Inaugural Class of Trans Am Hall of Fame announced

The inaugural class of the Trans Am Hall of Fame will be inducted Feb. 21 during a celebratory dinner at Sebring International Raceway, where the series made its debut in 1966. 18 legendary drivers and team owners will be among the first inductees into the Trans Am Hall of Fame, which was announced in November to honor the longest-running professional road racing series in North America.

The Trans Am Series, originally named the Trans-American Sedan Championship, debuted on March 25, 1966 with its inaugural race at Sebring, and has excited audiences for nearly 60 years with its combination of powerful American muscle cars and elite GT cars from around the world.

Members of the new Trans Am Hall of Fame will range from the series’ earliest winners and champions to influential figures who have shaped modern motorsports, as well as groundbreaking competitors still competing in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli.

“I could not be more thrilled about the inaugural class of the Trans Am Hall of Fame,” said Tony Parella, founder of Parella Motorsports Holdings. “On the night of the induction ceremony, the room is going to be filled with so many of the most influential people in the history of the Trans Am Series and motorsports as a whole. It will be my absolute privilege to honor them for their contributions to the series.”

Below is the inaugural class of the Trans Am Hall of Fame, in alphabetical order:

John Clagett

Former President John Clagett acted as a caretaker for the Trans Am Series for nearly 40 years, beginning his tenure with the series when he served as the Vice President of SCCA Pro Racing from 1984-2000. He was named Executive Director of the series from 2003-2006, at a time that was particularly challenging for road racing in North America. In 2009, he fought alongside Hall of Fame inductee Greg Pickett to bring the series back from dormancy, and was named President of Trans Am Race Company, LLC. Since then, the series has experienced exponential growth in competition, entries and fans under his watch. He secured a landmark title partnership with Pirelli, and sponsorship of the wildly successful TA2 class with the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series.

Wally Dallenbach Jr.

Known for his exceptional driving skills and charismatic personality, Wally Dallenbach Jr. made an impression in his debut season, earning the 1984 Rookie of the Year honors. Impressing legendary team owner (and fellow Hall of Fame inductee) Jack Roush and the Ford Motor Company, Dallenbach Jr. was brought into the Roush Mercury stable in 1985, where he captured five victories and the championship, edging teammate Willy T. Ribbs. At 22 years old, he became what was then the youngest-ever Trans Am champion. He followed that up with another title the following season, winning the championship by a huge margin while racing a Chevrolet Camaro. Dallenbach Jr. would go on to excel in the GT categories in IMSA, winning the Daytona 24 Hours in 1985, 1991, 1992 and 1993, and the Sebring 12 Hours in 1985, 1988 and 1989. He continues to race in the Trans Am Series today.

Mark Donohue (inducted posthumously)

Mark Donohue was the driver to beat in Trans Am for four seasons, although the record books don’t fully represent Donohue’s greatness as the series only awarded manufacturer championships until 1972. Beginning his career in the series in 1967 driving for fellow inductee Roger Penske, he scored three victories that year. The following season he amassed 10 wins, including a victory in the Trans Am class in the 12 Hours of Sebring alongside Craig Fisher, securing Penske and Chevrolet the 1968 title. Chevrolet took the championship again on the strength of Donohue’s six victories in 1969. Earning three victories in 1970, Donohue brought Penske and new manufacturer AMC the championship in 1971 with seven wins. His record of 29 victories wouldn’t be broken for more than 30 years, and applying the points retrospectively, he would have taken the driver’s championship three times in four seasons.

Chris Dyson

The son of sports car racer and team owner Rob Dyson, three-time Trans Am TA class champion Chris Dyson has enjoyed more than two decades of success in road course racing. Dyson began his career in the American Le Mans Series in 2001, where he earned two titles. The talented and passionate driver made forays into sprint car racing and NASCAR, but found his home in the Trans Am Series in 2018. Dyson finished top three in the points in his first three seasons of TA competition, and finally earned the coveted championship in 2021. He began a dynasty in the class, winning titles again in both 2022 and 2023. Dyson currently sits fourth on the all-time TA win list with 26 National Championship victories, and continues to race today in pursuit of wins and his fourth championship.

Ron Fellows

A 20-time winner in the Trans Am Series, Ron Fellows is often considered the greatest Trans Am driver to never win a championship. His first victory appropriately came at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 1989 while driving for fellow Hall of Famer Jack Roush. With three victories in 1992, Fellows finished second in points, and he was a runner up again in 1994 after four wins. He earned his third-consecutive second-place finish in the points in 1995 with five victories, and fell short of the title again in 1996 despite four wins. Following his Trans Am career, Fellows went on to race in sports cars, earning class wins at Le Mans, Sebring and Daytona, while also capturing an American Le Mans Series championship. The Ontario, Canada native is also beloved for saving the track where he scored his first Trans Am victory, then known as Mosport.

George Follmer

Renowned for his versatility, George Follmer is the only driver in history to win both the Trans Am and Can-Am championships in the same year. Follmer began his career racing for Bud Moore from 1969-1971, earning four victories. In 1972, he took the checkered flag four times, earning the series’ first-ever driver championship in the Over 2.5-Liter class, while scoring AMC its second-consecutive manufacturers’ title. That same season, he filled in for an injured Mark Donohue in Penske Racing’s Can-Am program, scoring five wins and the title. Follmer went on to race in Formula 1, Can-Am and NASCAR before returning to Trans Am, capturing his second championship in 1976.

Ernie Francis Jr.

A prodigious talent, Ernie Francis Jr. won his first Trans Am GT class championship in 2014 at the age of 16, making him the youngest Trans Am champion at the time. He went on to win the GT title two more times and become the winningest driver in the class with 23 victories. In 2017, he moved into the TA class, winning the title four years in a row, and capturing wins in 24 points-paying races. At just 22 years old, Francis Jr.’s name was already in the Trans Am record books, holding the most combined National Championship wins and being the first driver to claim four-consecutive Trans Am TA class titles. Francis Jr. has since gone on to race in INDYNXT. At just 27 years old, Francis Jr. could continue to break records for years to come.

Paul Gentilozzi

Paul Gentilozzi has been a powerful force in the Trans Am Series as both a driver and a team owner. First joining the Trans Am Series in 1987, he earned his first victory in 1988. A constant presence on the racetrack, it wasn’t until 1998 that Gentilozzi really hit his stride, tallying seven wins and his first Trans Am title. He backed it up the following season, winning the championship on the strength of six victories. In 2001, he won the title after piloting to victory lane eight times, and repeated the feat again in 2004. His fifth and final title was earned in 2006, and he holds the record of the winningest driver in Trans Am’s TA class with 31 victories. His team, 3GT Racing (formerly Rocketsports Racing), has remained a constant contender for wins and titles since Gentilozzi stepped back as a driver, and most recently captured the TA championship with Paul Menard behind the wheel. His contributions to Trans Am racing extend beyond the track, as he played a pivotal role in promoting and developing the series, ensuring its continued growth and success. Gentilozzi’s legacy in Trans Am is characterized by his dedication, passion, and unwavering pursuit of excellence.

Dan Gurney (inducted posthumously)

Dan Gurney was a legendary figure in the world of motorsports, renowned for his versatility and innovation both on and off the track. His illustrious career spanned various racing disciplines, including Formula 1, INDYCAR, NASCAR, sports car racing, and of course, Trans Am. Gurney is perhaps best known for his pioneering efforts in designing and constructing racecars, founding All American Racers and introducing the Gurney flap, an aerodynamic device that revolutionized racing car design. Gurney scored a Trans Am victory driving Bud Moore’s Mercury Cougar at Green Valley Raceway in 1967.

Parnelli Jones (inducted posthumously)

1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones entered the Trans Am Series near the end of his illustrious racing career, which included numerous wins in NASCAR, USAC Stock Cars, ARCA and what is now INDYCAR. Driving in the Trans Am Series from 1967 until 1971, Jones scored seven wins in only 29 races in the series. His best seasons were behind the wheel of Bud Moore Engineering’s Ford Mustang, scoring two victories in 1969, and five wins in 1970, which allowed Ford to capture the manufacturers’ crown.

Tommy Kendall

After winning three-consecutive IMSA GT championships, Tommy Kendall was recruited by Chevrolet to market the Baretta in the Trans Am Series. With six victories in 1990, Kendall scored his first of four titles in the series. His next three championships were scored consecutively in 1995, 1996 and 1997, in the latter of which he scored a stunning 11-consecutive victories. Kendall ended his career with a total of 28 wins, putting him third on the all-time win list for the TA class.

Roger Penske

While the name Roger Penske may make many think of the team owner’s success in NASCAR or INDYCAR, he once found great success in the Trans Am Series with his team, then known as Penske Racing. In 1967, the organization earned its first-ever major race win in the new Chevrolet Camaro with Hall of Famer Mark Donohue behind the wheel at Marlboro Motor Raceway. The team would earn two more victories that season, and followed that up with 10 wins in 1968 to earn Chevrolet the manufacturers’ championship. Chevy earned the title again the following year on the strength of six wins from Donohue and two from Ronnie Bucknum. Penske made the switch to the AMC Javelin in 1970 after being recruited by the manufacturer, and by just the fifth event in the new marque, Donohue was in Victory Lane. In 1971, the title went to AMC, with Donohue racking up seven victories for Roger Penske.

Greg Pickett

Between the Trans Am National Championship and Western Championship, Greg Pickett has won a race in each of the last six decades. Earning his first victory in a Chevrolet Corvette in the 1978 season opener at Sonoma Raceway, Pickett went on to earn three more wins that year, taking the Category II title. He continued to race in the National Championship until 2020, racking up 17 victories in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. In 2017, he joined the Western Championship and resumed his winning streak, to date capturing 13 victories in the 2010s and 2020s, as well as TA championships in 2017 and 2020. Pickett currently sits third on the all-time race start chart, racing in his 200th event last season.

Scott Pruett

Scott Pruett has found success in a variety of sports car, stock car and open wheel series, winning in some of the world’s most prestigious events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. For the remarkably determined and diversely skilled driver, the Trans Am Series was no exception, recording 22 wins and three championships in three different decades. Pruett won his first title in 1987, piloting a Merkur XR4Ti to seven wins. He earned his second Trans Am title in 1994 with three victories, but it would be nearly a decade later when he would win his third championship in his career-best season while driving Paul Gentilozzi’s Jaguar XKR to eight wins.

Willy T. Ribbs

One of the most versatile and groundbreaking drivers of his era, Willy T. Ribbs started his career in Trans Am with a bang, winning five races and finishing second in the point standings while driving a DeAtley Chevrolet Camaro. In 1984, he joined fellow Hall of Famer Jack Roush’s super team, piloting his Mercury Capri to four wins. His best season came in 1985, when he won seven points-paying races and earned one win in the Pacesetter Challenge at Sonoma Raceway, but fell just short of the title. Ribbs raced part time in the series until 1992, then returned for a final season in the series in 2000. In total, he tallied 17 points-paying victories over the course of his career. Outside of Trans Am, Ribbs is known for being the first African American to test a Formula 1 car and to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

Jack Roush

After forming Jack Roush Performance Engineering and providing parts and engines for dragsters, oval-track racers and Hillclimb cars, Jack Roush answered the call from Ford Motor Company to bring his talents to the Trans Am Series. Ford’s brands went from being winless in 1983 to the Roush Racing Protofab Mercury Capris winning 11 times in 1984 with drivers Tom Gloy and fellow inductees Greg Pickett and Willy T. Ribbs, while also taking the top-three spots in the standings and giving Mercury the manufacturers’ crown. The following season, Hall of Famer Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Ribbs tallied 12 victories, and in 1986, Roush’s Mercury Capri and Merkur XR4Ti won the manufacturers’ title. Fellow inductee Scott Pruett won the driver championship and manufacturers’ title for Roush in 1987, and Dorsey Schroeder won the 1989 championship in a Roush Ford Mustang. Roush sent Ford to the manufacturers’ title in 1994, 1996 and 1997, while Tommy Kendall won the driver championship with Roush in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Amy Ruman

Amy Ruman is a groundbreaker in the Trans Am Series, becoming the first woman to win a Trans Am race and the first woman to win a Trans Am Championship. The daughter of Trans Am racer Bob Ruman, Ruman broke the glass ceiling with her first victory in the series at Road Atlanta in 2011. Embarking on her first full-time season in 2012, she finished second in points on the strength of two victories. She finished fourth and third in the points the following two years, before experiencing an absolute breakout season in 2015, driving to Victory Lane in eight of 12 races and earning her first TA crown. She did it once again the following year, earning three victories to score back-to-back championships. Ruman continues to race in the Trans Am Series today, and has finished in the top five in points for the last 15 seasons.

Bob Tullius

Quite literally one of the first winners in Trans Am history, Bob Tullius drove to victory in the Trans Am Series’ inaugural event, winning the Over 2-Liter class alongside teammate Tony Adamowicz in a four-hour event at Sebring International Raceway. The same duo won again in a 12 Hour event at Marlboro Motor Raceway, and Tullius then drove to victory in the 1967 season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Tullius is perhaps best remembered as one of America’s finest representatives of British cars. In 1977, he scored six wins in the Jaguar XJ-S to win the TA championship, and went back to back to win the championship in 1978 with seven victories. The following year, he won three events in the Triumph TR9, and the last of his 21 victories came in 1981.

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli will kick off the 2025 season with the Sebring SpeedTour at Sebring International Raceway, Feb. 20-23. The series will be joined by Historic Trans Am, which also competes that weekend with iconic and significant vehicles from the series’ history, many of which were driven or owned by members of the inaugural class.