BUTTONWILLOW, Calif. The Trans Am Series presented by Pirellis first-ever race at Buttonwillow Raceway Park was exciting from start to finish, with tight racing and close finishes in both the new TA Cup class and the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series.

TA Cup competitor John Moore earned his first-career Trans Am victory by a margin of just 0.277 seconds over Ken Sutherland for the overall race win, while 2023 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Western Championship title winner Brody Goble beat Mia Lovell in her first start in the Western Championship.

TA Cup

Moore in the No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang led from start to finish in the debut of the TA Cup class in the Western Championship, but even after 75 minutes of competition, the race to the checkered flag was a tight one.

Moore started the race from the first position in class after claiming the pole in yesterdays qualifying session, with Ken Sutherland (No. 85 Kallberg Racing Dodge Challenger) next to him on the front row. When the green flag waved, Moore smoothly took the lead, with Sutherland falling into line in second. Michelle Nagai (No. 72 Nagai Racing/Berkeley Jet Drive Chevrolet Camaro) started third, but immediately dropped to the back with a mechanical issue, which she fought throughout the race with repeated trips to pit lane. Ken Thwaits (No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro) took over the third position, followed by Chris Evans in the No. 92 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang.

Making his first start in the Trans Am Series, Derek Thorn started last in the class after missing practice and qualifying due to commitments at Kern Raceway with his CARS Tour West program, but his No. 08 DTR Marketing/Power Grade/PJR/CEI Ford Mustang showed incredible speed, and by lap seven, he worked his way up to third place.

The top three ran close together, and although TA Cup started behind the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series in a split start, as the laps clicked on, they knifed their way through TA2 competitors. When the days only full-course caution was called on lap 21, Moore, Sutherland and Thorn were running third through fifth overall.

When racing resumed on lap 29, it only took one lap for the top-three TA Cup cars to take the overall lead. In the eight green-flag laps to the finish, Moore pulled out to a slight lead over Sutherland and Thorn, but on the final lap, the trio closed back up. Sutherland was able to make the pass on Moore for the lead, but he spun the tires coming out of the front straight, allowing Moore to drive back by. Moore crossed the finish line first with just a 0.277-second advantage over Sutherland, with Thorn less than a tenth of a second behind. Thwaits crossed the finish line fourth, with Nagai finishing fifth.

Ill do the formalities first because without Chris Evans, Jeff Jefferson and Jerry Pitts, I wouldnt be doing this, said Moore from atop the podium. That being said, this was the most fun Ive ever had in a racecar, period. I mean, Ive driven a lot of racecars, and Im telling you, its so fun to be part of this Trans Am group. Ive got my son, [TA2 competitor] Cole [Moore], here. We had some great moments in practice.

Top of the board in TA Cup, top of the board in TA2, father and son. I couldnt ask for more. I cant wait to carry on with the season.

TA2

Goble returned to the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series for the first time since winning the title in 2023, picking up right where he left off. After qualifying fastest in class, he led the field to green in his No. 69 Brown Bros Ford Lincoln Ford Mustang.

Goble took off with the lead, but second-place starter Mia Lovell in the No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang was never far behind. Barry Boes (No. 32 Accio Data/TRB Autosport Ford Mustang) started third, but was having brake issues for the first several laps, allowing Stein Frederic Akre (No. 98 Team Trysil.com Chevrolet Camaro) and Tim Carroll (No. 46 CRDMFG.com Chevrolet Camaro) to get around him on the first lap. Boes dropped even farther back by lap four, with last years champion Michael LaPaglia (No. 31 Papinis Garage/F.A.S.T. Auto/Howe Ford Mustang) and Kyle Kelley (No. 80 UPR.com/PKK Motorsports Ford Mustang) also making their way around.

Goble and Lovell pulled away from the top five, opening up a gap over the rest of the field. Behind them, several competitors started to experience problems. Akre went off track on lap five, and LaPaglia came to pit lane with an issue. As the race continued on, Carroll, Kelley and Boes were running tight together in third, fourth and fifth, with only a second between them. On lap 21, Kelley went off the track and got stuck in mud, resulting in a full-course caution.

When green-flag racing resumed, the top three fought for position. Carroll took the lead, but it was determined that he jumped the start, resulting in a pass-through penalty. Lovell passed Goble, taking the lead one lap later when Carroll left the race to serve his penalty, but Goble fought back, reclaiming the point position on lap 33. As the laps wound down, the top three settled in. Behind them, Cole Moore (No. 99 Moore Motorsport/JM Environmental Ford Mustang) and Caleb Shrader (No. 66 DIG Motorsports Ford Mustang) had entered the top five, fighting for position. Moore held the fourth position until the final lap, when he was passed by Shrader. When the checkered flag waved, Goble earned the victory, followed by Lovell and Boes. Shrader finished fourth, and Moore closed out the top five.

First of all, its great to be back; It was 2023 when I did my last race in the Trans Am Series, said Goble from Victory Lane. I ended up selling my car; we had our first child last year. I watched it from the sidelines, so its so awesome to be back here and see my extended family in the pits. I had a hard look in the offseason. I knew we could buy any car we wanted to buy, and at the end of the day, I bought another TA2 car. Im super excited to be here again, and it was a great weekend. This is a new car to us, its an M1 car. Scott [Lagasse] is helping us out with our Brown Bros. Racing team.

I was just trying to learn a new chassis and figure it all out. The first half of the race was going to plan. We were obviously watching what Mia [Lovell] was doing, and that was obviously the one to beat. We just managed the car and the gap, but I was hustling for all I had in that first half, and shes sitting right with me, too. With the big caution there, we had to restart, and then kind of got jumbled up a bit. It was probably the best thing that could happen because its really good practice for three of us thatll be racing in the National Championship in a little bit here. We got that hard, wheel-to-wheel clean racing, but definitely hard-fought racing too. We went back and forth a couple times, and that was kind of fun. It all worked out in the end. Again, Im super excited to be back.