Christina Lam claims breakthrough first Trans Am podium with double top-three finish at Sonoma
- RACERS
- May 6
- 3 min read
Christina Lam enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at Sonoma Raceway, securing her first-ever podium in the Trans Am Series and followed it up with a second podium finish in the second race of the doubleheader, in what was a big step forward in her rookie TA2 Pro/Am campaign with TRB Autosport.
Christina Lam enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at Sonoma Raceway, securing her first-ever podium in the Trans Am Series and followed it up with a second podium finish in the second race of the doubleheader, in what was a big step forward in her rookie TA2 Pro/Am campaign with TRB Autosport.
Competing in the full 2026 Trans Am National Championship, Lam continues to build her experience following her transition from the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge's TCR class into one of North America’s most historic and competitive road racing platforms.
Driving the #66 Helium Mobile/CDR Chevrolet Camaro, the American racer entered the Sonoma round, her third Trans Am event overall and first doubleheader, with growing confidence. The weekend was also her first time racing on the West Coast and her debut at the highly technical Sonoma circuit, a track well-suited to her driving style and a home event for her key partners Helium Mobile and CDR.
Lam arrived at Sonoma feeling strong and prepared, working closely with four-time Trans Am champion Rafa Matos, whose experience has proven instrumental throughout the event.
Lam immediately hit the ground running in the opening test session, posting her best out-of-the-gate times to date, as she continues to pick up pace and familiarity with the TA2 machinery.
Although the second test session was disrupted by incidents that limited track time, Lam bounced back effectively in Friday practice with a strong showing. Switching to fresh tyres for qualifying, she delivered her best lap yet to secure fourth in class on the grid, putting herself in contention for a podium result.
Saturday’s race proved to be the breakthrough moment in Lam’s season to date. She made a strong start and quickly became engaged in an intense, nose-to-tail battle with Doug Winston that lasted for 15 laps. While running at the front of the Pro/Am field, Lam made a mistake entering Turn 1, which sent her off track and made contact with the barriers on the outside of Turn 2.
Despite the incident, she immediately regrouped, found her rhythm again, and refused to let the setback derail her race: managing steering issues for the remainder of the race as a consequence of the earlier contact, Lam maintained focus and clocked a series of consistent laps.
As the race entered its final stages, Lam still had the opportunity to fight for second in class. With four laps to go, she began closing the gap, using traffic strategically to her advantage and on the penultimate lap, she executed a decisive move up the inside at Turn 3 to claim second place, holding the position through to the chequered flag.
The result marked her first Trans Am podium, an achievement that came to her realization as she parked the car in front of the podium for the first time in her career.
Sunday’s race built on that momentum. Starting third in class based on her Race 1 result, Lam initially held position before dropping to fourth in the early laps. Undeterred, she fought back and regained ground to secure third place by the finish and clinch her second podium of the weekend. Both races ran entirely under green flag conditions, with no cautions, in a pure racing situation that rewarded consistency and racecraft.
The weekend also highlighted TRB Autosport's strength, as the team swept the Pro/Am podium on Saturday with Jared Odrick taking victory, Lam finishing second, and Matt Gray completing the top three. On Sunday, Odrick again claimed the win, followed by Winston in second and Lam in third.
Lam’s performance at Sonoma is further testament of her rapid development, also thanks to the impact of her collaboration with Rafa Matos, whose coaching she was able to translate directly into improved on-track results. With two podium finishes secured in a single weekend, Lam leaves Sonoma sitting third in the Pro/Am championship standings.
Lam now aims to build on this achievement, with the next round scheduled at Lime Rock at the end of May, where she will look to carry forward the confidence and pace demonstrated at Sonoma.
