Hazelwood to Headline TA2 Muscle Cars Season Opener

A stout field of 20 TA2 cars will take to Sydney Motorsport Park under lights this weekend for Round 1 of the 2024 TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing. 

Supercar driver Todd Hazelwood is a last-minute addition to the entry list to back up Joshua Thomas in a two car TFH attack, with Hazelwood coming off a fine second place at last weekend’s Phillip Island National Trans AM round. While at this stage, it’s a one-off appearance for Hazelwood, Thomas will be doing the full 2024 TA2 Series, after competing in a few TA2 rounds last year and is set to be competitive in his #169 TFH Hire Ford Mustang that is prepped out of the Queensland team factory. 

The series will welcome a number of new drivers to the field for 2024, including speedway convert Domain Ramsay in the #71 C & H Trucking Chevrolet Camaro. Ramsay has never driven on a circuit before and drove the car for the first time at the Winton Launch Day. Queensland based speedway driver Danny Reidy will also make his TA2 debut this weekend in a Chev Camaro.

Former Toyota 86 runner Connor Roberts will join the field as a rookie in his #19 Arrow Transport Repairs Dodge Challenger. 

The competition this year is set to be fierce yet again with Josh Haynes, Hayden Jackson, reigning Northern Series champ Graham Cheney and Lee Stibbs all returning for this year. Stibbs and Jackson have joined Dream Racing for this year’s title attack.

After a tough 2023 season, South Australian farmer Brad Gartner will be driving a brand-new Chevrolet Camaro for Hi-Tec Super Series promoter George Gambino. The #22 Camaro will be backed by the Oil Company for the year and will be maintained by Ben Leeds at PBR Distributions in Queensland. 

Last year’s series runner up Josh Haynes will join Waltec Motorsport alongside Kyle Gurton for 2024.  Haynes showed off a fresh new livery at the 2024 Winton Launch Day with a new major partner Herzog Steel backing Haynes for the season. After the recent sale of Gurton’s Mustang, Aaron Tebb from Waltec Motorsport is yet to announce which car the former series race winner will hop into this weekend.

Newcastle’s Tom Hayman will also join TA2 for the full series assault in the Ford Mustang he drove to second outright behind Jordan Cox during the TA2 Muscle Car round at Sydney Motorsport Park last year. The 19 year old has shown great class behind the wheel and will be a real serious threat for the title this year.

Western Sydney’s Michael Coulter has recently purchased the ex-Hugh McAllister Ford Mustang and revealed a brand-new pink and black livery with Turps Tippers backing the team for the 2024 season, replacing the Camaro he raced to second outright in the 20 lap Darwin King of the North feature race last year with father Steve.

Speedway veteran, 76 year old Barry Kelleher, Anthony Tenkate, Paul Hadley, Mark Crutcher, and Greg Keam will all return under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park, while newly crowned series champ Dylan Thomas will also be back in the CXC Mustang carrying the Number One on the side.

The TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing will have four races across the weekend. Friday evening  will see qualifying live on SBS Free to Air under lights followed by Race On,  while Saturday will feature races under lights and televised live on free to air on SBS Viceland, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports. 

QUOTES

Todd Hazelwood, #111 TFH Hire Ford Mustang 

"It was a golden opportunity for me to do some extra race laps and obviously being committed to Erebus Motorsport at the beginning of the year I had originally planed to go to Taupo this weekend, so going to Sydney wasn’t originally on my radar but its been a quick change of events and I am really keen to get stuck into it with the TFH Racing Team, as well as supporting Josh Thomas who will also be racing there this weekend. 

It has been a real fun and exciting category to be apart of, I have been enjoying it. It has been a while since I have driven a different style of race car outside of Supercars for some years now so it has definitely been a new challenge and the team at TFH Racing have been super welcoming and inviting.

Tom Hayman, #30 Di Prinzio Concreting Ford Mustang

“I’m really excited to be jumping back in our TA2 car at Sydney, we had a really good round there last year and i’m really excited to able to race in the TA2 series again. It’s going to be an awesome couple of days with the night racing returning again, these cars are awesome to watch under lights and i can’t wait to be racing against some fast guys coming into the series” 

Connor Roberts, #19 Arrow Transport Repairs

“These TA2 cars are completely different then what I have driven in the past. We have had our eyes on the TA2 Muscle Car Series for a while, the close competition and family was what drew us to buying a car. 

I have only had 5 test days in the Dodge Challenger, and I have been learning heaps about the car every time. I am keen for Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend, the competition will be fierce." 

ENTRY LIST

#1 Dylan Thomas, CXC Racing, Ford Mustang

#2 Kyle Gurton, Nuveau Group, Ford Mustang

#4 Mark Crutcher, Crutcher Developments, Ford Mustang

#5 Danny Reidy, Reidy Racing, Chevrolet Camaro 

#10 Peter Robinson, B-Styled, Dodge Challenger

#11 Michael Coulter, Turps Tippers, AIM Motorsport, Ford Mustang

#19 Connor Roberts, Arrow Transport Repairs, Dodge Challenger 

#22 Brad Gartner, Hi-Tec Oils, Chevrolet Camaro

#30 Tom Hayman, Di Prinzio Concreting Ford Mustang

#31 Barry Kelleher, Ford Mustang, Kelleher Motorsport 

#37 Josh Haynes, Herzog Steel, Ford Mustang

#50 Paul Hadley, IES Motorsport, Chevrolet Camaro

#51 Graham Cheney, IES Motorsport, Chevrolet Camaro

#66 Lee Stibbs, Arrow Financial Services, Chevrolet Camaro

#69 Anthony Tenkate, Tenkate Plant Hire, Ford Mustang

#71 Domain Ramsay, C&H Trucking, Chevrolet Camaro

#73 Steve Wilson, Wilson Auto Racing, Chevrolet Camaro 

#81 Hayden Jackson, Maitland Glass and Windscreen Services, Dodge Challenger 

#111 Todd Hazelwood, TFH Hire Services, Ford Mustang

#169 Josh Thomas, TFH Hire Services, Ford Mustang 

SCHEDULE 

Friday

Practice 1 - 1:15pm (20 mins)

Practice 2 - 3:33pm (20 mins)

Qualifying - 6:10pm (20 mins)

Race 1 - 9:00pm (12 laps)

Saturday

Race 2 - 3:38pm (15 laps)

Race 3 - 6:19pm (8 laps)

Race 4 - 8:54pm (12 laps)

BROADCAST DETAILS

Friday 

Live stream: Hi-Tec Oils, TA2 Racing Australia and Speedcafe Facebook Pages: 3pm-5:30pm

Live TV: SBS, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports: 6pm - 9:30pm 

Saturday 

Live stream: Hi-Tec Oils, TA2 Racing Australia and Speedcafe Facebook Pages: 1pm-5:30pm

Live TV: SBS Viceland, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports: 6pm - 9:30pm