The year was 1966 and (luckily) the Sports Car Club of America™ had well past the schism created by differing beliefs within the Club that gentlemen racers should not get paid for their time behind the wheel (i.e.: go pro). That year, the Trans-America Sedan Championship was founded by SCCA Executive Director (and SCCA Hall of Fame member) John Bishop. Now celebrating its 60th anniversary year, the SCCA Pro Racing®-sanctioned Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli heads into 2026 with a lot to celebrate – like its series champs.
“The [1966 Trans-American Sedan] championship was open to FIA Group 1 and 2 cars, divided into Over 2.0 Liter & Under 2.0 Liter classes,” it says in an article recently posted to Trans Am’s website, celebrating the milestone year to come. “John Bishop also in 1966 had the foresight to copyright the Trans Am name. This would be strategically important when Pontiac entered the series in 1968 with its Trans Am Firebird, as they would have to pay a royalty to the SCCA for every Trans Am Firebird produced.”
The history of the series is one for the ages, with drivers like Dan Gurney, Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, AJ Foyt, Tommy Kendall, Dorsey Schroeder, Scott Pruett, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Willy T. Ribbs, and more taking a Trans Am green flag over the last 60 years. But even today, legends are being made. For proof, you needn’t look any further than those who clinched overall Trans Am championships in 2025.
Let’s dig in.
In just his second full season in the series, Paul Menard earned his second consecutive Trans Am TA class championship, although that battle was a humdinger that saw him go wheel-to-wheel against the likes of Adam Andretti. The overall TA title in 2025, it should be added, came down to the final race of the season.
Future legends are sometimes young – very young. In TA2, fans bore witness to raw talent when 15-year-old Tristan McKee claimed his first title in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series. It took him a few races to get his footing, but by June 2025, he was standing atop the podium. Come season’s end, he’d clinch the overall title before the final race of the season would even occur.
Barely into her mid-20s, the young Kaylee Bryson is another one to watch in motorsports. “In 2025, Kaylee Bryson made the jump to the XGT class in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli, moving up from the SGT class after winning that title in 2024,” Trans Am wrote in its season recap, which can be found linked below. “Bryson started off the season on the podium, finishing second at Sebring International Raceway, before following that up with a top-five finish at Road Atlanta.”
Then there’s football star and 2019 SCCA National Championship Runoffs® GT-2 winner Jared Odrick who claimed the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge National Championship, 21-year-old racing phenom Joshua Carlson taking the SGT title, Chris Coffey earning yet another GT title, and more – and those are only Trans Am’s National series. There’s also the Western Championship to talk about.
Read about all of the 2025 Trans Am Series winners below:
- Paul Menard: TA National Championship
- Tristan McKee: CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series National Championship
- Jared Odrick: CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge National Championship
- Kaylee Bryson: XGT National Championship
- Joshua Carlson: SGT National Championship
- Chris Coffey: GT National Championship
- Jon DeGaynor: GT1 Challenge National Championship
- Brody Goble: CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Western Championship
- Ken Sutherland: TA Cup Western Championship
What lies in store for the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s 2026 season? Well, for one, it’s about to jump into action on Feb. 26-March1 at Sebring International Raceway. Read all about it here.
For the latest news on the Trans Am Series, head to gotransam.com.
Photo caption: Jared Odrick earned the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge National Championship title in 2025.
Photo courtesy Trans Am Series
