Atwell makes final-corner pass to collect TA Sprint win at Road America

John Atwell (No. 02 XRC / DFW Concrete / A&J Lab Portal Ford Mustang) is now two-for-two in the Trans Am Series by Pirelli’s newest division, the TA Sprint Championship, after making an incredible rally in the second half of Saturday’s 13-lap event at Road America.

The Texan was the inaugural winner in the TA Sprint Championship back in March at Sebring International Raceway, and on Saturday, repeated the feat after starting the race fourth and climbing through the pack early.

Polesitter Brad McAllister (No. 24 Peridontal Associates Ford Mustang) got the early jump on the nine-driver field around the 4.048-mile road course in Wisconsin and pulled to a lead of more than five seconds over his closest competitors. But, just like in the season-opener at Sebring, Atwell got faster and faster as the event continued to log laps, and eventually, was faster than McAllister and closing the gap, until the white flag waved, and suddenly the No. 02 was on the bumper of the No. 24.

After making it through several of the major passing zones, McAllister looked as though he was safe, but Atwell used a smart move in the final corner, Turn 14, going wide at corner-entry to cross under the No. 24 with a huge run down the long front straightaway and barely made the pass, crossing the line 0.469s ahead of McAllister.

Atwell has been competing in the Trans Am Series by Pirelli since 2012, competing primarily in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, where he had made 50 career starts before this season, with six top fives and 17 top 10s.

Jim Guthrie finished in the third position, more than 30 seconds behind the battle for the victory, while Bruce Raymond finished fourth and Rob Kacprowicz rounded out the top-five. Naz Olkhovskyi was the only other driver that finished the event, doing so in sixth.

Jim Gallaugher and Christina Lam both had some mechanical issues that put them several laps off the pace in seventh and eighth. Tim Carroll in the No. 46 didn’t make the grid to take the green-flag and will be credited with a ninth-place finish.