The highly anticipated 2025 TFH Hire TA2 Muscle Car Series - presented by Maritimo is ready to roar into action this weekend as Round One kicks off at Winton Motor Raceway February 28-March 2, featuring a strong grid of 20 cars including a fresh lineup of talented rookies alongside seasoned drivers.

2025 marks a new chapter following the ownership transition in November 2024 when regular competitors Mark Crutcher, Graham Cheney, and Paul Hadley purchased both the TA2 series and supply arm PBR Distributions, while Matt MacKelden was appointed Category Manager after vastly experienced motorsport identity Craig Denyer announced his retirement. 

Super 2 stars Jarrod Hughes and Ben Gomersall will be joining the field this weekend, Gomersall fresh off his podium on debut at SMP last weekend, while 17-year-old Rookie Kiara Zabetakis also makes her national racing debut at the wheel of a Camaro. 

Series regulars Brad Gartner, Hayden Jackson, Michael Coulter, Mark Bailey, Des Collier and Josh Thomas all return for the season, as does the “Speedway Gang” of Robbie Farr, Danny Reidy, and Domain Ramsay. 

In addition to Zabetakis and Gomersall, young talents Diesel Thomas, Cameron Laws, Tom Davies, and James Simpson will also be making their debuts at the rural Victorian circuit. 

Tasmanian racer Josh Webster will also make his TA2 Muscle Car Series debut this weekend joining former Supercars Champion and NASCAR star Marcos Ambrose Motorsport in the return of Marcos Ambrose Motorsport to TA2 competition.

Matt Naulty will also join the series as lead commentator as all 4 races will be live and free to air across the weekend, another change from 2024. 

The series point score  will be split into 3 classes for the year featuring the PRO class for the experienced front runners, the Circo Master Class for the over 45’s, and the Rookie Class for the first year TA2 drivers.

The opening round of the TFH Hire TA2 Muscle Car Series - presented by Maritimo will feature four thrilling races over the weekend, taking place from February 28 to March 2. Fans can catch all the action live on SBS free to air, Fox Sports, and Kayo Sports. 

QUOTES

Graham Cheney, #51 IES Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro

“This year marks a new chapter for me after myself, Paul Hadley and Mark Crutcher have taken ownership of TA2 Racing Australia. There are two reasons for the category, one is to have fun and a good family atmosphere as well as making it grow to get more up and comers into the category to give them a pathway moving forward.”

“Heading into Winton this weekend I know we have a very good and capable team to look after the category so I can keep my head focused on my job which is to race the car.”

Brad Gartner, #22 Hi-Tec Oils Chevrolet Camaro 

“Going into Winton we definitely have the team and car behind us to be able to take home a championship. This is my third year racing these cars, and with all the experience we've gained, I feel we're in a great spot. I've had most of my success and wins at Winton Raceway, so I’m confident we have a solid chance this year.”

“After the crash at the Adelaide 500 last year, I got a brand-new car and chassis, which has given me a fresh start. Finishing in the top 5 at Winton would be incredible, especially since I've never finished a TA2 round one before. It’s important to keep things clean, as I want to enter the rest of the season without any worries. I’m really excited to get started.”

Jarrod Hughes, #118 Road Active Suspension Chevrolet Camaro 

“After last weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park in the Super 2 car, luck didn’t go our way and it was a hard pill to swallow, there was a lot of things that went wrong and I think that has given me a lot more eagerness heading into Winton this weekend.” 

“Although I'm not running the full TA2 Series this year, my aim is to win as many races as possible and bring home some trophies. If I said I was going there to not wanting to win that would be a lie. I’m going into Winton ready to do whatever it takes to come out on top.”

Entry List

#2 James Simpson, SP Tools, Dodge Challenger 

#4 Mark Crutcher, Crutcher Developments, Ford Mustang 

#5 Danny Reidy, Palm Desert Alice Springs, Chevrolet Camaro 

#7 Robbie Farr, Hi-Tec Oils, Chevrolet Camaro 

#11 Michael Coulter, Turps Tippers, Ford Mustang 

#12 Mark Bailey, Jax Tyres & Auto, Chevrolet Camaro 

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

#23 Diesel Thomas, TFH Racing, Ford Mustang 

#29 Cameron Laws, The Racing Academy, Ford Mustang 

#35 Ben Gomersall, Unit Racing, Ford Mustang

#42 Tom Davies, Exchange Hotel Kilcoy, Ford Mustang

#50 Paul Hadley, IES Motorsport, Chevrolet Camaro

#51 Graham Cheney, IES Motorsport, Chevrolet Camaro 

#63 Des Collier, TFH Racing, Ford Mustang 

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

#81 Hayden Jackson, Team RSG, Dodge Challenger 

#121 Kiara Zabetakis, KRT Motorsport, Chevrolet Camaro 

#118 Jarrod Hughes, Road Active Suspension, Chevrolet Camaro 

#169 Josh Thomas, TFH Racing, Ford Mustang 

#200 Josh Webster, AutoFix, Ford Mustang 
 

Schedule

Friday 

10:05am Practice 1

1:15pm Practice 2

4:10pm Practice 3

Saturday 

9:25am Qualifying (20 mins)

1:35pm Race 1 (22 mins)

3:55pm Race 2 (23 mins)

Sunday 

9:45am Qualifying (20 mins)

1:05pm Race 3 (22 mins)

3:55pm Race 4 (23 mins)
 

Broadcast Details 

Saturday: 

Live Stream on the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series Facebook Page— 9:30am-1:00pm 

SBS on Demand Fox Sports, Kayo Sports - 1:00pm - 5:00pm 

Sunday: 

Live Stream on the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series Facebook Page - 9:30am - 1:00pm 

SBS Free to Air, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports - 1:00pm - 5:00pm 

TA2 Racing Australia is proud to announce that Maritimo Luxury Motor Yachts has signed as the Co Naming Rights Partner of the 2025 TA2 Australia Muscle Car Series beginning at Winton Motor Raceway this weekend February 28th to March 2nd.

Maritimo joins TFH Hire with the series being known as the “TFH HIRE TA2 Muscle Car Series Presented by Maritimo.”

Maritimo is a leading Australian luxury motor yacht manufacturer known for its commitment to quality, innovation, and craftsmanship. With a legacy of delivering exceptional offshore blue water vessels, Maritimo continues to set the standard for luxury boating worldwide.

Maritimo has the culture of motorsport in their DNA with decades of offshore powerboat racing, where it derives, develops and tests world-class technologies that form the heart of every Maritimo created, built and enjoyed by owners the world over.

Maritimo is unique as the only luxury motor yacht builder in the world with a dedicated racing division and world championship race team all in-house, to provide the intelligence to keep them at the leading edge of motor yacht design and construction.

QUOTES:

Simon Stewart, Marketing Manager, Maritimo
“The TA2 Muscle Car Series is a platform enjoyed not only in Australia, but also in the US, Europe, Asia and NZ, so we’re looking forward to using the partnership to further develop relationships with our customers both locally and internationally."

“Many of our existing customers enjoy motorsport and racing is at the heart of everything we do, so we can’t wait for the action to start this weekend”

Matt MacKelden, Category Manager, TA2 Muscle Car Series

“We’re extremely excited to welcome such a prestigious brand to the TA2 Muscle Cars Series and along with TFH HIRE look forward to what 2025 brings for all parties.”

“The TA2 Muscle Car Series has enjoyed a great off season with new ownership and management and round one at Winton this weekend is shaping up to be a brilliant start to the series, so 2025 couldn’t be a better time for Maritimo to join the action.”

Tasmanian racer Josh Webster is set to make his debut in the TA2 Racing Australia Series this weekend at Winton Motor Raceway, running from February 28th to March 2nd in his Auto Fix-supported TA2 Mustang.

The 22-year-old, who competed in the National Trans Am Championship in 2024, is now looking to further hone his craft in the TA2 Series—a platform that will see him compete against some of Australia’s top talents including Erebus Enduro and Super 2 Jarrod Hughes and Triple 8 Race Engineering’s Ben Gomersall.

Webster’s entry into the 2025 Series is bolstered by the support of fellow Tasmanian and motorsport icon Marcos Ambrose.

The former Supercars Champion and NASCAR star will lend his experience through his team, Marcos Ambrose Motorsport. Ambrose is no stranger to the TA2 platform, having previously contributed to GRM’s Trans Am program and the Marcos Ambrose Combine.

Round one of the TFH Hire TA2 Muscle Car Series kicks of this weekend at Winton Motor Raceway February 28 - March 2. Four races will be featured across the weekend with all the action live on SBS, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.

QUOTES: 

Josh Webster, #200 AutoFix Chevrolet Camaro 

“Teaming up with Marcos and Marcos Ambrose Motorsport is super exciting - me and my team can’t wait to get to Winton and get started.” said Webster. 

“Obviously we’re both Tasmanian and he’s always been there with support, even back in my Excel Racing days. To finally put together a deal is something I could only dream of.”

Marcos Ambrose

“I’m really excited to bring the Marcos Ambrose Motorsport Team in conjunction with Josh’s team to TA2, particularly as we’ve known Josh for many years.” said Ambrose. 

“We’re providing technical, logistic and mechanical support to Josh’s team in an effort to move him up the grid and achieve the success he and his team are capable of.”

“We’ve already tested with Josh and we’re really happy with his feedback and speed so I expect a lot from him this year, however as a new team, I’m sure it will take us all a little time to get acclimated with each other so we’re mindful that this week is round one and there may be some challenges.”

Former two time Trans Am Champion Nathan Herne is set to make a high-profile return to the series not as a driver, but as a team manager for his own team at Round One of the 2025 TA2 Racing Championship at Winton Raceway on Feb 28th-March 2nd.

Herne, who hails from Lismore in New South Wales, said while he’ll be returning to competing in Trans Am, he is excited to take on a broader role within the sport.

“It’s exciting to have the team grow for 2025 across two categories as the TA2 and Trans Am cars are exactly the same but on two separate calendars so it allows me to focus on what I’m doing with my own driving while being able to expand and work with some good talent in the TA2 Series,” he said.

“The goal for the team was to expand into more than a one man band and create a good platform for young guys to come in, work with the crew, and take some of the experience and knowledge I’ve gained over the years both in driving and setting up these cars and use that for their future in different motorsport categories, wherever that may be and whatever role that is in, we have some apprentice mechanics with us as well. It’s exciting to have that box ticked so early on”

“Tom Davies is joining the team for the 2025 TA2 Championship which is awesome, we had a quick shakedown test at the start of the year and I really liked the way he goes about his racing so I think together we can achieve some good things.”

“Tom coincidentally followed a very similar path to me, although he only just started racing 4 years ago where I’ve been racing for 16 years now, he went to Formula Ford with Brett Francis Racing - who I also competed with in 2017/18 - and he is now with GRM in the Trans Am Series too! His progression was clear to see and I was blown away when he told me how fresh he was to the sport.”

“I did Trans-Am last year and I loved it, so I thought to get more seat time we would do both TA2 and Trans-Am. We decided to go with Nathan Herne as he is super experienced with these cars and a good bloke all round. My aim for this season is to go as hard as we can but keeping it clean, I would love to finish the year with the championship win but I have no doubt that this is going to be a difficult year with all the other tough competition.” said Davies

It sets up a busy 2025 campaign for Herne where a wildcard Supercars debut also looms in the background.

“It’d be cool to tick off, we’re working hard at it all, but for now my full focus is on the team and making sure that we put ourselves in the best possible spot to go for the number 1 in both series. Tom showed at the test he has the speed to do it, I’m extremely confident in the car package we have this year in both series, it could be a really good year if things go to plan.”

Round one of the TFH TA2 Muscle Car Series kicks off at Winton Motor Raceway on February 28th to March 2nd and will feature 4 races across the weekend with all the action live and free on SBS or simulcast on Fox Sports and Kayo.

Fourth Generation racer James Simpson has announced his return the to the TA2 Muscle Car Series after suffering one of the most violent accidents seen in the recent history of the category.

James made contact with Ben Grice while competing in the Trans Am event at Symmons Plains in 2023 which resulted in a roll over and some physical damage but said he and the car are now ready to take on the challenge of the entire 2025 TFH TA2 Muscle Car Series.

“Despite what happened in Tassie, TA2’s are still the best bang for buck race cars in the country and while I’ve been competing in the Hyundai Excel Series in the last year, I can resist the temptation to get back in the Dodge and have a red hot crack,” said Simpson.

“The 2025 calendar suited what we want to do this year, especially the two driver event at Queensland Raceway in August so when we sat down to the do the numbers and put a program together, it all fell in to place and we’re super excited for Winton to roll around.”

Simpson will be engineered by multiple Touring Car Masters and V8 Ute Racing Championship winning engineer Rod Dawson who said that after 20 plus years of a family relationship with the Simpsons engineering James was like coming home.

“I’ve known, driven with and engineered most of the Simpson family over the years so to now be in James’s corner with Ian and Michael feels very special and I can’t wait to get started,” said Dawson.

“The TA2 platform is a really exciting product which I’ve been watching closely over the last few years and the category has a lot of momentum at the moment so James will need to be at his best to be competitive but for all of us, Winton cant come soon enough.”

The TA2 Muscle Car Series kicks off at Winton Motor Raceway on Feb 28^th to March 1^st and will feature as the premier category on the Hi-Tech Oils Super Series. You can catch all the action Free To Air on SBS Viceland, or simulcast on Kayo and Fox Sports.