Look out Portland! The Muscle Milk SCCA Trans-Am Series returns to Portland with ground pounding, fire breathing muscle cars in the Fluge Global Adventures Rose Cup Classic. And, local racing ambassadors Nick Fluge and Todd Harris have rolled out the welcome mat to all Trans-Am drivers, crews and fans.
Trans-Am teams will benefit from appearance money, additional purse, an exclusive test day and hospitality chalets because of these two men's ambition to make the Portland Trans-Am race an outstanding event.
"I'm honored to be a small part of the Portland Rose Cup Classic and the Trans Am series," race entrant and sponsor Nick Fluge explained. "As the challenger, I hope I'll have the psychological advantage of chasing the series regulars, learning from them, and advancing towards the front the best I can. Of course, some of my competitors were born to race. I'm kind of like the guy sitting in the bleachers, wishing he could have a shot at his favorite professional sport. Well, Sunday I get my chance," Fluge added.
Harris and Fluge became teammates nearly three years ago when Fluge chose to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a racing driver. With years of experience to draw from, local racing school owner Harris mentored Fluge on the finer points of high speed driving with fantastic results.
For instance, at the 2007 Rose Cup races both drivers entered Fluge owned Corvettes and roared to individual victories. First, Fluge drove his heavily modified Z06 Corvette to a thrilling win in the Festival Trophy Race, and then Harris fulfilled a boyhood dream of raising the Rose Cup Trophy in Winners Circle after outrunning Trans-Am legend Greg Pickett to the finish.
While both Harris and Fluge are passionate about racing they each have many interests off the track to keep them busy. Nick is an artist who has studied oil painting and glass blowing in France and now owns an art gallery in Portland. Todd is an avid guitar player who played in a rock band in his earlier days. Nick is a world-class poker player competing in the World Series of Poker. Todd is a former track and field state champion who currently coach's a youth track team.
Both drivers share similar interests in art, literature, and architecture. When they're not talking racing they love to relax and talk about Maxfield Parrish, John Steinbeck, and Mid-Century Modern styles. But this weekend they set that all aside for the premiere road racing event of the year in the northwest.
"World class drivers have competed in Trans-Am for over almost 50 years now, from Parnelli Jones to Mark Donohue and from Tommy Kendall to Ron Fellows and Greg Pickett," explained Randy Unsbee, SCCA Director of Communications for the Trans-Am Series in 1979 and 1980, and PR director for a Mercury Trans-Am team in 1981.
"I was fortunate to witness the great Trans-Am battles of the 1960s and '70s, and travel the circuit for three years. I have to say though, this is probably the first time the series has had a driver who's also climbed Kilimanjaro, played at the World Series of Poker, blown glass in Biot France, opened an art gallery, and sought out the Loch Ness Monster. In fact, I'm positive this is a first," he added. "Nick is the series' first Renaissance Man."
At this year's Rose Cup, Fluge will pilot the Derhaag Corvette that Harris drove to a Rose Cup victory in 2007 and a runner-up finish in 2008. Harris will take on all challengers while driving a Pickett Racing Jaguar XKR. So while they won't be "official" teammates in the Portland Trans-Am race they are still friends and colleagues who will be rooting for one another.
"And, if you see them talking with one another at this year's Rose Cup, they could be sharing speed secrets, or then again, maybe they're just discussing their favorite Frank Lloyd Wright designs," Unsbee added.
About Fluge Global Adventures
Several years ago, Fluge's journey through life took new turns, leading him away from the realm of eCommerce development, to new arenas that included sitting in the seat of SCCA super-cars and playing next to Las Vegas card sharks at the World Series of Poker. In the last few years, Fluge and his FGA Team-mates have climbed 19,000 foot Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the largest free standing mountain in the world.
They've crossed the country in the "Cannonball Run" a rally/road race from New York's Central Park to Los Angeles. In late 2007 two FGA teams tackled a serious hike to Base Camp at Mt. Everest in Nepal, and also explored Loch Ness in Scotland (returning without the monster). A full scale onslaught on the World Series of Poker in 2006, 2007 and 2008 took Team FGA "all in - many times!"
His High Octane Adventures in the SCCA led to Team FGA Class Championships in 2007 and 2008. An Olympic Length Triathlon, the STP 200 Mile Cycle Championship, and the Magical, Digital, Mystery Stationary Bike Tour, occupied team members for much of 2008.
So far in 2009 a final "four table" finish in the World Poker Challenge spring event and lapping the field in a recent SCCA National race have been a great start to a year that will include more adventures such as exposing the world to art and pie at the Russell Street Gallery and Pie Diner. The "One World - Infinite Adventures" for local elementary students was one of the most exciting FGA adventures yet. For more information, please visit http://www.flugeglobaladventures.com.
About the Muscle Milk SCCA Trans-Am Series
The most revered brand in American road racing, the Muscle Milk? SCCA? Trans-Am? Series returns for its 42nd season in 2009 after a two-year hiatus. Featuring ground-pounding, 700 horsepower, purpose-built Corvettes, Jaguars and Mustangs today, the series' past champions include iconic road racing names like Mark Donohue, Parnelli Jones, Peter Gregg, Scott Pruett, Tommy Kendall and Paul Gentilozzi. Jointly-sanctioned by SCCA, Inc. and SCCA Pro Racing, the series plans an eight-race schedule in 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.sccatrans-am.com.
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