Jett Johnson set to race TA2 at Queensland Raceway this weekend

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series will return to Queensland Raceway this weekend for the second round of the Northern Series at this weekend’s Queensland Racing Driver’s Championship (QRDC) event.

After finishing on the podium in his debut event, third-generation racer Jett Johnson returns to the TA2 grid this weekend in the #117 Full Throttle BBQ Mustang for this weekend’s regional event, entirely made up of Queensland-based racers due to the strict border closures between NSW and Victoria now in place.

Two racers will make their competitive TA2 debut this weekend, including production car ace Karl Begg and former rally driver and Heritage Touring Car racer Robert Leonard.

Begg will steer his MotorsportSales.com.au Mustang for the first time in TA2 competition this weekend, after previously handing the car over to 18-year old Nash Morris to race in the TA2 Series.

Morris placed second in the opening round of the season at Sydney Motorsport Park in March, scoring a race win in the final race on his series debut.

Begg won the Queensland Production Car championship and the Willowbank 300 endurance race in 2017, before scoring a class win at the Bathurst 6 Hour in 2018.

He first raced his TA2 Mustang in state Sports Sedan and Tin Top events in 2020 before he’ll make his first competitive start in the TA2 series this weekend.

Leonard comes from a background in rallying in New South Wales in the 70s and 80s, before he started in circuit racing in a Group C Ford Falcon in the Heritage Touring Car category.

Leonard will line up in the #66 Access Linemarking Equipment Chevrolet Camaro this weekend, in a field made up of four Pro entries and six Masters racers.

With Northern Series points leader Nathan Herne not returning for this event, Russell Wright returns as the effective series leader, with 16-year old Johnson hot on his heels only eight points behind.

Elsewhere on the grid, Murray Kent returns to the grid in the #74 Fit Flask Camaro after a strong showing at Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park, while Peter Robinson, Adam Hargraves, Anthony Tenkate, Chris Pappas and Warren Wadley complete the ten car grid for this weekend’s regional event.

Series organisers formed the regional series to combat the state border closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The QRDC will host the second round of the Northern Series, after it was delayed from the August 6-8 weekend due to the latest lockdown in South-East Queensland.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series is targeting its national round at Wakefield Park in New South Wales on October 22-24, with Round 3 now scheduled for Winton Motor Raceway on November 12 -14  and the finale at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia December 3-5, all COVID depending.

The event format will see cars first hit the track for general practice on Friday. A single 15-minute official practice session will take place on Saturday morning, followed by a 15 minute Qualifying session and the first 12-lap sprint race in the afternoon. The final three 12-lap races will be held on Sunday.

ENTRY LIST 2021 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series Northern Series, Round 2 - Queensland Raceway, August 21/22

MASTERS, #10 Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - PBR Distributions/Wagner Corp MASTERS, #20 Adam Hargraves (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Local Search Racing PRO, #40 Karl Begg (QLD), Ford Mustang - motorsportsales.com.au MASTERS, #55 Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wright Property Developments MASTERS, #66 Robert Leonard (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Access Linemarking Equipment MASTERS, #69 Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Ford Mustang - Tenkate Plant Hire PRO, #74 Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Fit Flask PRO, #88 Chris Pappas (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wealthrite PRO, #117 Jett Johnson (QLD), Ford Mustang - Full Throttle BBQ MASTERS, #888 Warren Wadley (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wadley Developments

SCHEDULE PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series Northern Series, Round 2 - Queensland Raceway, August 21/22

SATURDAY 9:50am - Practice (15 minutes) 12:50pm - Qualifying (15 minutes) 4:05pm - Race 1 (12 laps)

SUNDAY 10:20am - Race 2 (12 laps) 11:50am - Race 3 (12 laps) 1:50pm - Race 4 (12 laps)

QUOTES Jett Johnson, driver - #117 Full Throttle BBQ Ford Mustang

“I had a ball at Queensland Raceway last time, there was a lot of respect between everyone I raced with on track, and it’s been great to chat with all the teams between races, there’s a great atmosphere in the paddock.

We raced at Townsville in the Tin Tops after our last TA2 event, and that required a different style of driving because it was a street circuit and I had to work around the grip level the track had, but It was good to learn and gain experience on another type of track.

“I’m still learning everything it takes to maximise these cars. We sit down after each session and look at whatever I’m doing wrong or whatever is slowing me up, and then trying to improve on those things in the next session.

Steve Johnson, Team Johnson - #117 Full Throttle BBQ Ford Mustang

“We’re Looking forward to getting back on track. We had a good run last time at Ipswich and we’ve had another race meeting at Townsville since then, so it will be good to get Jett back in the car and see if there are any differences in his driving and how quickly he can get to the level he finished his first event at Queensland Raceway.

“Our TA2 experience so far has been amazing, it’s been everything that racing should be in my opinion. There are some great people within the series, and if there are any issues the tech support is there in the background.

“They are cool cars to drive, they are great to setup, great to work on, they look cool, they sound right and most importantly they give Jett or anyone that drives them the opportunity to properly improve their driving technique because of what you’ve got to do with them with regards to braking, downshifting, heel-and-toe and that sort of stuff, I can’t speak any higher of them because they’re just the perfect category for someone who’s interested in racing tin tops.

"Any racing where we can gather enough cars to get a grid is great, especially when we’re limited state-by-state at the moment, this event was delayed by a few weeks so to be able to actually get get back out on track this weekend is fantastic.

“Even tough we’re slightly short compared to the last round I don’t think it’s going to deter anyones spirits, I think everyone is just thankful and grateful to be able to go out and have a run in their car let alone have a race.

“We’re excited to get the Mustang back out and learn more and do something that not a lot of people are able to do at the moment, especially down south.”