ROME, Ga. – Pirelli Tire North America and the Trans-Am Series have renewed their partnership until the end of 2024, with the Italian tire company serving as presenting partner for the Trans-Am Series.
At the same time, Pirelli has also extended its agreement with SVRA – the Sportscar Vintage Racing Ass’n – for the same period, as the official street tire of SVRA. SVRA, the largest vintage racing organization in the United States open to virtually any vintage or historic race car, will share a number of key dates with the Trans Am Series.
The recent five-year extension between Pirelli and the Trans-Am Series comes off the back of the current three-year agreement that lasts until the end of this year. As a result, Pirelli will continue to be presenting sponsor as well as official tire supplier to one of the best-known road racing championships in the United States, which is rooted in popular culture as well as motorsport.
The Trans-Am Series has been thrilling fans and drivers alike since 1966, with a range of classes that include production-based entries up all the way up to the iconic 850 plus horsepower TA Class. This complements Pirelli’s road to track philosophy perfectly, in which the lessons learned on circuits are put into practice on road car tires. Pirelli will continue to supply the entire Trans-Am field, including a purpose-built competition tire for the TA and TA2 classes, enabling the drivers to get the very most out of their cars while spectators enjoy a spectacular show that highlights the very best of American racing.
Ultra high performance – as well as competition – is at the very heart of Pirelli, which celebrates more than 110 years of motorsport and recently renewed its exclusive partnership with Formula 1. As well as supplying more than 220 car racing championships worldwide, Pirelli is one of the companies that invests most into research and development through motorsport, in order for the competition product to be as closely aligned to road car tires as possible.
Consequently, Pirelli and Trans-Am are currently testing 18-inch tires for the headlining TA class, which could be adopted from next season already: bringing the tires used on the track even closer to those on the road. In a similar move, Pirelli is introducing 18-inch tires to F-1 beginning in 2021.
“We’re delighted to renew this relationship for a championship that’s at the heart of American automotive culture, with extremely close racing and very high standards of driving,” said Pirelli North America Chief Executive Officer Marco Crola. “As well as providing great entertainment, this agreement enables us to reinforce our links with iconic American car manufacturers, and further enhance the connection between road and track with our high-technology P Zero products. This same technology is also seen in our Pirelli Collezione tires for classic cars, which combine classic looks with modern know-how, underlining the importance of the SVRA series to our portfolio as well.”
“It’s a pleasure for us to extend the partnership with Pirelli, which is an extremely popular move among drivers and teams as well,” said Trans-Am Series President John Clagett. “Pirelli is an iconic brand that stands for performance and style, with a commitment to competition and technical excellence that fits in perfectly with our own.”