Columbia City, Ind. – Stevens-Miller Racing (SMR) is coming to Trans Am’s Music City Grand Prix loaded for bear with five entries and six cars. With capacity crowd in the stands, 38 TA2 cars taking the green flag, and same-day coverage on the CBS Sports Network, the first-ever Trans Am presented by Pirelli, Big Machine Vodka, Spiked Coolers presents the Franklin Road Classic race in Nashville Tenn. it will set a new benchmark in history of the oldest road racing series in America.
Team Owner Joe Stevens said, “When Trans Am announced we would going to Nashville with the NTT IndyCar series, it was music to our ears. Nothing is cooler than street racing and to potentially have a sold-out crowd on hand is just fantastic. Tony Parella and John Clagett, along with SVRA and TA2 regular Scott Borchetta, are to be commended for putting on this event. Scott is the event promoter and the man behind the Big Machine brand — it’s a great to have him support the series and TA2 the way he does.
“The just-announced same-day coverage on the CBS Sports Network is just what sponsors are looking for. We’ll have two in-car cameras for the show: one in Mike Skeen’s Liqui Moly Camaro and the other in Alex Wright’s Berryman Products Mustang. Be sure to tune-in Saturday, 8 p.m., ET, because this is one race you don’t want to miss!
“This is the second huge event for us this season. Our race at Road America with the NASCAR Cup series broke all-time attendance records and it’s great for TA2 to get this type of attention. My team and I have put everything we have into the series. TA2 is hugely competitive and it’s an honor to come to Nashville as back-to-back series champions with the support of Liqui Moly, Berryman Products, Howe Racing Enterprises, Sabelt, Out There Brands, DG Graphics, and so many more.”
SMR’s driver line up includes defending champion Mike Skeen in his No.1 Liqui Moly, Turn 14 Distribution, Howe Racing Enterprises, Camaro; past race winner Jordan Bupp driving the No. 83 Averitt, Nacarato Truck Centers, Camaro; Alex Wright piloting the No.12 Berryman Products Mustang; Steven Lustig in his No. 05, Operation Stand Down, Camaro; and Justin Oakes behind the wheel of the No.11 Droneworks Studios, Camaro. The team will also carry its SRT Dodge Challenger as a back-up car, just in case.
Skeen said, “Nashville will feature a record-setting entry with 38 TA2 cars taking the grid — and I can’t wait to be a part of it. The venue looks spectacular and should offer some amazing content for CBS Sports and the fans at home. I love street courses and I’ve had a lot of success on them in the past, so I look forward to putting Liqui Moly and Turn 14 Distribution at the front of the pack. Having CBS Sports providing same-day broadcast of the race is the kind of exposure Trans Am and TA2 needs. I’ve raced a lot of different cars and these TA2 cars are just beasts. Nothing beats American Muscle cars. Our TA2 cars are amazing to drive and look cool as hell. The fans at Nashville are going to love it.”
Wright added, “Nashville is shaping up to be an epic event! The field is so deep and so talented that I’m sure it will be a fantastic race. Since nobody has driven this track, we’re all on equal footing. It will be extra important to come up to speed quickly and to qualify well. Many thanks to Berryman Products for giving me what I think is the best looking car in the field! I’ll do my best for myself, the team and all of the fans at the track and watching at home.”
Bupp said, “This race is a really big deal for everyone on the Stevens-Miller Racing team. The crowd, the television coverage, and the venue itself will make this one of the best-ever Trans Am events. I hope we get a lot of green flag laps not just for us, but for the fans trackside and those tuning in at home. Trans Am has a long history of racing in the streets from Long Beach to Miami and it will surely be one to remember for everyone who is there — in a car or in the stands!”
Lustig said, “I felt that this summer’s event in Nashville was a great opportunity for us to connect with a charitable organization based in the Nashville area. Operation Stand Down Tennessee’s mission is to connect veterans and their families with comprehensive resources. They do a great job assisting our vets with transition, employment, housing, benefits, peer engagement, volunteerism, and community involvement. It is a wonderful organization, and we are proud to bring national attention to their efforts through the CBS Sports Network broadcast.”
Oakes is the newest member of the Stevens-Miller Racing team. He is the current points leader in Trans Am’s SGT category and Nashville will mark his debut in TA2.
“Lots of firsts for me this weekend,” Oakes said. “This will be my first race in TA2, my first street race and this is my first year racing. Our company specializes in aerial cinematography for movies and television, as well as commercial production, so although it’s my first time at a lot of this, I’m not afraid of the ‘big stage.’”
Stevens added, “Like Jordan said, we want a lot of green flag laps starting with the first practice. Qualifying will be very important and we will need laps to get our cars dialed in. With five cars it will be all hands on deck working hard to get the most performance out of our cars for our drivers. We hope we don’t need it, but we’ve got a back-up car in the rig ready to go. We are focused and committed to do our best to get the win, and I’m sure we will put on a great show for the fans and the CBS Sports Network audience at home.”
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.
