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1985 was the twentieth season for the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans Am Championship.
Bendix Brakes replaced Budweiser as the series title sponsor.
1980 was a transition year for Trans Am as the two category system was eliminated. The most significant alteration to the rules was the removal of Category II - turbocharged Porsches and highly modified Camaros and Corvettes. The object of these changes was to create a competitive series with the costs of racing being within reach of teams. The decision was proving successful with the championship drawing large fields, closing race and capturing the imagination of race fans. Trans Am cars use a tube frame chassis with bodywork that resembles road-going versions of the Pontiac Firebird, Chevrolet Camaro, Chevrolet Corvette and Mercury Capri. There are some engine equivalency formulas, with most cars using a production-based 310-cu.in. V8, which produces approximately 600-horsepower. The exceptions are Buick, Nissan and Porsche, which are powered by smaller displacement turbocharged motors. Most vehicles weigh about 2,600-lbs. with a maximum wheel width of 10-inches and a wheelbase of 110-inches. Given a long straight and proper gearing, a Trans Am car can reach a top speed of 180-mph. The fifteen race championship kicked off at Firebird Raceway in Arizona, followed by the first of two visits to Sears Point. Round three takes place at Portland International Raceway. Then teams travel to the east coast for events at the most important race on the calendar, Detroit, followed by Summit Point, the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Brainerd International Raceway, Road America, Lime Rock and Watkins Glen International. Then the series headed north of the border for weekends at Trois-Rivieres and Mosport Park. Back in the United States, the championship stops at St. Louis before venturing west. The penultimate round is conducted at Sears Point, while the finale takes place on November 3 at St. Petersburg, Florida. Round twelve of the 1985 Bendix Brakes Trans Am championship was held at Mosport Park. Drivers would compete in a forty-lap contest around the ten turn 2.459-mile road course. Unfortunately, the pace car was required for thirteen-laps, while track personnel cleaned up oil in turns four and five.
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A field of twenty-one drivers head into Mosport Park’s turn one for the start of round twelve for the 1985 Bendix Brakes Trans Am championship. Leading the pack is the No. 3 Roush Protofab Mercury Capri of Willy T. Ribbs, who qualified second fastest. Trailing Ribbs is his teammate and the pole-sitter, Wally Dallenbach, in the No. 4 Capri. Behind Dallenbach is the Porsche of Paul Miller and Elliot Forbes-Robinson in a Buick. |
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The points leader, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., put the No. 4 Roush Protofab prepared Mercury Capri on the pole. Dallenbach was passed by the other front row starter and his teammate Willy T. Ribbs before the field exited turn one on the opening lap. The two traded the top spot before Dallenbach moved out front for good. This was his fourth victory of the season and put him in a good position to win the title at the next round. |
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Willy T. Ribbs entered round twelve at Mosport Park with six victories. However, some disappointing results left him trailing his teammate, Wally Dallenbach, Jr., in the championship battle. Ribbs qualified on the outside of the front row but got a better start than Dallenbach. The Roush Protofab drivers exchanged the lead until Ribbs developed a mechanical problem. He would finish in the runner-up spot. |
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Making a guest appearance at Mosport Park was Canadian John Jones. Jones was competing full time in the IMSA GTO championship driving a Roush Protofab prepared Ford Mustang. In round twelve, he was enlisted to drive the No. 63 Roush Protofab Mercury Capri. Jones just missed making the Fast Five during qualifying and started sixth. In the race, he chased the leaders and gave the team a sweep of the podium. |
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Entering round twelve of the Trans Am series, the defending champion, Tom Gloy, had an impressive record of six podiums in eleven starts. However, Gloy was yet to find the top step of the rostrum. He set the fifth-fastest time in the qualifying session. During the race, Gloy was challenged and passed by John Jones. However, the retirements of Paul Miller and Elliot Forbes-Robinson allowed him to capture a fourth-place result. |
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Mosport was the seventh event of the season for the 1981 Trans Am champion Eppie Wietzes. After a slow start to his year, Wietzes earned top-ten finishes at Summit Point, Road America, Watkins Glen International and Trois-Rivieres. The local favourite, driving the No. 94 Silk and Wietzes Motorsport Pontiac Firebird, was gridded eighth for the start of the forty-lap contest and finished in the fifth position. |
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At Mosport Park, Paul Miller qualified third fastest in the No. 39 Porsche 924 Carrera Turbo. Miller dropped to fourth early in the contest but got back up to speed quickly and chased down the leaders. Unfortunately, he experienced a fuel injection pump failure and was the race’s first retirement on lap-6. The pump has been an issue for the team on the longer tracks such as Mosport, Road America and Firebird. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Wally Dallenbach, Jr. | Mercury Capri | 40 | - |
| 2 | 2 | Willy T. Ribbs | Mercury Capri | 40 | - |
| 3 | 6 | John Jones | Mercury Capri | 40 | - |
| 4 | 5 | Tom Gloy | Mercury Capri | 40 | - |
| 5 | 8 | Eppie Wietzes | Pontiac Firebird | 40 | - |
| 6 | 9 | John Brandt | Chevrolet Camaro | 40 | - |
| 7 | 12 | Bruce Jenner | Pontiac Trans Am | 40 | - |
| 8 | 13 | Dave Smith | Chevrolet Camaro | 39 | - |
| 9 | 15 | Rick Dittman | Pontiac Firebird | 39 | - |
| 10 | 18 | Murray Edwards | Chevrolet Corvette | 39 | - |
| 11 | 10 | Les Lindley | Chevrolet Camaro | 38 | - |
| 12 | 19 | Kerry Hitt | Chevrolet Corvette | 37 | - |
| 13 | 11 | John Schneider | Porsche 924 Turbo | 36 | - |
| 14 | 21 | Paul Romano | Mazda RX-7 | 35 | - |
| 15 | 20 | Fritz Hochreuter | Porsche 911SC | 28 | Engine |
| 16 | 16 | Gary Allmond | Chevrolet Camaro | 17 | Engine |
| 17 | 7 | Chris Kneifel | Mercury Capri | 15 | Steering |
| 18 | 4 | Elliot Forbes-Robinson | Buick Regal | 10 | Clutch |
| 19 | 14 | Jerry Simmons | Chevrolet Corvette | 10 | Engine |
| 20 | 17 | Peter Deman | Chevrolet Corvette | 7 | Oil Leak |
| 21 | 3 | Paul Miller | Porsche 924 Carrera Turbo | 6 | Fuel Injection |
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