Cox clean sweeps TA2 Sydney thriller

On his solo TA2 debut, TCR Australia star Jordan Cox clean swept the penultimate round of the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek, after taking out the final three race wins under lights on Saturday at Sydney Motorsport Park over Tom Hayman and Dylan Thomas.

After his win in Race 1 on Saturday, Cox went back-to-back in Race 2, holding off a fast-finishing Hayman in the Di Pronto Concreting Mustang who passed Dylan Thomas for second into Turn 2 on Lap 9, and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 10 with a 1:35.7 while chasing down Cox.

Cody Gillis started from the back of the grid in each race on Sunday, as a result of the contact with Haynes in Race 1. The Racing Academy driver pitted early in the race to get some clean air for testing purposes.

Gillis’ teammate Elliott Cleary was fighting hard with Ben Grice for fourth on Lap 4, before he came together with Ben Grice at the exit of Turn 2, with Cleary spinning into the infield.

A safety car was called on Lap 4 when Kyle Gurton stopped on the side of the track around Corporate Hill with low oil pressure.

TFH Hire duo Josh Thomas and Josh Anderson both had strong runs from the back of the grid to 15th and 11th respectively, with Anderson receiving the Hyperco Hard Charger Award for his efforts.

Cox scored a hat-trick with victory in a shortened Race 3 in Sydney after a final lap dash to the flag over Hayman.

The race was marred by a fire which engulfed Graham Cheney’s IES Motorsport Camaro on the exit of Turn 3 on the opening lap. Fortunately Cheney exited the car swiftly and was cleared from the infield medical centre.

The field resumed on Lap 5 before another safety car was called two laps later after John Holinger spun off track at Turn 1, before a one lap dash to the flag after eight laps.

In the finale, Cox fended off Hayman in a 15 lap thriller to clean sweep the weekend. The pair could not be split for the entire race until a last charge at the lead couldn’t pay off for Hayman, with Cox taking the chequered flag by 2.3 seconds, with third-placed Haynes over ten seconds behind.

Dylan Thomas sat in fourth early on before a gearbox issue saw the CXC Racing Mustang lose second gear, but salvaged a commendable seventh position and third overall for the round behind Cox and Hayman.

Nicholas Bates won the Circo Masters Class by one point over Kubota Racing’s Matthew MacKelden, while Zach Loscialpo won the Wilwood Big Broker Award and Anthony Tenkate won the Bowden’s Own Best Presented Award for the new colours on the Tenkate Plant Hire Mustang.

The final round of the 2023 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Steel Framing will be held at the Calder Park Raceway on November 30 - December 2.

QUOTES

Jordan Cox, driver #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“Hopefully [Mark Crutcher] says he’s out and I’m in for the rest of the year! Seriously though I can’t think him enough for giving me these opportunities. It's people like him in motorsport that really give people like myself a chance to showcase our skills and I can't thank him enough, I really appreciate it. 

“The IES Motorsport crew did a great job running the car all weekend. It was fast.

“It was a super interesting race, that last one. I was quick in places, Tom [Hayman] was quick in places. He's a really good steerer, I was right on the limit and I thoroughly enjoyed that last race.

“The best thing about these cars is you have to wheel them. My shoulders are sore, with the gearbox, the H-pattern dog box, you have to wheel it. But it’s not just one thing that makes a category. It's great people, great cars, well run and it was a good all round category to be a part of.”