TRANS AM: Tommy Bahama/Tom Gloy Racing entry finishes 6th at Cleveland

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

July 1, 2001

CLEVELAND -- The 2001 BFGoodrich Trans-Am Series continued today, in the fifth of eleven races, at Cleveland’s temporary racetrack at the Burke Lakefront Airport. Tom Gloy Racing fielded two entries in the BFGoodrich Tires Cup Trans-Am Series. The 2000 Trans-Am Champion, Brian Simo, finished sixth and Jim Matthews finished 27th.

Simo, driving the Tommy Bahama #88 Qvale Mangusta, started second. This was Simo’s 55th Fast-Five Appearance in the Trans-Am Series. Matthews, in his first appearance in Cleveland, started 15th on the ten turns, 2.106-miles long racecourse.

The race started under rain conditions when a severe thunderstorm had just moved through the Cleveland area. The entire field started the race a wet tire setup. At the start of the race there was standing water on most of the tracks and heavily in the turns. Simo led for 31 laps and moved from first to 12th after a pit stop to put on racing slicks on lap 31. He was able to get the number 88 Tommy Bahama entry into sixth at the end of the 47-lap race. Simo was awarded the BFGoodrich Tires Take Control Award for leading the most laps in today’s race. Round five will air on the CBS Television Network July 1st from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Check local listings.

"The Tommy Bahama team worked hard at Detroit for a second place finish but I think we worked harder for today’s sixth place," said Simo. "This is the first time we have raced the BFG Goodrich rain tires all year and they held up under extreme punishment. They were made for wet conditions and the track eventually dried out. We lost the speed once they dried out."

Matthews ran as high as fifth place until he went off course and the grass-filled radiator eventually overheated the car.

The next race for Tom Gloy Racing will be at Sears Point Raceway July 21st. The permanent racetrack located near San Francisco has 12-turns and is a 2.52-miles long. This sixth race in the BFGoodrich Trans-Am Series will air live on CBS from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern; check local listings. For more information or updates on the BFGoodrich Trans-Am Series go to: http://www.trans-amseries.com/index.html

Bay Area native Tom Gloy, heading one of the most respected and winning teams in Trans-Am racing, is looking forward to returning to the widely known northern California race track. Gloy grew up in nearby Oakland, Calif.; Sears Point Raceway was the home for Tom Gloy Racing for eight years.

Simo has competed on the famous Bay Area racetrack in Trans-Am only once. Driving for Tom Gloy Racing, he posted the fastest race lap in 1995 and went on to finish seventh. Over the years, one of Gloy’s other drivers, Dorsey Schroeder, has also done well on this track located in the near the wine country, winning the race in 1995. As a driver, Tom Gloy won the Trans-Am events at his hometrack in 1981 and 1982 and was the pole winner in 1981, twice in 1984 and in 1985.

Tommy Bahama is the primary sponsor for the Simo entry, with associate sponsorship from Valvoline. Tommy Bahama is the purveyor of the island lifestyle and has been celebrating island living since 1992. Tommy Bahama is a flourishing men's and women's upscale casual sportswear wholesaler and also has successful restaurant and retail operations. The Tommy Bahama Tropical Café and Emporium serves up island-inspired fare and lots of tropical fun. It has become the ultimate lifestyle brand.

TELEVISION SCHEDULE

• Sebring March 16 March 16 Speedvision; 8-9:30 p.m.
• Long Beach April 8 April 15 Speedvision: 12-1:30 p.m.
• Mosport May 20 May 20 Speedvision; 1-2:30 p.m. (Live)
• Detroit June 16 June 17 CBS; 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
• Cleveland June 30 July 1 CBS; 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.
• Sears Point July 21 July 21 CBS; 3 - 4:30 p.m. (Live)
• Portland August 4 August 4 Speedvision; 4 - 5:30 (Live)
• Road America August 18 August 25 Speedvision; 2 - 3:30 p.m.
• Mid-Ohio August 25 TBA Speedvision; TBA
• Laguna Seca September 9 September 9 Speedvision; 5 - 6:30 p.m. (Live)
• Houston October 6 TBA

Text provided by Robbin Herring

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