Pirelli Renews Trans Am Racing Series Agreement
Pirelli Tire North America and the Trans Am Series have renewed their partnership until the end of 2024, with the Italian tire company as presenting partner for America’s Road Racing Series.
At the same time, Pirelli has also extended its agreement with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) for the same period as the official street tire of SVRA. SVRA, the largest vintage racing organization in the U.S. open to virtually any vintage or historic race car, will share a number of key dates with the Trans Am Series as part of the Speed Tour, according to officials.
The recent five-year extension between Pirelli and the Trans Am Series comes off the back of the current three-year agreement that lasts until the end of this year. As a result, Pirelli will continue to be the presenting sponsor as well as official tire supplier to one of the best-known road racing championships in the U.S., which is rooted in popular culture as well as motorsport.
“We’re delighted to renew this relationship for a championship that’s at the heart of American automotive culture, with extremely close racing and very high standards of driving. As well as providing great entertainment, this agreement enables us to reinforce our links with iconic American car manufacturers, and further enhance the connection between road and track with our high-technology P Zero products,” said Marco Crola, Pirelli North America CEO. “This same technology is also seen in our Pirelli Collezione tires for classic cars, which combine classic looks with modern know-how, underlining the importance of the SVRA series to our portfolio as well.”
The Trans Am Series has been thrilling fans and drivers alike since 1966, with a range of classes that include production-based entries up all the way up to the iconic 850 plus horsepower TA Class. This complements Pirelli’s road to track philosophy perfectly, in which the lessons learned on circuits are put into practice on road car tires. Pirelli will continue to supply the entire Trans Am field, including a purpose-built competition tire for the TA and TA2 classes, enabling the drivers to get the very most out of their cars while spectators enjoy a magnificent show that highlights the very best of American racing.
Ultra-high performance and competition is at the very heart of Pirelli, which celebrates more than 110 years of motorsport and recently renewed its exclusive partnership with Formula 1. In addition to supplying more than 220 car racing championships worldwide, Pirelli is one of the companies that invests most into research and development through motorsport in order for the competition product to be as closely aligned to road car tires as possible, according to the company.
Consequently, Pirelli and Trans Am are currently testing 18-inch tires for the headlining TA class, which may be adopted from next season, bringing the tires used on the track even closer to those on the road. In a similar move, Pirelli is introducing 18-inch tires to F1 in 2021.
Trans Am Series President John Clagett added: “It’s a pleasure for us to extend the partnership with Pirelli, which is an extremely popular move among drivers and teams as well. Pirelli is an iconic brand that stands for performance and style, with a commitment to competition and technical excellence that fits in perfectly with our own.”
