The TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek will heat up this weekend as the series commences the second half of its season with Round 4 at Queensland Raceway this weekend, headlining the Australian Motor Racing Series event.

A strong 20 car field will take to the track as the series welcomes an overseas guest driver this weekend in the form of Paul Manuell from New Zealand. Manuell is a two-time NZ V8 Ute Racing champion and the 2019 TA2 Asia Champion, and in 2020 was appointed as the importer for the growing New Zealand TA2 Series.

Manuell will steer a Dodge Challenger owned by Australian TA2 series founder Peter Robinson.

A new South Australian team will make its debut this weekend, with MVA Racing fielding two cars for South Australian drivers Brad Gartner and Lee Stibbs. Both Gartner and Stibbs are graduating from the popular entry-level Hyundai Excel class, with 18-year old Gartner having previous success in dirt karts, junior sedans and late model speedway cars.

Jett Johnson headlines the field and will be looking to consolidate his 65-point lead in the standings over Zach Loscialpo.

Round 2 winner Josh Haynes will be looking for a return of form after a challenging weekend at Winton as he works to return to the top 10 in the standings.

Pro class contenders James Simpson, Murray Kent, Dylan Thomas, Graham Cheney and Nick Lange also return to the grid this weekend.

Nicholas Bates and Mark Crutcher will continue their battle in the Circo Masters Class where Bates leads by 39 points. Manuell, Robinson, Beric Lynton, Mick Rowell, Jason Hassett, John Holinger, Paul Hadley and Warren Wadley complete the Masters contenders this weekend.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek will have four 15-lap races this weekend. Track action kicks off on Friday for general practice, before Qualifying on Saturday at 10:35am followed by a Top 10 Shootout.

Sunday’s action will be livestreamed on the TA2 Racing Australia and AMRS facebook pages.

QUOTES

Brad Gartner, driver #22 Ford Mustang - SS Oysters/Mikes Beef Jerky

“We met Lee [Stibbs] through the Excel racing and he mentioned to me where he wanted to go with his racing and he mentioned TA2 and we were very keen for an opportunity to run in a team, so with Michael Vidau from MVA Racing and Lee as my team mate we’re keen to get started in TA2 Racing.

“We bought Chris Pappas’ old Mustang and I haven’t actually driven it yet, just watched a whole lot of videos on YouTube and social media to get the gist of it, so this weekend will be my first time out.

“They are such a high horse-powered car, left hand drive, h-pattern gearbox, it will be quite different to anything else I’ve driven before but I’m up for the challenge.

“It will also be my first time at Queensland Raceway,and first time in a professional team, so it will be quite a jump up from the Excel, that’s for sure!

“I always loved the cars, they’re loud, their big, they look like a real Mustang, Camaro and Dodge, they look like a Supercar and that’s obviously quite an attraction for a young kid wanting to go to the top.” 

“Lee and I went to the Tailem Bend round earlier this year and we met Pete, Dayna and the crew from TA2 and they were very welcoming and it looked like a great category to be a part of, so we can’t wait to hit the track this weekend.”

SCHEDULE 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Northern Series, Round 2 - Queensland Raceway, June 25-26

Friday General Practice

Saturday Qualifying - 10:35am (15 minutes) Top 10 Shootout - 12:10pm Race 1 - 3:15pm (15 laps)

Sunday Race 2 - 10:10am (15 laps) Race 3 - 12:00pm (15 laps) Race 4 - 2:40pm (15 laps)

ENTRY LIST 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Round 4 - Queensland Raceway, 19-21 August

MASTERS, #4 Mark Crutcher (NSW), Ford Mustang - Crutcher Developments MASTERS, #9 Warren Wadley (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wadley Property Group MASTERS, #10 Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Wagner Corporation MASTERS, #15 Michael Rowell (QLD), Ford Mustang - Pacific Petroleum/Carroll Tyres PRO, #21 Zach Loscialpo (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Tempest Solutions PRO, #22 Brad Gartner (SA), Ford Mustang - SS Oysters/Mikes Beef Jerky MASTERS, #23 John Holinger (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro - Holinger Racing MASTERS, #24 Nicholas Bates (NSW), Ford Mustang - Nicholas Bates Motorsport MASTERS, #26 Jason Hassett (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro - Hass Racing PRO, #28 Lee Stibbs (SA), Ford Mustang - MVA Racing/Arrow Car Sales PRO, #37 Josh Haynes (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Elvin Group PRO, #48 Nick Lange, Chevrolet Camaro - Whitsundays Holiday Rentals MASTERS, #50 Paul Hadley (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services PRO, #51 Graham Cheney (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services PRO, #68 Dylan Thomas (NSW), Ford Mustang - CXC Racing MASTERS, #74 Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Fit Flask/Retro Motorsport MASTERS, #101 Paul Manuell (NZ), Dodge Challenger - Wagner Corp PRO, #117 Jett Johnson (QLD), Ford Mustang - NAPA Auto Parts MASTERS, #123 Beric Lynton, Ford Mustang - Bruce Lynton BM Service PRO, #782 James Simpson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Seven82 Motors

The first standalone TA2 event in Western Australia will take place this weekend at Wanneroo Raceway for the first of two rounds for the Access Linemarking Equipment King of the West title.

The Access Linemarking Equipment King of the West Series will be fought over two back-to-back events at Wanneroo Raceway and Collie Motorplex, with 12 TA2 cars set to lineup for the dual weekend contest.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series features low-cost, V8-powered Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Challengers in a same-specification formula, ensuring a level playing field across the board for great racing.

New South Welshman Mark Crutcher and Queenslanders Peter Robinson and Rob Leonard have made the trek across to Western Australia to take on the local racers, with the highest point scorer of the combined events to be crowned the King of the West.

The Western Australian contingent features Super3 racer Garry Hills in an ex Nathan Herne Dodge Challenger, as well as endurance racer Brett Niall in a Chevrolet Camaro. National Series racer Brock Boley will lineup for the King of the West title in a two-car Team Boley Racing Camaro outfit alongside his father Brad.

The grid is dominated by nine Chevrolet Camaros including Sprintcar racer Jason Pryde, Historic Touring Car racer Clinton Rayner and Sports Sedan racer Ron Moller, while Greg Freeman and Glen Melling complete the field.

The TA2 Western Series will be managed locally by Peter George who has targeted a 15-car grid for a standalone series to begin in 2023, with the Western Series acquiring their own parts trailer to cater for the growing cohort of cars in the West.

Queenslander Rob Leonard jumped at the opportunity to tick off a couple of his ‘Bucket List’ race tracks, and has upped his support of the category with national company Access Linemarking Equipment coming on board to back the first King of the West series.

The TA2 field will share the grid with the WA Sports Sedan Series for two races on Saturday, followed by three standalone races on Sunday. The second King of the West event at Collie Motorplex the week after will also feature standalone races for the TA2 Western Series.

Cars will first hit the track for practice on Friday, followed by Qualifying and Racing on Saturday and Sunday.

Post-produced highlights of the event will feature on the TA2 Muscle Car Series YouTube channel and in the package for the post-event coverage of the next round of the TA2 Muscle Car Series from Queensland Raceway on free-to-air channel 7Mate.

QUOTES

Peter George, TA2 Western Australia State Manager

“There’s been a lot of build up to get to this moment. The competitors were wondering if it was ever going to happen after the last couple of years but we committed to it and we’re ready to put the series on show this weekend. 

“We had a couple of outings at Wanneroo last year when we only had a couple of cars, now the numbers are building up a bit and we’ve had six cars out on track, and now we’ll have double that for the King of the West events.

“We see it as being an exciting national category that we can be a part of locally. We’re working towards having our own grid in Western Australia next year. We’re targeting 15 cars for the start of next season and then into the 20s soon after and hopefully to the point where we have 40 cars here in seperate divisions.

“We’ve had tremendous support from Peter Robinson and Cameron Sendall from PBR, they’re bringing over the spare parts trailer for us so we will have a bigger build up of parts inventory, and having that as a physical presence at the track will also draw attention to what we’re doing as a category that’s going places.

“The serviceability, reliability and ease of maintenance of these cars is a big plus among our competitors and we have quite a number people on the sidelines coming out this weekend who are looking to get into it. 

Rob Leonard, Director - Access Linemarking Equipment, Driver - #66 Access Line Marking Equipment Chevrolet Camaro

“We’re very happy to be onboard for the Access Line Marking Equipment King of the West TA2 events in Western Australia.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to be involved from a business perspective as we do have a lot of customers all over Australia, including Western Australia.

“One of the things about getting into TA2 was the opportunity to race at tracks I wouldn’t be able to normally, and Wanneroo was definitely one on my bucket list, so to do this trip this year and then race Collie a week later which in the last couple of years has been extended and upgraded, so that’s two I can tick of which is fantastic.

“It might be a bit embarrassing as I’m getting help from some of the guys in WA but we certainly want to stick it to the West Aussies that’s for sure, I’ve got to be careful we don’t go too hard as we’ve got a commitment for someone to buy the car over there as I’ve got a new one coming a little bit later in the year.

“It’s a fantastic category, the best in Australian motorsport and we are absolutely over the moon that we can be involved as a competitor level and now helping get the WA Series off the ground and help them out a bit, so we’re excited from that point of view and to raise the profile of the company in Western Australia.”

Entry List

2022 Access Linemarking Equipment King of the West TA2 Series

Round 1 - Wanneroo Raceway, July 23-24

#4 Mark Crutcher (NSW) - Ford Mustang, Crutcher Developments

#10 Peter Robinson (QLD) - Dodge Challenger, Wagner Corporation

#14 Jason Pryde (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro - Industor Industrial Solutions

#15 Greg Freeman (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro, Axis Hire/GT Fabrication

#29 Garry Hills (WA) - Dodge Challenger - GHR

#33 Brock Boley (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro, Team Boley Racing

#54 Brett Niall (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro, STR/Tribridge Holdings

#55 Brad Boley (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro, Team Boley Racing

#65 Glen Melling (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro, Jasmat Steel Fabrication

#66 Robert Leonard (QLD) - Chevrolet Camaro, Access Linemarking Equipment

#77 Ron Moller (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro, AMS Racing

#98 Clinton Rayner (WA) - Chevrolet Camaro

Gold Coaster Chris Pappas now leads the TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series framed by Hytek after taking out Round 2 at the Shannons 2 Days of Thunder at Queensland Raceway ahead of James Simpson and Mark Crutcher.

Inaugural TA2 champion Russell Wright was the best performer on Sunday with victory in Races 3 and 4 in the Sibley Lawyers Mustang ahead of Pappas’ Wealthrite Mustang in each. The first race saw a clinical drive from Wright to win by ten-seconds, while the final was a closer affair with a 1.5 second margin after a mid-race safety car.

Wright was lucky to make the start in Race 3 after a late pre-race rear brake rotor change but showed strong to set a fastest lap of 1:13.5030, two-tenths shy of his own race lap record set last year.

Race 2 winner Pappas missed a gear off the start causing the inside line to slow into Turn 1 as Graham Cheney almost collected the back of James Simpson who locked up to miss Pappas.

Hayden Jackson was a big mover on the outside line up to third as Wright made the move for the lead on Tim Shaw down the inside into Turn 3 on the first lap. Jackson was having his best run in fourth before he found the grass at Turn 4 on Lap 6 and fell to 11th.

Pappas lead off the start in Race 4 before Wright regained the lead at Turn 4 on the first lap. 

Simpson closed in on Pappas but hung on to third place to secure second outright and the Racetech Rookie of the Round in the Seven 82 Motors Dodge ahead of Circo Masters winner Mark Crutcher.

Crutcher diced with Peter Robinson in a race-long battle before Robinson got in the rear of Crutcher and turned him around at Turn 6 on Lap 10. Robinson was excluded from the race for his part in the incident.

Hayden Jackson caused the only safety car for the weekend when he spun at Turn 3 on Lap 6, while Tim Shaw retired from the final with a mechanical issue.

Crutcher won the Masters Class from Beric Lynton and Paul Hadley. Tim Shaw and Anthony Tenkate shared the Hyperco Hard Charger Award for passing six cars each in Races 1 and 2, Lynton won the Wilwood Big Braker Award and Nick Lange won the Bowdens Own Best Presented Award.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek next heads to Western Australia for a series of back-to-back exhibition events at Perth’s Wanneroo Raceway and Collie Motorplex on 23/24 July and 30/31 July respectively.

QUOTES

Chris Pappas, #8 Wealthrite Ford Mustang

“I feel on top of the world, it’s really good to get the round win and to get my first race win this weekend was great

"I’d like to thank everyone from TA2, Tony Quinn and the team at Queensland Raceway for all the work they have done as the place looks great, and everyone from Norwell Motorplex who run my car and train me up and help me to achieve the round win.”

James Simpson, #782 Seven 82 Motors Dodge Challenger

“Awesome weekend, it was great to get a podium but one of the best things was to bring the car home in one piece. It was good to meet a lot of nice people and enjoy some good, clean racing. 

“Race 1 was awesome to move up from sixth to third, Race 2 had a couple of rookie mistakes and ran a bit wide and cost a couple of positions but I kept moving forwards and I was over the moon with my performance this weekend, I wasn’t expecting to finish up on the podium.”

Mark Crutcher, #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“Saturday was incredible for us with first and third, today we got in a bit of trouble but we were able to get out of it and get enough points to get on the podium in the end.”

“It was a great weekend, thanks to my crew and all my family who came out to watch.”

Pointscore 2022 Northern Series After Round 2 - Ipswich

1 - Chris Pappas, 393 2 - Graham Cheney, 367 3 - Mark Crutcher, 355 4 - Nick Lange, 329 5 - Paul Hadley, 316 6 - Anthony Tenkate, 301 7 - Russell Wright, 250 8 - Nash Morris, 220 9 - Jett Johnson, 208 10 - James Simpson, 197

Mark Crutcher and Chris Pappas both scored their maiden race wins in Races 1 and 2 of the TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series framed by Hytek at Queensland Raceway on Saturday for the Shannons 2 Days of Thunder.

A record-breaking qualifying session saw Tim Shaw, Russell Wright and Mark Crutcher all lower the TA2 Qualifying Lap Record of Queensland Raceway set by Aaron Seton in 2019 as Shaw scored his second career PWR Pole Award with a blistering 1:12.3010 effort in the Shaw Motorsport Camaro.

Shaw and Wright drove away from the pack in Race 1 as Shaw lead from the outset. Wright closed in on Shaw as the race went on before the pair made contact on Lap 5. Wright got into the back of Shaw’s Camaro and turned him around at Turn 4.

Shaw dropped to sixth as a result of the contact as Wright took the chequered flag first before he was excluded from the race, handing second-placed Crutcher his first TA2 race win.

Crutcher credited the likes of Supercars Champion and NASCAR winner Marcos Ambrose and renowned engineer Paul Forgie for the recent turn of pace in the Crutcher Developments Mustang.

Anthony Tenkate and Graham Cheney were the big movers in Race 1, moving forward from 11th to fifth and ninth to fourth respectively.

Crutcher lead the pack for Race 2 as Tenkate moved up two spots to third on the first lap. Tenkate was on course for a strong finish before he locked up and spun at the Turn 6 hairpin on Lap 6 and retired from the race.

Pappas chased down Crutcher in the early running and made his move for the lead at Turn 3 on Lap 8. He hold on for his first circuit racing victory to lead home a Norwell Motorplex one-two finish ahead of Shaw who charged from eighth to second.

Wright was another hard charger in Race 2 with a clinical drive from 13th to fourth after his Race 1 penalty ahead of rookie James Simpson in a terrific scrap with the top five split by under two seconds.

The TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series framed by Hytek returns for Races 3 and 4 at 9:30am and 12:48pm respectively on Sunday at the Shannons 2 Days of Thunder at Queensland Raceway.

QUOTES

Mark Crutcher, #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“It’s been such a ride doing this for five years with people I love in motor vehicles I love. I got emotional, it was incredible.

“Even Rusty who finished first but got demoted came and gave me a hug and congratulated me, and bad luck for Tim but to race against names like Tim Shaw and Rusty Wright was a pleasure, I had a smile all the way round.

“So many people have helped me, Stuey at home, my wife Melissa, Peter Robinson, Cameron Sendall and all the TA2 crew and Paul Forgie who has been helping lately with setup.

“We had a lot of help from Marcos Ambrose at the start with the setup, it sounds funny to even say his name, and Paul Forgie also who is a legend of the game. Paul has taken me to the next level with the setup and he has helped a few people but for me the simple things he has done has let me drive the car quicker, I was shocked by the times we were putting out.”

Chris Pappas, #8 Wealthrite Ford Mustang

“It felt great to get my first win today and it was a good race out there.

“There were a few good battles. Tenkate moved through early and Crutcher was really quick as well, Shaw moved up towards the end and he was on my tail putting a lot of pressure on but I just had my eyes forward and kept going.

“Norwell has been the most crucial part of my whole development. Two years ago I had never driven a race car before, just a couple of track days. 

“I came to Norwell, met the guys there, got in an Excel, got in the TA2, they run my car for me and a few others, it’s been good having a whole team so when we do come to meetings like this we’ve got several drivers who can share data, some might be better in certain corners and some better in others, so we put it all together and as a team we move forward.”

A host of new faces to the TA2 ranks will hit the track for Round 2 of the TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series framed by Hytek this weekend, June 25-26, headlining the Shannons 2 Days of Thunder at Queensland Raceway.

No less than four drivers will make their TA2 debuts this weekend, including 2019 Bathurst 6 Hour winner and Production Car ace Beric Lynton, third-generation racer James Simpson, former Toyota 86 Series racer Hayden Jackson and Production Sports Car racer Jeff Hume.

Lynton is a long-time stalwart of the production car scene in Australia, having won the Bathurst 6 Hour in 2019 and a two-time winner of the Australian Production Cars Championship. 

Lynton will take the wheel of an ex Aaron Seton championship-winning TA2 Ford Mustang while he is also awaiting the arrival of a new car into the country by the end of this year to explore lease options to prospective drivers.

The Northern Series is a regional series within the wider TA2 Muscle Car season, combining national and state events for local racers who prefer a regional championship compared to a full national calendar. 

The 2021 Northern Series was taken out by third-generation racer Jett Johnson in his first circuit racing title, and recently took part in an evaluation day with championship-winning Supercars squad Dick Johnson Racing in a Shell V Power Racing Ford Mustang.

Nash Morris leads the Northern Series by virtue of taking out Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park in March. However, Chris Pappas, Graham Cheney and Mark Crutcher and Anthony Tenkate are effectively battling for the series lead having entered for Round 2.

The TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series framed by Hytek will have four races across the weekend at Queensland Raceway, kicking off with Qualifying on Saturday at 9:52am.

QUOTES

Beric Lynton, #23 Bruce Lynton BM Service Ford Mustang

“We bought this car late last year off Craig Harris. It was Aaron Seton’s championship car which we ran Dalton Ellery in Trans-Am earlier in the year.” 

“We haven’t leased it out yet, we’re talking to a few people and this round popped up as an extra round before Trans-Am and TA2 are back up here in August, so we thought we would have a bit of fun and come along and have a race.”

"The car was there and I had my first drive of it just over a week ago out at Queensland Raceway. It was completely different to drive to a production car which I’ve raced most of the time. 

“It was a good experience and an enjoyable car to drive, it’s a challenge getting your head about how to drive it differently. 

“The biggest challenge so far has been carrying more corner speed. I’ve got to stop slowing it down too much for the corners and believe the tyres have got more grip than what we run in production cars, as we ran r-spec tyres compared to the slicks on the TA2 cars.

“There’s lots of other little things, nothing completely new or major. I’ve raced on slicks before, I’ve raced left-hand drive before, but just putting it all together will be the challenge having driven a paddle-shift production car for the last few years.

“The Northern Series is a good first-up experience to learn the basics of these cars against other TA2 cars out on track. In this environment we’re all going to be nose to tail and in traffic I know some people also having their first or second start in these cars.” 

“No one is out there to swap panels and bash cars up, if there’s a quick kid there will be off and we’ll do what we do and learn as we go and enjoy it with guys who are like-minded in learning the cars.”

SCHEDULE 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Northern Series, Round 2 - Queensland Raceway, June 25-26

Friday General Practice

Saturday Qualifying - 9:52am (20 minutes) Race 1 - 1:12pm (20 minutes) Race 2 - 4:27pm (20 minutes)

Sunday Race 3 - 9:30am (20 minutes) Race 4 - 12:48pm (20 minutes)

ENTRY LIST 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Round 2 - Northern Series, Queensland Raceway - June 25-26

MASTERS, #4 Mark Crutcher (NSW), Ford Mustang - Crutcher Developments PRO, #8 Chris Pappas (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wealthrite/Norwell Motorplex MASTERS, #10 Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Wagner Corporation MASTERS, #23 Beric Lynton, Ford Mustang - Bruce Lynton BM Service MASTERS, #45 Jeff Hume, Dodge Challenger - Total Parts Plus PRO, #48 Nick Lange, Chevrolet Camaro - Whitsundays Holiday Rentals MASTERS, #50 Paul Hadley (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services PRO, #51 Graham Cheney (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services MASTERS, #55 Russell Wright (QLD), Wright Property Developments MASTERS, #66 Tim Shaw (TAS), Shaw Motorsport MASTERS, #69 Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Tenkate Plant Hire PRO, #81 Hayden Jackson, Dodge Challenger - HJ Plant Repairs PRO, #782 James Simpson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Seven82 Motors

Pointscore2022 Northern SeriesAfter Round 1 - Sydney

1 - Nash Morris, 220 2 - Jett Johnson, 208 3 - Michael Coulter, 192 4 - Zach Loscialpo, 185 5 - Chris Pappas, 182 6 - Murray Kent, 178 7 - Graham Cheney, 178 8 - John McLaughlin, 165 9 - Chris Formosa, 165 = 10 - Mark Crutcher, 163 =10 - Anthony Tenkate, 163