TA2 young-gun Nathan Herne made Australia proud on his international racing debut with a fourth place finish in the final round of the 2022 American Trans-Am Series at the Circuit of the Americas.

Despite limited seat time in the build-up, Herne qualified 12th out of 54 TA2 cars in an incident-filled session which was called five minutes early.

A chaotic start saw Herne vault up to sixth by the end of the first lap, and then up to third by Lap 4.

Herne was in podium contention for the 90-minute long race, before contact on the final lap from another competitor resulted in damage to the front splitter of the Stevens-Miller Racing Mustang which dropped Herne to fourth at the chequered flag.

Herne, the 2019 TA2 Rookie of the Year and a two-time champion of the ARG-promoted National Trans-Am Series, was pleased with the end result in what was an eventful debut weekend in the US.

“Had the pace to win at the end there but punched a hole through the front end and lost a heap of front aero. Add into the mix a bunch of oil on track and I was hanging on! 

“All in all an awesome trip. P4 out of 55 cars is a pretty good result considering. Thanks to everyone for making it all possible. Enjoyed every minute of it. Hopefully this isn't the last time with Stevens-Miller Racing.”

Herne is already on his way back to Australia to compete at next weekend’s Bathurst International, before he heads to the Adelaide Street Circuit for the final round of the S5000 Tasman Series which he is leading heading into the final event on 1-4 December.

The final round of the 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek will be held at Winton Motor Raceway on November 18-20, where Jett Johnson leads by 91 points over Graham Cheney.

QUOTESGar Robinson, 2022 IMSA LMP3 Champion, 2015 & 2017 American TA2 Champion “I’m pumped to reunite with my Australian TA2 mates to help out their young-gun Nathan [Herne] at COTA this weekend,” said Robinson. “I have fond memories of my time at Bathurst with my Aussie mates in 2018 and 2019, and I’ve been itching to get there one day to race in the Bathurst 12 Hour!” “I first met Nathan when I raced at Bathurst in 2019 before he started in TA2, and it’s been great to see him progress to be a two-time Australian champion and hopefully he can take it to the yanks over here. “Track position will be critical with over 50 cars on track, so my role will be just to get him familiar with how to get the most of these cars around COTA so he can maximise his time on track to put him in the best position to race well on Sunday.”

TA2 Muscle Car Series graduate Nathan Herne will become the third driver in Australian TA2 history to compete in a round of the American Trans-Am Championship when he makes his international racing debut next month at Circuit of The Americas in Texas.

Herne, the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series Rookie of the Year who has 15 TA2 race wins and three pole positions, will make a one-off appearance as part of the Stevens-Miller Racing squad where he will drive a Ford Mustang as part of the factory Howe Racing Enterprises team at COTA.

Herne’s drive was facilitated by TA2 Muscle Car Series founder Peter Robinson in conjunction with Joe Stevens, owner of Stevens-Miller Racing in an arrangement which began in 2018 to send Australian TA2 champions to compete in the United States with assistance from TA2 car constructor Howe Racing Enterprises.

Herne’s American trip will follow two previous visits by Australian TA2 drivers to race with Stevens-Miller Racing in the US. Inaugural TA2 Muscle Car Series Champion Russell Wright raced a Mustang at COTA in 2018, while 2018 champion Ashley Jarvis raced a Camaro at Daytona International Speedway in 2019.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series will have further presence at the event, with TA2 Technical Manager and Motorsport Australia Technical Advisor Cameron Sendall joining Herne at COTA to assist with the team and to gain additional information to enhance the Australian series. 

Herne currently races S5000 for Garry Rogers Motorsport, with the Tasman Series kicking off at next week’s Boost Mobile Gold Coast 500, with Herne set to race at COTA the weekend after.

It will be Herne’s first foray overseas, albeit plans were put in place following the 2019 season to head to the US, but these were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The final round of the American TA2 Championship at COTA is on November 4-6.

QUOTES

Peter Robinson - TA2 Muscle Car Series Founder

“We are extremely proud to present opportunities for our Australian TA2 drivers to race internationally, as we have done with former champions Russell Wright and Ashley Jarvis,” said Robinson.

“Joe Stevens from Stevens-Miller Racing has provided an outstanding opportunity to Australian TA2 champions previously, and we are proud to continue our relationship with the team to facilitate Nathan’s opportunity this year which we know he will grab with both hands.

“Rusty and Ashley threatened the podium with their pace during their races in the US, so we know our Australian drivers are competitive when they join the American field.

“Our American visits are also important from a technical standpoint to keep an eye on the latest developments for the TA2 class which we feel will enhance our successful same-spec formula in Australia.

“We are sure everyone in the TA2 community will be following his journey with excitement and cannot wait to see him represent Australia on the world stage.”

Nathan Herne - 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series Rookie of the Year

“This year was a weird one. I thought to myself the last few years I’ve had in Australia hopefully something was going to happen, but it went into a quiet phase where I just settled and thought this was going to be the end of my racing until next season. All of a sudden this popped up and a few other things are starting to emerge, so it’s pretty cool.

“To go over to the US is something I’ve always dreamed about since I was about 12-years-old, but I quickly wrote that off as soon as I found out how much it cost to go over there. To finally get the opportunity to go over there, I’m keen as mustard and hopefully it’s not the last chance to go.

“After 2019, we were even trying to get over there and test the waters. Back then it was a different proposition because I was unproven and a young bloke who just wanted to get over there to race as a bucket list item, but now it’s turned into something different.

“It’s great that COVID is somewhat behind us as I can go over there to do this and fingers crossed it all goes well.

“We’re with Stevens-Miller Racing. We’ve been talking to team owner Joe Stevens for a couple of years now and the Americans like to keep a keen eye on the Australian series, which they know all about.

“Stevens-Miller Racing is the Howe factory team and in Australia we race the same brand chassis. In America, it’s a bit different with bigger engines, different chassis manufacturers, more aero and a half radial tyre.

“The American TA2 cars are much more like a Supercar than the Australian version, so it will be exciting and fingers crossed it all goes well.

“I’ve got two sessions to get my eye in around the track before official practice starts through Trans Am and Stevens-Miller Racing, which have put that together for me. I’m racing at the Circuit of The Americas, which is a big facility with a lot of blind apexes, so it’s going to be hard to learn.

“I’ve just got to take the pressure off and enjoy it because this is just a bucket list item for me, I’m not really expecting anything to come out of this, but never say never and maybe something will.

“For now, I’m still 100 per cent committed to Australia to see what I can do locally, I have S5000 a week before and the Bathurst International after.”

Joe Stevens

Team owner, Stevens-Miller Racing

“Nathan is a rising talent in many forms of motor racing and undoubtedly a future racing star,” said Stevens.

“His trust in Stevens-Miller Racing and the Howe Racing Ent. group is more than enough reason for SMR to extend the offer and get him over here.

“This partnership also represents a rare opportunity for our company to show why we are special. Nathan will be driving a new Mustang with some of the 2023 development parts from Howe Racing and we also look forward to hearing his feedback on them.

“The challenges for Nathan at COTA will be many as he joins this series at the season finale.

“This group of TA2 racers in the United States can be, at times, rough. First, he will have to be fast in all 20 turns here at COTA - that in itself is no small measure. Next, he will have to battle to and for the front of this pack. All of these things together amount to a big challenge including having to deal with serious jet lag.

“But we believe Nathan will excel at all the challenges presented to him. If he can bond with the team, our cars, and this track, he will continue to shine as he does in Australia.”

Sydneysider Zach Loscialpo has scored his maiden TA2 round win and victory in the 2022 Southern Series in dramatic fashion after runaway leader Josh Haynes clashed with Jett Johnson in the final race of  Round 5 of the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Race 1 winner Haynes was unchallenged in Sunday's first race, going back-to-back with a three second victory over a fast-finishing Kobelco Mustang of Michael Coulter, while Loscialpo held second for most of the race before he fell back in the closing stages.

Following a mechanical failure in Race 1, Jett Johnson made a stunning charge from 19th to fifth in the NAPA Auto Parts Mustang to earn the Hyperco Hard Charger Award.

Race 3 was declared a non-event after a spectacular first-lap incident at Turn 2. The incident was triggered by contact between Dean Lindstrom, Mark Crutcher and Aaron Tebb which saw Tebb point the wrong way in the middle of the Turn 2 hairpin, before he was collected by Hayden Jackson, Anthony Tenkate, Mick Rowell and Paul Hadley in a concertina. 

All drivers emerged out of their vehicles on their own steam and were cleared by the circuit medical centre, while Lindstrom, Tebb, Jackson, Tenkate and Rowell were ruled out from the final race from damage.

Haynes bolted away at the start of the final race as Johnson, who started fifth, passed Coulter and Stibbs on the first lap to move up to third. Loscialpo fended off every move from Johnson before he passed Loscialpo on Lap 5.

With a significant tyre advantage as a result of the non-showing in Qualifying and Race 1, Johnson reeled in Haynes to be within striking distance for the lead with five laps remaining.

Struggling for tyre life, Haynes managed to hold off Johnson up until the penultimate lap when Johnson got a strong run out of Turn 5 to make his move down the inside at Turn 6. The pair ran side by side around corporate hill as Johnson gained the lead, before Haynes tried to take back the lead at the Turn 8 hairpin.

Haynes locked the rear brakes and made contact with Johnson which turned both drivers around.

Johnson managed to get going before Loscialpo and Coulter caught up to the leaders, however Haynes was stuck in infield and failed to finish, handing Loscialpo his maiden round win from Coulter.

Two top-five finishes earned Mark Crutcher the Circo Masters Class ahead of Nicholas Bates and John Holinger,

Queenslander Nick Lange scored the Wildwood Big Breaker Award, while a consistent weekend in the top-five for Stibbs saw the South Australian finish third outright and earn the RaceTech Rookie of the Round.

Peter Robinson earned the Bowden’s Best Presented Award for a new look on the #10 Wagner Group Dodge.

With one round remaining in the 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek, Johnson leads the way by 91 points ahead of Graham Cheney, ahead of Masters Class leader Bates in third.

The final round of the 2022 TA2 Muscle Cart Series framed by Hytek is at Winton Motor Raceway on 18-20 November.

QUOTES

Zach Loscialpo - driver #21 Tempest Solutions/Excelerate Motorsport Chevrolet Camaro

“Really proud to get the round win and the Southern Series title. It’s an awesome accomplishment for the team. We worked hard, the last round was difficult for us but all the work and late nights have paid off this weekend.

“We had a decent practice on Friday, the car was mediocre so we made some changes for Qualifying and smashed out a good lap in the shootout.

“For the first couple of races we tried to keep up with Josh [Haynes], he was definitely the benchmark all weekend. We made some more changes after today, unfortunately Race 3 was stopped by the big crash but our tyre strategy worked in our favour so we had a couple of tyres spare for the last race.

“We had Michael Coulter behind us all race, I was getting a bit nervous towards the end trying to save tyres and bring it home, but yeah stoked to get the round win.

“Can’t thank everyone enough, Waltec Motorsport, Tempest Solutions, my family, my girlfriend, my sister who were all here this weekend and I can’t wait to enjoy it with them.”

Josh Haynes has scored his second win of the 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek after a commanding lights-to-flag victory in Race 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Qualifying saw championship leader Jett Johnson bring out the red flag after an off-track excursion in the NAPA Auto Parts Mustang at Turn 1 on the first flying lap, as second-round starter Brad Gartner scored a sensational provisional pole in the Castec Rural Services Mustang for MVA Racing, with Haynes second-last out for the shootout.

Nick Bates, who qualified third provisionally, spun his Mustang at Turn 2 on his lap and aborted his lap.

Gartner encountered a mechanical issue during a smoky shootout lap to start sixth, as Haynes set a blistering 1:34.5063 to earn his first career PWR Pole Award by 1.2 seconds from Zach Loscialpo and Lee Stibbs.

Haynes lead from the outset as Johnson began the recovery charge, passing seven cars in two laps.

Gartner retired on Lap 2 after his mechanical issue in qualifying returned in the race. 

Johnson’s day went from bad to worse after suffering a mechanical failure at Turn 1 and sailed into the tyre barriers on Lap 3 which brought out the safety car for three laps to recover the NAPA Mustang.

Haynes gapped the field on the restart and cantered away to win by five seconds over Loscialpo, as Michael Coulter came home strong, passing Lee Stibbs to finish third in the Kobelco Mustang.

Following Johnson’s costly DNF, his championship lead was cut to 74 points to IES Motorsport’s Graham Cheney.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek is back on track for Races 2, 3 & 4 for Round 5, which will be live-streamed on the AMRS and TA2 Racing Australia Facebook pages.

QUOTES

Josh Haynes - driver #17 Elvin Group Chevrolet Camaro

“It was a really good race.

“We started off pole, had a good start and managed to pull a gap before the safety car came out.

“The rest of the race was focussed on conserving our tyres, we have three races tomorrow so we’ll see what we can do, but today was a perfect start to our weekend."

Jett Johnson - driver #117 NAPA Auto Parts Ford Mustang

“We had a pretty good start, I was trying to be cautious after an incident in qualifying, 

“I was trying to take it easy and not make any mistakes and unfortunately coming into Turn 1 on the start of Lap 3 we had an issue which caused the power steering pump to fail through Turn 1 and went straight ahead.

“It’s not an ideal situation, but we’ll jump in and help the NAPA Auto Parts team fix it and reset for tomorrow.”