Hot News Trans-Am

FOX NASCAR Announcer Mike Joy to Join Historic Trans Am Field at Sonoma

Posted by AR1 staff

Lead race announcer for FOX NASCAR Mike Joy will trade his microphone for the steering wheel when he competes in the Historic Trans Am Series at Sonoma Raceway, June 5-6. The series is paired with the ARCA Menards Series West on Saturday and the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday.

Joy will take to the track in the No. 89 1966 Ford Mustang built and raced by Jim Whelan and Pete Dock.  They primarily raced in SCCA’s A Sedan amateur road races, but also occasionally competed in the Trans Am series against larger, better-funded teams and world-class drivers.  The car is owned by Ken Epsman of Saratoga and prepared by McGee Motorsports at Sonoma Raceway; Joy raced it previously in the Monterey Historics and won an Historic Trans Am race in the rain at Lime Rock.

Mike Joy

“While I love broadcasting the NASCAR Cup Series each week for FOX Sports, my heart is with the great Historic Trans Am racers that I followed in 1966-72,” said Joy. “That these exact cars have been so lovingly restored AND are being raced hard today is simply amazing.  This adds a great ‘throwback’ aspect to Sonoma’s NASCAR weekend, and I’m very honored Ken has asked me to run the car.”

The Historic Trans Am Series hits the track on Saturday morning with practice beginning at 9 a.m., qualifying at 10:30 a.m. and a 30-minute timed race at 1 p.m. Sunday’s Historic Trans Am action will kick off with warm up laps at 9:15 a.m. followed by another 30-minute feature at 10:30 a.m. prior to the Toyota/Save Mart 350 NASCAR Cup Series main event at 1 p.m. These are real Trans Am race cars – not reproductions – racing and competing 50 years after the series’ heyday in the late 1960s and early ‘70s.

Mike Joy’s 1966 Mustang

“Fans of NASCAR and all types of sports car racing will love seeing and hearing these ground-pounders in wheel-to-wheel action,” continued Joy.

Other significant Trans Am cars scheduled to compete include a 1969 championship Camaro raced by Mark Donohue at then-Sears Point Raceway; a 1970 championship-winning yellow Mustang driven by Parnelli Jones; a lime green Dodge Challenger raced by Sam Posey and a 1972 championship-winning AMC Javelin driven by George Follmer.

NASCAR returns to Sonoma Raceway, June 5-6. Limited tickets and camping remain for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend. Visit www.SonomaRaceway.com, call 800-870-RACE or follow @RaceSonoma for more information.