Lawrence Sweeps Trans Am Esports Showdown at Lime Rock

Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli added a new chapter to its 54-year history on Saturday as America’s road racing series took to Lime Rock Park for its inaugural Esports competition with a double-header race on Saturday.

With the help of NAGRA, Torque eSports, GreenLight.TV and rFactor 2 Simulator, a global market watched Trans Am’s historic simulated moment.

While the races were virtual, Trans Am still delivered the intense racing action its known for.

Twenty-six current, former, and future Trans Am drivers made the most of the virtual opportunity to bump, drift, and run around the 1.5-mile Lime Rock Park, which featured identically trimmed 2012 Camaro GT3 chassis during a swift 10-minute qualifying followed by two 20-minute race sessions.

But after last-lap battles in both races, two-time TA2 champion Cameron Lawrence, in the No. 4 3- Dimensional Services Group, added “Trans Am eRace winner” to his long list of accolades, claiming both checkered flags in the Trans Am by Pirelli Showdown.

“It was kind of crazy in the first race,” explained Lawrence. “I drove off track and handed the lead to somebody else. I was surprised when they said I won.

“On the second race, the biggest thing was working traffic and not making any contact. I saw a lot of dirt and people all over the place, and I was trying to keep it on the track. It was great going for the win on the last lap, I didn’t want to finish second.”

After qualifying, reigning TA2 champion Marc Miller (No. 16 Stevens-Miller Racing, Sabelt America, Unit Nutrition, Gradient Racing) looked like the driver to beat, edging out Dylan Archer, son of former Trans Am driver Bobby Archer, by a mere .075-second for pole position.

Edward Sevadjian (No. 10 Leadfoot Racing) and Tyler Kicera (No. 30 Carbotech Brakes) slotted into Row 2 for the first race.

In the opening round, Miller held the point for most of the race until lapped traffic slowed his efforts. Kicera took a brief lead before a tap from lapped traffic sent him spinning across the track.

A prowling Thomas Merrill (No. 28 Diehl-Merrill Racing HP Tuners Mike Cope Racing), who won the real-life Lime Rock race last season in TA2, capitalized on the leaders’ misfortunes, crossing the stripe in first.

However, a post-race penalty was issued to Merrill due to an unserved in-race penalty as second-place, finisher Lawrence was `classified as the race winner.

Archer moved up to second while Miller slotted into third. Roger Eagleton (No. 24 DIG Motorsports, Five Star Property Management, Ford Performance) and Nick Rosseno (No. 21 Rosseno Racing, Burrtec Waste Industries, AMSOIL) completed the top-five.

After drivers dialed in during Race 1, Race 2 delivered better racing, more intense action and heated battles throughout the 30-car field. With the inverted lineup based on finishes in Race 1, John Paul Southern (No. 13 Stevens-Miller Racing) and Kicera started from the front row with Daniel Urrutia (No. 7 Ferrea Racing Components, Saenz Transmissions, Mustang Vacuum Coatings) and Sevadjian filled out Row 2.

Kicera got the jump on Southern for the lead. Kicera paced the race for nearly half the session until Lawrence, starting from last place, stormed through the field to steal first.

Kicera paid back Lawrence in a huge pass in the final moments of the 20-minute session, shuffling Lawrence back to second. But, just like in the first round, lapped traffic halted Kicera’s hunt for victory. Weaving through traffic on the final lap, incidental contact between a slower car shunted Kicera off course.

Lawrence took the lead and the checkered. Kicera settled for second with Miller in third. Eagleton finished just outside of podium-position in fourth and Archer completed the top five.

With a lot more experience in the real world than the virtual one, six-time series champion career, Ernie Francis Jr. entered the races as an underdog. But Francis Jr., who won the 2020 season-opening TA race at Sebring International Raceway earlier this month, learned quickly to score sixth in the second race.

As Trans Am and track management are still monitoring the impact of COVID-19 in Connecticut, the series is scheduled to return to real-life racing May 22-25 for the Lime Rock Festival. Future simulation races will be announced at a later date.