Examining the Closest Driver's Championship Battles in Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli History

This year's CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series championship battle is shaping up to be one of the closest in the history of the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. Entering the season finale at Circuit of The Americas, Helio Meza leads TeamSLR teammate Alon Day by five points in the CUBE 3 TA2 Series Driver's Championship standings.

With that dramatic championship fight in mind, here is a look at some of the closest Driver's Championship battles over the 60-year history of Trans Am racing.

1992 - Jack Baldwin and Scott Sharp

Like this year's TA2 championship fight, the 1992 Trans Am Series title came down to a battle of teammates Jack Baldwin and Scott Sharp. The highly competitive season saw eight different winners in 11 races, with Baldwin, Sharp and Ron Fellows the only drivers to win more than once.

Coincidentally, both Baldwin and Sharp rattled off back-to-back victories for their two wins of the season. Sharp won at Mosport Park (now known as Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) and at the Des Moines Street Circuit, while Baldwin won August races at Watkins Glen International and Circuit de Trois-Rivieres.

Despite the high level of competition, Baldwin and Sharp were often inseparable on the racetrack. Sharp and Baldwin finished 1-2 for both of Sharp's wins, as well as Baldwin's victory at Watkins Glen. Baldwin and Sharp also shared the podium at Road America, finishing second and third to Fellows.

The duo shared the podium once more in the season finale at Sonoma. Scott Sharp chased Darin Brassfield to the checkered flag, with Brassfield winning by 0.223 seconds. Baldwin finished third, winning the title by four points.

1976 - Jocko Maggiacomo, Jr. and John Bauer

Category I in the Trans Am Series was separated by just one point after eight races during the 1976 season, with Jocko Maggiacomo, Jr. taking the championship over John Bauer.

Maggiacomo opened the season by taking the Category I victories at Pocono Raceway and the Nelson Ledges Road Course in the first two rounds, Maggiaccomo missed the next two races, while John Bauer was part of the winning Category I team along with Walt Maas at the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, contested alongside the World Championship for Makes.

The six-hour endurance race paid double championship points, helping Bauer erase much of Maggiacomo's early advantage in the pursuit of the Category I championship. Bauer's chase continued until the final round, where he won Category I at Circuit de Trois-Rivieres. However, Maggiacomo's fourth-place class finish was enough to secure the championship by one point over Bauer.

2004 - Paul Gentilozzi and Tommy Kendall

The 2004 season was one for the Trans Am record books in more ways than one.

Tommy Kendall returned to Trans Am competition in 2004, seven years after his historic 1997 season where he won 11 races in 13 starts en route to his fourth championship. He joined Rocketsports Racing, matching him with three-time champion Paul Gentilozzi.

The teammates combined for seven wins in the nine Trans Am races that season. Gentilozzi won five races, with his fifth win at the Grand Prix of Denver marking his 29th career Trans Am victory. That milestone tied him with Mark Donohue for most career wins with the series, a record he'd break the following year at Exhibition Place Toronto.

Gentilozzi did not compete at Sonoma that season, but his performance in the other eight races earned him enough points to tie Kendall in the championship standings. Kendall was no slouch in his Trans Am return, winning two of the final three races at Road America and Laguna Seca. With the advantage in wins, Gentilozzi claimed the championship on a tiebreaker for his fourth title.

2022 - Thomas Merrill and Rafa Matos

Gentilozzi's 2004 title marked the first tie in the Drivers' Championship standings since its institution in 1971. The 2022 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Championship also came down to a tie between Thomas Merrill and Rafa Matos.

The 2022 season proved to be a roller-coaster ride for both Matos and Merrill. For Merrill, there were three wins and eight podium finishes, as well as four finishes outside the top 20. In the penultimate race of the season at VIRginia International Raceway trailing Matos by 12 points, Merrill was involved in an incident and finished 21st.

Matos carried a 32-point lead into the season finale at Circuit of The Americas built on consistency. Outside of a DNF at Road Atlanta, Matos did not finish worse than eighth in the first 11 events of the year.

Then came the dramatic finale at COTA. A brake failure sent Matos into the wall, but his team fought valiantly to get him back on track to score as many points as possible before retiring from the race after completing 12 laps.

Even with Matos' misfortune, Merrill needed a walk-off win to erase the points deficit. That is exactly what Merrill accomplished, leading every lap of the race from the pole to score enough points to force a tie in the standings, and claim the tiebreaker with that pivotal third win to Matos' two victories.

The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli concludes its 2026 season on November 5-8 at Circuit of The Americas. Live coverage will be available on RacingAmerica.TV and @TheTransAmSeries on YouTube.

-Photo credit: Chris Clark Photography