Celebrating the first 50 Years of Trans Am Racing!

In celebration of 60 years of TransAM racing, and the inaugural class of Hall of Famers at Sebring in 2025; we wanted to take you back to 2015 when the IMRRC hosted a panel of notable figures in TransAm’s history. Folks like Chuck Cantwell, Lee Dykstra, Don Cox, John 'Woody' Woodard, Tommy Kendall, Butch Leitzinger were hosted by Judy Stropus - recapping the first 50 years of the series. This panel covers the history and development of Trans Am racing, their personal experiences, stories of innovation and trickery in racing, and the evolution of race car technology. They also reflect on memorable races, provide insights into their careers, and discuss the competitive spirit and changes in this unique variant of Road Racing. Featuring a live audience Q&A, they also touch upon the current state of Trans Am compared to its earlier days. This episode was originally recorded in 2016 at Watkins Glen International and has been remastered for this podcast. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00:00 Celebrating 60 Years of Trans Am Racing 00:01:07 Panel Introduction; Judy Stropas Takes the Stage 00:07:35 Chuck Cantwell's Early Trans Am Days 00:11:14 Lee Dykstra's Contributions to Trans Am 00:14:03 Don Cox's Chevrolet Insights 00:20:04 John Woodard's Penske Racing Journey 00:25:33 Butch Leitzinger's Trans Am Experience 00:27:39 Tommy Kendall's Racing Legacy 00:35:55 Stories of Innovation and Trickery 00:47:49 The Controversy of Traction Control 00:53:55 Balance of Performance 00:56:01 Roger Penske's Winning Strategy 00:58:35 Historic Trans Am Cars and Their Legacy 01:05:51 Conclusion and Audience Q&A 01:20:27 The Future of Racing: Innovation vs. Regulation ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: https://www.motoringpodcast.net/ Become a VIP at: https://www.patreon.com/gtmotorsports Online Magazine: https://www.gtmotorsports.org/ This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family.