Originally named the Trans-American Sedan Championship, the series was renamed the Trans-American Championship for 1967. It began as a Manufacturers' Championship for modified passenger sedans and coupés. Drivers' Championships were not officially recognised until 1972; in 1980 the SCCA retroactively named overall drivers' champions for all pre-1972 seasons using the points system of the time.
The series has raced on permanent and temporary road courses, street circuits, and airport circuits across the United States, Canada, Mexico, and San Juan, Puerto Rico (in 2003). Since 2015 Trans Am has been a national series competing primarily on the East Coast, South, and Midwest. In 2017 the Trans Am Race Company (TARC) announced a new West Coast Championship, partnering with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA), consisting of three rounds plus one shared event with the national series at Circuit of the Americas.
The series was cancelled after 2006 and revived in 2009 using SCCA GT-1 based cars. Sponsorship has produced a long series of title names, including the CRC Chemicals Trans-Am Championship (1981–1983), the SCCA Budweiser Trans-Am Championship (1983–1984), the SCCA Bendix Brakes Trans-Am Championship (1985–1987), the SCCA Escort Trans-Am Series (1988), the SCCA Liquid Tide Trans-Am Tour (1991), the NTB Trans-Am Series (1998), the BFGoodrich Trans-Am Series (1999–2000), and the Muscle Milk SCCA Trans-Am Series (2009), among others.
TA class cars are high-performance Grand Touring race cars with a tubular chassis and a full-scale replica body — Cadillac CTS-V, Chevrolet Camaro (Gen 6), Dodge Challenger (Gen 3), or Ford Mustang (Gen 6) — built by Advanced Composite Products or Derhaag Motorsports. Power comes from a naturally aspirated, carbureted 366 cubic inch (5.99 L) pushrod V8 producing 850+ horsepower. Minimum base weight is 2,780 pounds. Traction Control and ABS are prohibited. TA cars may use leaded gasoline; all other classes except XGT must use unleaded.
TA2 cars use a tubular chassis built by Howe Racing Enterprises, Mike Cope Racing, M-1 Motorsports, or Meissen Enterprises, with Chevrolet Camaro (Gen 5 & 6), Ford Mustang (Gen 5 & 6), Dodge Challenger (Gen 3), or Toyota Camry bodies. Engines are fuel-injected, sealed by a Trans Am certified builder, and limited to 490 HP and 447 lb-ft of torque via a certified inlet restrictor. Minimum base weight (including driver) is 2,830 pounds. Sequential shift mechanisms and traction control are not allowed. TA2 is Trans Am's most popular class and has been exported internationally to Europe, Asia, and Australia.
The TA Cup class was introduced in 2025 using spec tube-frame vehicles with silhouette bodies built by Chris Evans Inc. (CEI). The cars are rear-wheel drive, weigh 2,900 lb (1,300 kg), use 18-inch Pirelli P ZERO slicks, and produce 600 horsepower from previous-generation NASCAR engines.
New for 2020, the Xtreme Grand Touring class is for former FIA Group GT3 cars whose homologation has expired under SRO and FIA regulations, raced to their original period-correct GT3 specifications.
The SGT class accommodates sports cars, grand touring cars, and performance sedans at a higher level of preparation than GT. Eligible cars include American muscle cars (Corvettes, Camaros, Challengers, Vipers, Mustangs) and European and Asian exotics (Aston Martins, Ferraris, Ginettas, Ligiers, McLarens, Mercedes-AMGs, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Panozes, Porsches, Acura NSXs). The GT class is the entry-level production-based category, intended for late-model, near-stock high-performance cars.
In 2017 Pirelli became the exclusive tire supplier, replacing Hoosier Racing Tire, and all classes switched to Pirelli P ZERO radial ply racing slicks. The change from bias-ply tires resulted in faster average speeds and improved lap times across all classes.
Manufacturers' Championship points are awarded to the top six finishing positions of each make: 9-6-4-3-2-1. Drivers' Championship points at each race go to the top 24 finishers (30-27-25-23-21-20-19-18-17-16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2), with one additional point for any driver leading a lap and one for leading the most laps. Three qualifying points are awarded: 3-2-1 to the top three qualifiers.
The series awards the Northern Cup and Southern Cup for competitors not running the full season. A Master's Championship (introduced 2018) recognises competitors over 65 years of age. A Trans Am Team Championship (also from 2018) awards points per car number regardless of how many drivers share it. Series champions receive the Trigon Trophy, introduced in 2017 and sponsored by 3-Dimensional Services Group.
For 2021 the series introduced the Pro/Am Challenge in partnership with the SCCA, allowing SCCA road racing drivers to compete in Trans Am using the SCCA rulebook, covering GT1, GT2, GTX, T1, T2, T3, and STO classes balanced into the appropriate Trans Am class.
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