented by the 3-Dimensional Services Group, Trans Am continues it 50th anniversary season with an adjoining event celebrating the storied history of America’s road racing series.
Kendall will serve as the audience’s guide for the evening, leading them through the 50-year history of the Trans Am Series while profiling the legendary races, drivers and cars that created the mystique of Trans Am.
The night will also highlight the impact of two names now synonymous with racing worldwide, Penske and Roush, and the mark they made on Trans Am and motorsports enthusiasts everywhere.
“Trans Am was instrumental to launching the mainstream success of both Penske and Roush,” continued Kendall. “Those two names—the impact they’ve both made on motorsports— the racing world is so much better for it and, in turn, Trans Am.”
Joining Kendall to relive those moments will be Walt Czarnecki and the incomparable Jack Roush. Czarnecki, Penske Executive VP, then the Race Team Program Manager for the “Glory Years” of Trans Am that saw Mark Donohue and Roger Penske capture 29 victories and four manufacturer’s titles in five years, will give audience members a behind-the-scenes look at the original “Pony Wars” and the formative years of the Trans Am Series.
Jack Roush, joined by a number of his Trans Am drivers, will feature in a round table discussion retelling Roush Racing’s rise to dominance as only he can. Roush Racing remains, to this day, the Trans Am Series leader in victories and fast qualifiers—all coming at an era where the competition in Trans Am was at one of its highest levels. Now the audience will hear from Jack Roush, himself, and some of the men behind the wheel, Mike Miller and Pete Halsmer, about the efforts behind the scenes in forging a Trans Am, and motorsports, dynasty.
As for Kendall’s own favorite memory?
“One has to be my first-ever Trans Am race at the Long Beach Grand Prix in 1987,” said Kendall. “We just kind of showed up with an original Riley chassis we prepped out of my dad’s IMSA GT shop and somehow qualified third and finished second to Scott Pruett. Then there’s my first win in Cleveland and then the streak in 1997—all great memories.”
Tickets for the event, presented by the 3-Dimensional Services Group, are still available for $200 per individual, or $1,500 for a table for eight, interested parties can contact Trans Am at president@gotransam.com.
About:
The Trans Am Series, America’s Road Racing Series, began igniting the passion of motorsports fans across the world in 1966 and has been home to some of the greatest names in road racing. Today, Trans Am continues to honor its legacy, while challenging the status quo in racing, through meaningful racing platforms and a driver-oriented focus. The Trans Am Series is operated by The Trans Am Race Company, LLC (TARC), through a five-year agreement in which TARC oversees the management and marketing of the Trans Am Series. SCCA Pro Racing sanctions Trans Am events and provides operations services to the Series.
Defending Champions include: Amy Ruman (TA), Gar Robinson (TA2), Ernie Francis, Jr., (TA3 American Muscle) and Lee Saunders (TA3 International). For more on the Trans Am Series visit www.gotransam.com, “like” Trans Am on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam, or follow Trans Am on Twitter at @gotransam.
