The second race of the Trans Am National Tour Series Championship schedule was held at the Charlotte Roval in Concord, NC this past Saturday. After a hard hit at the Sebring season opener the BC Race Cars team was hard at work on both of their driver’s cars; with perseverance to prevail, the team pulled all the stops to make the start at the Charlotte Roval possible for both Michele and Misha.
Michele Abbate, driver of the #30 Ghost Energy TA2 Ford Mustang, was new to the circuit and would take her first laps on the track on Thursday’s test day. With 2 sessions in the day Abbate made strides of improvement with every session. As the first official practice came to a close, Abbate was sitting 19th fastest out of the 30 car field. “I am feeling pretty good out there, but there are several key areas where I need to improve my line and/or entry speed. I am really enjoying this track and it’s really cool to have the opportunity to race here”, Michele said.
With the official results posted from the qualifying session, Abbate earned the P19 grid spot position for Saturday’s feature race. Starting on the inside row she knew that it would be a grueling race and the track does not offer a ton of room for mistake or risk. “Honestly, I am really happy with our starting position and any advancements would be a success as I am striving to cross the line when the checkered flag waves”, she said with confidence.
The 45 lap race provided some action packed green flag racing for the majority of the race. Abbate found herself in several good battles on the track, and avoided most of the drama. She was working her way up the field and when the white flag waved after a multi-lap caution, she found herself to be in the front row view of a two car pile up coming to the start finish. With a massive drift and an excellent save Abbate was able to keep things together for a P14 finish as she crossed the line to take the checkered flag.
“I am so proud of our finish today and it’s definitely a great feeling to bring the #30 Ghost Energy Mustang home without any damage in the top 15. We have a very quick turnaround next week as we head to Road Atlanta and I’m so thankful for all the hard work from the BC Race Cars team. I am looking forward to keeping up the progress as we head to Road Atlanta this week!”, Michele shared after her finish.
Viewers can watch the highlight show that airs on CBS Sports Network next Saturday, 3/26, at 2:30pm ET — immediately after the Trans Am live stream from Road Atlanta ends! Be sure to follow Michele on social media and download the Grr Racing app on your android devices from the google play store to stay up to date with all the latest news!
