PORTLAND, Ore. (July 26, 2025) – The Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli’s Western Championship Race 1 at Portland International Raceway stayed green from start to finish, allowing driver talent and car setups to shine in the 100-mile event. Ken Sutherland was dominant in TA Cup, leading the class from flag to flag to win the PIR SpeedTour race overall in his second-consecutive victory.

Notes of Interest

• Ken Sutherland earned his second straight win in TA Cup. Coming into this weekend with the championship lead, he continues to top the standings.
• Second-place finisher Ken Thwaits matched his career-best finish in TA Cup.

TA Cup:
After taking the pole in this morning’s qualifying session with the fastest lap of any Trans Am class at Portland, Ken Sutherland (No. 85 Kallberg Racing Ford Mustang) kept that same speed when the green flag waved. With the TA Cup class starting in the back, Sutherland diced his way through the field of CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series cars, taking the overall race lead on Lap 12. Once he got into clean air, he never looked back, pulling out to an immense gap. However, the race between the TA Cup cars was still an exciting one, as second through fourth all finished within a second and a half of each other.

Second-place starter Ken Thwaits (No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro) was initially keeping pace with Sutherland, but he lost first and second gear early in the race and began to lag behind him. Fourth-place starter Chris Evans (No. 08 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang) passed third-place starter John Moore (No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang) on lap nine, and the two battled it out nose to tail for the remainder of the race. Moore got side-by-side with Evans a few times, but was never able to regain the third position. Together, the pair of Evans and Moore stalked Thwaits, and the two were right behind him when the checkered flag waved.

“It was great,” said Sutherland from the podium. “The plan was to get a little gap, get by some of the back markers from the TA2 group, and then hopefully just maintain a gap. It just went way better than I ever could have expected. It’s just a testament to this car. My crew chief puts a lot of effort into making things just right on this car. And then of course, Chris Evans, Jeff Jefferson, Curt and Patty Kallberg, the car owners, they’re the ones that allow me to be able to do this. It’s just super fantastic. I would like to thank Trans Am for being here on the West Coast. If you look around the paddock, there are a lot of cars, and a lot of people that put a lot of effort into racing these cars out here. It’s just a great thing we have going, and I just so appreciate you guys coming out here, racing with us, and giving us a venue to race our cars.”

TA Cup:
1. Ken Sutherland, No. 85 Kallberg Racing Ford Mustang
2. Ken Thwaits, No. 9 Franklin Road Chevrolet Camaro
3. Chris Evans, No. 92 Central Welding Supply/Pinnacle Alloys Ford Mustang
4. John Moore, No. 27 JM Environmental Ford Mustang

XGT:
Simon Asselin in the No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup was the only competitor in his class. Despite contact with another entrant on the start, Asselin had a solid race, collecting his first victory in the XGT class.

“Well, you know, I’ve really got to give it to the TA2 guys doing these 75-minute races day in and day out,” said Asselin. “I was roasted at the end. I was hoping to hear, ‘Okay, only a couple of laps left,’ and I would hear, ‘45 minutes left.’ You’re killing me! I really appreciate you guys allowing me to race with you. Unfortunately, I had contact in Turn 1 with one of the racers. I have to go apologize, but that was a great race.”

XGT Results:
1. Simon Asselin, No. 81 Infillion Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup

TA:
As the only competitor in his class, Cole Boudreau in the No. 88 Boudreau Racing Ford Mustang stood atop the podium in TA. Despite facing a number of mechanical challenges throughout the weekend, Boudreau made it to the checkered flag in his first-career Trans Am Series race. 

“I didn’t think we were going to finish that race, we had so many brake problems,” said Boudreau.  “We were fighting that, we had some rear end problems, and maybe a little bit of driver problems too. But man, what a fun time that was. Oh my God, that was a blast. Most fun I ever had. These cars have got so much power. You just get on a little bit too fast, you’re sideways and fighting. And I don’t think there’s a better or more cool racing series, at least I haven’t seen one.”

TA:
1. Cole Boudreau, No. 88 Boudreau Racing Ford Mustang

Final Details:

Full race results can be found here.

The Western Championship returns to action tomorrow with Race 2 of the PIR SpeedTour.