With a wet track to start and rain in the area, Tomy Drissi and Tony Ave made the strategic call to start today’s Trans Am finale at Daytona on rain tires. As the field took the start, Tomy worked his way from third to the lead before the cars hit the high banks of NASCAR turn 1. By time the field had completed the first lap, Tomy had literally checked out. By lap 9, and the first full course caution, Tomy had accumulated a 48 second lead over the second place car of Ernie Francis Jr.
With the field packed together, Tomy was able to keep the lead, but with the track quickly drying, Francis used the caution to chase him down. The rains that had been threatening never came. Though Tomy would stop to put on dry slicks, the yellow had robbed him of his advantage and he lost the lead in the pits.
“It was a good strategy,” said Tomy. “But it wasn’t just the tires. The car was absolutely on rails. At the start, cars were slipping and sliding all over the place, while I was able to put the car where ever I needed it to be. The track was plenty wet in the early going… but the wind picked up and it started to dry. We had seen rain in the forecast… and it looked like we’d get more… but it never came. We got the dry tires on, but we had lost our advantage to the caution. Either way, it was great fun and Tony and his guys did a great job.”
“Tomy drove great,” added Tony Ave. “We made the call to go with wets because it was the right thing to do. It was raining on the grid and cars were all over the place at the start. We were hoping we’d build a large enough lead to be able to change tires if the rains didn’t come… but the early caution threw us off. Without the yellow, we would have built our lead up to over a minute… heck, Tomy was already lapping TA2 cars. He really did an awesome job.”
“Not only that,” added Ave, “after the tire change, Tomy went out and turned the fastest lap of the race… a 1:48.603… he was the only car to dip into the 48’s. He finished 5th in class… with a pit stop. It was good racing and a good strategy. It just didn’t go our way this time.”
This was the final event for the 2017 Trans Am Season. Tomy will take the month to review plans for 2018. Watch for an announcement before the New Year.
Murder on the Orient Express opens November 10, 2017, it’s a lavish train ride unfolds into a stylish & suspenseful mystery, from the novel by Agatha Christie. It’s about thirteen stranded strangers & one man’s race to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again. It stars Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Keep up with Tomy at http://www.tomydrissi.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/tomydrissi/ – Catch Tomy’s Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/tomydrissi
Tomy Drissi is an American driver and Trans Am Champion.
His driver experience includes ALMS, Trans-Am, NASCAR and Speed World Challengea
Born December 9 in Hollywood, California, Tomy owns an advertising firm that produces upcoming film displays for cinemas.
Drissi’s first racing experience in motorsports was street racing on Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills.
Tomy’s professional racing career highlights include:
• 1999 Trans-Am Rookie of the Year,
• 2000 Trans-Am BBS Most Improved Driver,
• 2000 Trans-Am Crew of the Year
• 2000 Trans-Am Long Beach Champion
• 2009 Trans-Am Champion.
• 2010 ALMS (one off race) Prototype LMP1 3rd. at Mid Ohio
• 2011 saw Tomy’s return to the American Le Mans LMPC division. He scored a 2nd at Long Beach, 3rd at Lime Rock, 1st at Mid Ohio,1st at Inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix and second at Road Atlanta -Petit Le Mans.
• 2012, Drissi teamed with Bruno Junqiera for finishing 2nd at Laguna Seca, a win at Mosport (Canadian Tire Motorsports Park), 2nd at Baltimore and second at the season finale, Petit Lemans.
• 2013 NASCAR CUP/Nationwide. Best result at Mid Ohio starting 38th and finishing 19th.
• 2014 IMSA LMPC at Daytona 3rd.
• 2014 NASCAR CUP/Nationwide. Finished 19th at The Glen
• 2015 TUDOR Series. 2nd Place Rolex 24 at Daytona
• 2016 WeatherTech Series. 2nd Place Rolex 24 at Daytona
• 2017 WeatherTech Series. 1st Place Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta
• 2017 Trans Am Series. 3rd place at Circuit of the Americas
• 2017 Trans Am Series West. 1st place at Circuit of the Americas
About TransAm
The Trans Am Series is America’s Road Racing Series and dates back to 1966. Throughout the years, some of the greatest names in motorsports have participated in the Trans Am Series. Names like Tommy Kendall, Mark Donohue, Peter Gregg, Bob Tullius and Wally Dallenbach, Jr. have all won multiple championships under the Trans Am name.
While Trans Am will always be dedicated to honoring its history and legacy, it is far from simply living in the past. Since the addition of the Trans Am Race Company, LLC in late 2011, Trans Am has experienced unprecedented growth as a new class based model has been implemented. Now, three distinct classes take center stage; TA, TA2 and TA3, Trans Am is positioned to power into the future, not live in the past.
The iconic Trans Am Series – America’s Road Racing Series – is operated by the Trans Am Race Company, LLC. Through a five-year agreement, the Trans Am Race Company manages the marketing rights to the series and is responsible for Trans Am Series public relations and promotions. SCCA Pro Racing sanctions Trans Am events and provides event operations services to the series.
For more on the Series visit www.gotransam.com, “like” Trans Am on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam, or follow Trans Am on Twitter at @gotransam.