Elkhart Lake, Wis.—With only three days between Mid-Ohio and load in at Road America, the Trans Am presented by Pirelli’s TA2 competitors are right back at it – only this weekend the 38-car field is stacked with NASCAR regulars. With Trans Am sharing the bill with NASCAR Cup and Xfinity at the beautiful Wisconsin facility, there are more than a handful of NASCAR Cup and Xfinity drivers entered alongside TA2 regulars and more than 100,000 fans expected.
“It’s a huge field, and that’s why we love Trans. Every race is a chance to prove yourself against some of the baddest racers in the country,” said Stevens-Miller Racing’s (SMR) Owner Joe Stevens. SMR will have four cars entered with Jordan Bupp, Nicholas Hammann, and SGT points leader Justin Oakes joining current TA2 champion Mike Skeen this weekend.
Skeen said, “Last weekend was tough. Qualifying and the race did not go our way so it’s good we can get back at it to get Mid-Ohio off our minds. All I can say is it’s time for us to put some wins on the board with our No. 1, Liqui Moly, Turn 14 Distribution, Howe Racing Enterprises, Camaro. Having a tire go down just as I moved into second last Saturday was hard to swallow. We had something for them, but we never got the chance to show it.”
TA2 past race winner Jordan Bupp will be driving the new Stevens-Miller Racing No. 83 Chevrolet Camaro and TA2 first timer Justin Oakes will be in the No. 71 Drone Works Dodge Challenger. Both drivers will capitalize on the abundance of track time offered by Road America and NASCAR on Thursday.
Joining Bupp and Oakes is Elkhart Lake native Nicholas Hammann, who comes to SMR with a host of experience. Growing up just a few minutes from the track, Hammann has a long history at the facility including two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity series. A past winner of NISSAN’s GT Academy and Honda engineer, Hammann has raced around the world in a variety of categories but he is most at home in the hills of Wisconsin.
“I cannot wait to get behind the wheel of the No. 12 Custom Fiberglass Molding Ford Mustang with support from the NW Shelby Club at my home track Road America,” Hammann said. “I’m even more excited to share the weekend with the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity Series for this historic event. There will a huge crowd with beautiful weather expected this weekend and I am so thankful to be a part of the action!
“From a childhood dream to race professionally to now racing a TA2 Stevens-Miller Racing Mustang, I’m living the dream one lap at a time. I have to thank Lance Wiskirchen from Custom Fiberglass Molding for making it all possible. I’ll have a ton of friends and family here and everyone is thrilled to come out and support the whole team.”
Joe Stevens said, “No doubt it will be tough this weekend – but really that’s TA2. We have some really big events this year with this being the first. We love racing in front of a crowd, and this may be the biggest in Trans Am history. Now we need to get back to the front. Last weekend was a gut punch on several levels but that’s racing. I have a great team and they don’t give up – they get stronger.”
Photo by Chris Green
About Stevens-Miller Racing:
Stevens-Miller Racing (SMR) has one of the highest winning percentages in Trans Am’s TA2 category. SMR’s staff has earned 40-plus podiums, three championships, multiple Hard Charger Awards, Rookie of the Year,
and more. The team’s focus is achieving the driver’s desired goals. SMR has what drivers need, be it GT2, SVRA Group Six, or TA2. Whether it’s to have fun, develop your driving ability, or win a championship, SMR does it all and has the winning history to back it up. See www.stevensmillerracing.com for more details about our programs and Arrive & Drive and car prep opportunities.
