While Dylan Thomas and Tim Brook won the first 20 lap TA2 Muscle Cars - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing mini enduro at Darwin’s Hidden Valley yesterday, Michael and Steve Coulter finished a surprise second overall published in the Kobelco Mustang after final results were published. A number of safety car periods and a red flag worked in the duos favour with Brad Gartner and Max Vidau 3nd overall, from the Formosa/Filipetto Dodge Challenger. Veterans Rob Leonard and Russell Wright finished in the top five, from Andrew Miedecke and Hugh McAlister in the McAlister Motors Mustang.

Jordan Cox won provisional in this morning’s first 12 lap sprint for co-drivers, after passing Tim Brook in the CXC Mustang he’s sharing with Dylan Thomas into Turn One, with Carrera Cup star Max Vidau 3^rd. Tyler Everingham, co-driving with Jackson Rice had the save of the day after being squeezed on the entry to Turn 5 on the first lap.  Race officials are investigating incidents post race.

Jarrod Hughes had a strong run to finish 5^th, from George Miedecke and Graham Cheney, while Marcus Zukanovic had a stoic drive from 14^th to 8^th overall in the Kubota Mustang.

Drivers will have another solo 12 lap sprint before combining again for a 35-lap sprint race this afternoon to crown the TA2 Kings of the North winners and the $20,000 bonus cash from the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series. Todays races will go to air live from 1pm AEST on SBS and Fox Sports/Kayo.

“Word’s can’t even describe how I feel, I can't believe the sheer luck we have had. For us to have started 17th for race 3 and finish second, is amazing and I am lost for words. Sometimes the key to this category is to just keep it straight , clean and not make any errors. Dad and I can’t be any happier with second place.”

CXC Racing Mustang driver Dylan Thomas and teammate Tim Brook played the long strategy all weekend to maximise the points haul across all six races and win the TA2 “Kings of the North” title during Round Two of the TA2 Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing at Hidden Valley.

Despite finishing 12^th after pitting under green in the final race, while many of the front runners pitted early under safety car, the combo had a strong weekend to claim three race wins and the $20,000 cash that goes with the title.

Nathan Herne in Peter Robinson’s CUBE 3 Dodge Challenger won today’s earlier sprint race from Josh Haynes and Edan Thornburrow , while Brad Gartner’s Mustang spun at Turn 5 after coming together with Aaron Tebb mid race. Andrew Fisher picked up 8 spots in the IES Camaro after starting rear of grid.

The 35 lap mini enduro final with compulsory pit stop and driver change saw Brook start from pole position leading Max Vidau into Turn One. Michael Rowell in the Rowell Logistics/Pacific Petroleum Mustang was the first off track at Turn One, while Tyler Everingham was an early mover from 7^th on the grid to take Russell Wright, and then Michael Coulter at the end of the main straight.

The safety car was called for a small grass fire at Turn 5 after Paul Manuell looped the Number 10 Dodge, however on the re-start Formosa, McAlister and Coulter all came together at Turn One with terminal damage for Coulters Kobelco Camaro, which stopped on track with suspension failure bringing out the yellows again just as the compulsory pit window opened.

Most cars filed in to pit lane for the mandatory driver change, and on the re-start former series leader Lee Stibbs in the Arrow Car Sales Mustang was penalised 5 seconds for overlapping on the re-start.  The Cox/Crutcher Mustang was the big mover with Cox passing Everingham’s Pedders Mustang, which was slowing due to diff temperature issues, with Stibbs again in trouble clouting the wall but re-joining well down.

The Thomas/Brook Mustang pitted just as the compulsory pit window closed, dropping well back under green flag conditions but with enough points in the bank to play it safe for the run to the flag.

Zach Loscialpo in the Tempest Solutions Camaro, driving solo for this event, was the new race leader however the Crutcher Developments Mustang moved to the front after a stellar drive by Cox on Lap 27.

Another small fire under Aaron Tebb’s Camaro set up the final safety car period with a 4 lap sprint to the end. Eighteen-year-old Hayden Hume made the move for 4^th on the re-start, but was another caught for overlapping and paid the penalty. Nathan Herne was closing on Hume over the final laps however at the flag it was the Crutcher/Cox Mustang by just over two seconds from Josh Hayne and Nicholas Bates, with the Cheney/Thornburrow Camaro 3^rd.

The overall point score over all 6 races gave Thomas and Brook the TA2 King’s of the North title on 321 points, (CXC Mustang)  from Jackson Rice/Tyler Everingham (Pedders /Dream Racing Mustang) on 288 and Graham Cheney/Edan Thornburrow 286 points. (IES Camaro)

Hayden Hume won the Racetech Rookie of the Round Award and Mark Crutcher claimed the Circo Masters from Rob Leonard and Nicholas Bates. The Crutcher/Cox pairing also won Hypercoil Hard Charger Award for passing 15 cars in the final race. Rob Leonard was gifted the Bowden’s Own Best Presented award in the superbly presented Mustang and the Formosa/Filipetto Dodge the Wilwood Big Braker Award for finishing 4^th in yesterdays 20 lap feature race and 9^th overall for the weekend.

Dylan Thomas and Tim Brook claimed an action packed 20 lap feature race during Round Two of the TA2 Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing at Hidden Valley Raceway today. Nathan Herne, fresh from racing TA2 in the USA started the weekend well qualifying 2^nd fastest by 7/100ths of a second to PWR pole winner Josh Haynes in the Beaches Sea Doo Mustang. Jordon Cox, co driving with Mark Crutcher was set for pole however lost his fastest time for impeding during the session and was relegated to 4^th overall behind the Jackson Rice/Tyler Everingham Pedders Mustang, with the Dylan Thomas/Tim Brook combo 5^th outright.

Each of the co-drivers had a 12 lap sprint race based on their individual qualifying times with Herne winning the first sprint from Josh Haynes, Dylan Thomas, Edan Thornburrow and Jackson Rice.  Eighteen-year-old Hayden Hume was running strong in the top three until he fired off under brakes at Turn One ending up in the pits with a damaged tyre.

In the second sprint race for co-drivers, Tyler Everingham started on pole from Jordan Cox with Tim Brook and Max Vidau on the second row.  Brook in the Dylan Thomas CXC Mustang went on to win from Cox, Everingham, Vidau and Jarrod Hughes in the Dodge Challenger he shared with Hayden Jackson.  Series front runner Nicholas Bates was running strong in the Josh Haynes Mustang however had battery failure with the car stopping on track causing a safety car.  George Miedecke, in his first TA2 drive since being series runner up in 2019 finished 6^th in the McAlister Motors Mustang, while Marcus Zukanovic was well down after pitting to remove debris from the front of the MacKelden Kubota Mustang.

The grid for the final race, which included a pit stop and driver change, was set by the fastest qualifying times overall with Haynes starting alongside Herne, with Rice/Everingham and Crutcher/Cox on the second row.

Haynes and Herne both jumped well on the green, running side by side into Turn 5, before the Beaches Sea Doo Mustang dropped back to 4^th out of Turn 1 on the second lap.  Herne continued to lead from Dylan Thomas/Jordan Cox until the CXC Mustang with Thomas behind the wheel speered off at Turn 1, putting Gartner up to second with Haynes closing in 3^rd. Marcus Zukanovic stopped early in the race with throttle cable failure in MacKelden’s Mustang.

Adam Hargraves LocalSearch.com Camaro stopped on track between Turns 4 and 5 with fuel issues, causing a safety car just as the mandatory pit window opened on Lap 8.  Herne was first in to hand the CUBE 3 Dodge over to New Zealand driver Paul Manuell, with Thomas/Cox and Miedecke/McAlister also coming in early.

After the re-start, Aaron Tebb’s Waltec Racing Mustang ended in the gravel after suspension failure which set up another safety car period.

At the restart, Fisher in the IES Camaro hit the rear of the Jordan Cox/Mark Crutcher Mustang putting both cars into the wall on the Main Straight setting up another safety car period and a two-lap sprint to the flag.

Brook and Manuell came together at the end of the straight on the last lap in the Dodge he is sharing with Herne, however when the pit stop cycle had washed through,  Thomas and Brook  claimed the win, but due to a glitch with the timing system mid race, all other results are currently provisional pending a late night investigation  and will be released when corrected.

Drivers will be back on track tomorrow for the final two sprint races and a 35 lap enduro with mandatory pit stops and driver change with the highest point scoring driver pairing claiming the $20K cash bonus thanks to the Hi-Tec Oil Super Series promoters. Round Two of the TA2 Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing will be live streamed from 9.30 am and televised live on SBS and Fox Sports/Kayo from1 pm AEST.

Dylan Thomas, Ford Mustang - CXC Racing

“There has been a fair bit going on all weekend to be fair, even during the sprint races its all been pretty hectic. The most obvious passing opportunity would have to be at the end of the straight, it is very long. Tim had is own little moment at the end so I told him we don’t need to be too desperate.We are both very excited to have a crack for tomorrow’s Kings of the North race.

Brad Gartner, Ford Mustang - Castec Rural Supplies

“There was a massive mistake from me and we got given a penalty but we have learnt from that but credit to Max for that one. I did two green laps and they were not even full laps, he is driving amazing and I have to thank him. It’s already a battle of survival, if Max can keep driving like he is for tomorrow’s race and I keep my nose clean I think will have a really good shot tomorrow.

Series frontrunner Jackson Rice and co-driver Tyler Everingham set the benchmark in combined practise times for Round 2 of the TA2 Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing at Darwin’s Hidden Valley today.

The Pedders/Dream Racing Mustang laid down a 1.10.7 edging out the Josh Haynes/Nicholas Bates combo by 1/10^th of a second, 4/10ths faster than Nathan Herne’s Dodge Challenger. Herne has returned from the USA to race this weekend with TA2 Asia champion Paul Manuell.

The Dylan Thomas/Tim Brook pairing was 4^th overall, from the Jordan Cox/Mark Crutcher Mustang to round out the top five.

Graham Cheney and Eden Thornburrow were also within 5/10ths of the fastest time from Brad Gartner and Carrera Cup star Max Vidau, with Zach Loscialpo, George Miedecke/Hugh McAlister and Andrew Fisher/Paul Hadley within the top 10 and all within a second of the fastest time.

Drivers will have individual qualifying sessions tomorrow, followed by a 12 lap sprint race each, then the first of two longer races with mandatory pit stops and driver change.

Series leader Lee Stibbs had a frustrating day in the Arrow Financial Services Mustang with transmission issues to be well outside the top 10 but is expected to be back on the pace tomorrow for the MVA team.  Stibbs is one of four drivers going solo in the twenty car field, however will still have a mandatory stop and tyre change during the feature races.

The action at Hidden Valley carries over to the holiday Monday with another two sprint races and a 35 lap final race, with $20,000 cash going to the highest point scoring combo across all races.

Monday’s races will be streamed from 9am Eastern Standard time, and televised live for three hours on SBS and Fox Sports/Kayo from 12.30 Eastern Standard time.

#7 Pedders Suspension and brakes, Ford Mustang - Jackson Rice

“Hidden Valley Raceway is awesome, the track is super technical and super fast. There is a massive breakdown into turn 1. It is a very busy track and it is very technical over the back as you have a lot of elevation changes to deal with The best passing opportunities for this weekend would have to be turn 2 as it is probably the safest turn to overtake on this track.”

#10 CUBE 3, Dodge Challenger - Nathan Herne

“It’s great to be racing TA2 back in Australia and I’m grateful to Peter and Moana Robinson for giving me the opportunity.  I’ve raced S5000 here so I know the track pretty well, but I’m actually really enjoying being back in a PBR Australian Spec TA2 Dodge. The car is a lot more fun to drive than the Trans Am car in the USA, they run a different tyre over there which has more grip,  however I love this style of racing because the car moves around a lot more which really suits my driving style - plus its great fun!”

Combined practise times:

1 7 Pedders Suspension & Brakes Jackson Rice (VIC) Ford Mustang

2 37 Beaches Sea-Doo Josh Haynes (NSW) Ford Mustang

3 10 CUBE 3 Nathan Herne (NSW) Dodge Challenger

4 68 CXC Racing Dylan Thomas (NSW) Ford Mustang

5 Crutcher Developments Crutcher / Cox (NSW) Ford Mustang

6 51 IES Motorsport Graham Cheney (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro

7 22 Castec Rural Supplies Brad Gartner (SA) Ford Mustang

8 21 Tempest Solutions Zach Loscialpo (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro

9 6 McAlister Motors McAlister / Miedecke NSW Ford Mustang

10 50 IES Motorsport Paul Hadley (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro

11 99 Kubota Racing Matthew MacKelden (QLD) Chevrolet

12 45 Total Parts Plus Hayden Hume (QLD) Dodge Challenger

13 66 Arrow Financial Services Lee Stibbs (SA) Chevrolet Camaro

14 20 Localsearch.com Adam Hargreaves (QLD) Chevrolet Camaro

15 81 MGW / Team RSG Hayden Jackson (NSW) Dodge Challenger

16 11 Kobelco/Sydney Truck and Mac Michael Coulter (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro

17 40 Access Linemarking Equipment Rob Leonard (QLD) Ford Mustang

18 93 Waltec Motorsport Aaron Tebb (NSW) Chevrolet Camaro

19 15 Rowell Logistics /Pacific Pet Michael Rowell (QLD) Ford Mustang

20 49 Allgate Motorsport Christopher Formosa NSW Dodge Challenger