Jackson Rice wins first race of 2023 TA2 Muscle Car Series

Wodonga, VIC driver Jackson Rice has scored the first win of the 2023 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Steel Framing at Winton Motor Raceway today.

The #7 Pedders Suspension & Brakes Ford Mustang converted pole position to take the chequered flag after 12 laps by six seconds ahead of South Australian Lee Stibbs (#66 Arrow Financial Services Chevrolet Camaro) and last season’s runner-up Graham Cheney (#51 IES Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro).

The race was marred by a red flag on Lap 2 after South Australian Brad Gartner suffered a mechanical failure and nosed the #22 Castec Rural Supplies Ford Mustang hard into the tyre bundle on the exit of the Turn 1-2 chicane. 

The race resumed with nine laps remaining, however Greg Keam parked the Debeers Refinish Ford Mustang at the exit of Turn 4 on the restart, while Waltec Motorsport’s Aaron Tebb also failed to finish.

After topping qualifying earlier in the day, Josh Haynes found trouble on Lap 9 while sitting in third place, with an oil pressure issue that took the 2022 Rookie of the Year out of the race.

2022 Southern Series champion Zach Loscialpo scored a strong fourth place for the #21 Tempest Solutions Chevrolet Camaro prepared by Waltec Motorsport, ahead of CXC Racing’s Dylan Thomas in fifth. 

Defending Masters Class champion Nicholas Bates placed sixth ahead of TA2 returnee Hugh McALister, while Hayden Jackson made up six positions from 14th to eighth.

Kobelco Motorsport’s Michael Coulter climbed nine spots from 18th to ninth ahead of John Holinger.

18-year old Hayden Hume also made up nine positions from 20th to 11th in the #45 Total Parts Plus Dodge Challenger.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Steel Framing returns to action at Winton Motor Raceway on Sunday for Races 2, 3 and 4. 

Race 2 will be streamed live via the Hi Tec Oils Super Series’ Facebook and YouTube channel, before Races 3 and 4 will be included as part of the series live broadcast on SBS Viceland and SBS On Demand, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.

QUOTESJackson Rice, #7 Pedders Suspension & Brakes Ford Mustang

“Great to get the win, got to be happy with that! The boys were fantastic, The Pedders Mustang was great, we just played out the strategy and the car held on the whole time. 

“We kept chipping away without safety car interventions at the end so that was really good. We just stuck to the plan and paced ourselves. 

“We will do the same thing for Races 2, 3 and 4 tomorrow. I think we have a really good car underneath us, it just depends on how the race pans out. 

“Temperatures were really hot today and hopefully they are a little bit cooler tomorrow, but we’ll stick to our plan and just keep chipping away and hopefully come home with more wins.”