The Queensland State of Origin round of the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series kicked off today, with Nathan Herne dominating the opening day’s proceedings.

Herne scored his maiden PWR Pole Award by eight tenths of a second in qualifying, with John McLaughlin joining him on the front row from Murray Kent, Anthony Tenkate and Kyle Gurton.

Gurton set a time on his first flying lap good enough for fifth position before a mechanical failure put him out for the rest of the weekend.

With a large rain band forming over South-East Queensland, Race 1 was officially declared a wet race.

Herne was the pioneer on the first lap as the field set off from the rolling start, before he aquaplaned at Turn 6 and ventured off into the gravel trap.

Herne rejoined the track in sixth, and charged his way back through the field to lead the race by Lap 3 and was never headed from there.

McLaughlin, who won the opening round of the series at Winton in March, maintained his position to finish second ahead of Peter Robinson, who scored his first podium race result since 2018.

Shaun Richardson scored a personal-best fourth ahead of debutants Nick Lange and Chris Pappas.

Kent retired from the race with visibility issues, while Tenkate spun at Turn 2 on the final lap and beached the Tenkate Plant Hire Mustang in the gravel trap.

With heavy rain sustaining for the afternoon, organisers postponed Race 2 until Sunday morning with a revised three 10-lap race schedule. Race 2 will be held at 9:05am, followed by Race 3 at 10:55am and Race 4 at 2:20pm.

Spectators are welcome on Sunday for $30, with kids 12 & under free with a paying adult.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series heads to Queensland Raceway this weekend with nine Queensland-based TA2 racers set to hit the track for the Queensland State of Origin TA2 event at the third round of the Australian Motor Racing Series this weekend, 23-25 October.

After recent event cancellations due to border restrictions to control the COVID-19 pandemic, series organisers deemed it impossible to complete a national TA2 series and crown a series champion this year.

Therefore, the decision was taken to crown state TA2 champions through the current “State of Origin” formats specific to New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Three entrants will make their TA2 Muscle Car Series debut this weekend in the form of Formula Ford racer Kyle Gurton in the #2 Garage 1/Nuveau Constructions Mustang, Christopher Pappas making the step up from Hyundai Excel racing in the #8 Wealthrite Mustang and production car racer Nick Lange leasing a Mustang for the round.

The last time the TA2 Muscle Car Series visited the circuit it was 18-year old Nathan Herne who triumphed in three out of four races to win the final round in 2019, while Aaron Seton was crowned the series champion for Castrol Harris Racing.

Herne will return to the Ipswich circuit this weekend as the leading contender in the Gulf Western Oils/Volvo Trucks Dodge.

After scoring his maiden race and round win at the season opener at Winton in March, John McLaughlin will return to racing this weekend in the #17 MyRaceProfile.com Mustang

The other first-time race winner at Winton in Murray Kent will also return in the Fit Flask Camaro after he finished third overall at Round 1.

The nine-car grid is completed by Shaun Richardson in the Road Rage Industries Dodge, Anthony Tenkate in the #69 Tenkate Plant Hire Mustang and Peter Robinson in the #10 PBR Distributions Dodge.

Spectators will be permitted at Queensland Raceway this weekend, with free entry for Friday practice, $20 for Saturday and #30 for Sunday. Kids 12 and under can enter free with a paying adult.

Outside of the outright round podium, a host of regular series awards are still on offer, including the PWR Pole Award, the Hypercoil Hard Charger Award, the Wilwood Big Braker Award and the Bowden’s Own Best Presented Award.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts QLD TA2 Muscle Car Series is set for practice on Friday, followed by Qualifying on Saturday at 10:35am AEST. Racing kicks off on Saturday afternoon with two 12 lap races on Saturday and two 14 lap races on Sunday.

QUOTES Craig Denyer, TA2 Muscle Car Series Manager

“It is great for the series to be back on track this weekend for our first event for the year at Queensland Raceway.

“The AMRS has done a superb job in getting the series back up and running within the COVID-19 event regulation requirements and although it’s mainly a state based event, it will still be very tightly contested.

“The recent NSW TA2 State of Origin event was extremely competitive and I expect this weekend will be just the same.

“It will be the first time series owner Pete Robinson has raced this year after an engine issue in qualifying at Winton earlier in the season, so he will be keen for a good result at his home track.

“Hopefully the Victorian border will open soon, and we can close out the season with a Victorian round and crown our three state champions for the year.”

PROMAXX Performance Exhausts 2020 QLD TA2 Muscle Car Series

ENTRY LIST

#0 Shaun Richardson (QLD), Dodge Challenger, Road Rage Industries

#01 Nick Lange (QLD), Ford Mustang, Nick Lange Racing

#2 Kyle Gurton (QLD), Ford Mustang, Garage 1/Nuveau Constructions

#8 Christopher Pappas (QLD), Ford Mustang, Wealthrite

#10 Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger, PBR Distributions

#17 John McLaughlin (QLD), Ford Mustang, MyRaceProfile.com

#29 Nathan Herne (NSW), Dodge Challenger, Gulf Western Oils/Volvo Trucks

#69 Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Ford Mustang, Tenkate Plant Hire

#74 Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro, Fit Flask

SCHEDULE (Local time AEST)

FRIDAY Practice 1 - 10:15am (20 minutes) Practice 2 - 1:40pm (20 minutes) Practice 3 - 3:50pm (25 minutes)

SATURDAY Qualifying - 10:15am (20 minutes) Race 1 - 12:45pm (12 laps) Race 2 - 3:35pm (12 laps)

SUNDAY Race 3 - 11:00am (14 laps) Race 4 - 3:35pm (14 laps)

Eight cars from the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series will line up in the Tin Tops support category for this weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000, October 15-18.

The eight car TA2 line-up will include young-gun Nathan Herne in the Gulf Western Oils Dodge Challenger.

The 18-year old multiple TA2 race winner was set to make his Supercars Championship debut in The Great Race in a wildcard entry with Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM), however his application for a dispensation for a Superlicence required to compete in the race was denied by Motorsport Australia.

This will mark Herne’s second appearance at Mount Panorama this year in his Dream Racing Australia TA2 car following his victory in the TA2 class of the Combined Sedans support category at the Bathurst 12 Hour in February. Herne will also work for GRM as a driver change assistant in the pit crew across the weekend.

Alongside Herne, Dream Racing Australia will field two cars for Craig Scutella plus V8 Ute and Touring Car Masters racer Andrew Fisher in the Jesus Racing Camaro.

Also returning to the mountain this year following the 12 Hour supports include Chris Formosa in his ‘Scooby-Doo’ inspired Allgate Motorsport Dodge Challenger and Mark Crutcher in his Crutcher Developments Challenger.

After taking victory in the TA2 NSW State of Origin event at Sydney Motorsport Park a fortnight ago, Kubota Racing Mustang driver Hugh McAlister will head to the mountain alongside his father Ian McAlister, with the experienced racer lining-up in his McAlister Motors-backed Camaro.

Sydney-based Michael Coulter will take the wheel of his Kobelco Motorsport Mustang after father Steve Coulter raced at the 12 Hour earlier this year.

The TA2 cars will compete in their own class within the Tin Tops grid and will be recognised by their own points, qualifying positions and top three finishes.

Herne led the TA2 cars and placed in the overall top ten in both practice sessions for the Tin Tops, with Jesus Racing’s Andrew Fisher and Kubota Racing’s Hugh McAlister the other top TA2 entries.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series will then hit the track the following weekend at Queensland Raceway for the QLD State of Origin event at the Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS) meeting on October 23-25.

The Aussie Tin Tops are set for two 20-minute practice sessions, one 20-minute qualifying session and three nine-lap races across the weekend. Races can be viewed live on Fox Sports 506 and Network 10.

QUOTES 

Nathan Herne, #29 Gulf Western Oils Dodge Challenger driver

“Last year I came here as a spectator and while I had the call-up to do the 1000, to still be here in the TA2 this year is still really cool and while the crowd isn’t here it will still be an amazing week and a bucket-list event as a race driver,” said Herne.

“It’s not in the Supercar but the TA2 is a really fun car to drive here, they’re not as setup-critical as a Supercar where you can really rag the TA2 to get a lap time out of them and they slide around across the top of the Mountain.

“They dance around a lot on the Hoosier cross-ply and they do crumble as we found out earlier this year, the biggest thing for us this weekend is making sure the tyres last and don’t start to tear up after a few laps.

“We have eight TA2 cars here so it would be good to show the speed these cars have compared to some of the other cars in the Tin Top category.

“These are one of the cheapest cars here when you look at all of the Porsches and GT cars, but we have a chance to be high up in the field so it just shows the bang-for-buck this package provides and hopefully some of us are close enough to have a mini-race within the race.”

Craig Denyer, TA2 Muscle Car Series Manager

“It’s just great to be back on track again and any opportunity to race and get track time at Bathurst shouldn’t be missed,” said Denyer.

“I’m sure Nathan and the rest of the TA2 Muscle Car racers will have a ball playing on one of the largest touring car stages when you look at the worldwide following the Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama delivers.

“Our Queensland based teams will also get a run next weekend as part of the AMRS Series at Queensland Raceway, so when you include the AMRS round at Sydney Motorsport Park recently, we have been able to deliver three different TA2 racing opportunities over four weeks, and hopefully Sandown is yet to come at the end of November.”

Kubota Racing’s Hugh McAlister has scored his maiden TA2 Muscle Car Series round win with victory in the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series NSW State of Origin event at Sydney Motorsport Park.

McAlister won both races on Sunday to win the first TA2 post-COVID event ahead of Kobelco Motorsport’s Michael Coulter and Jesus Racing’s TA2 debutant Andrew Fisher.

Race 3 began in dramatic fashion when Mark Crutcher and Craig Scutella tangled off the rolling start at Turn 1. Crutcher made a great start from the back of the pack before the pair touched on the entry to Turn 1. Fortunately both cars were repaired and rejoined the field for Race 4.

The race restarted on Lap 5 and there was a fight at the front with the top four stretching out their lead. Fisher and fellow TA2 debutant Zac Loscialpo were battling for second before Fisher was turned by Loscialpo coming onto the main straight with two laps remaining. Loscialpo was later handed a three-place grid penalty for the next race. McAlister took the chequered flag by two seconds ahead of Coulter, Graham Cheney, Loscialpo and Chris Formosa.

In Race 4, Fisher staged a strong recovery drive in the Jesus Racing Camaro as he charged back to the podium from sixth in the final race, setting the fastest lap of the race at a 1:38.0 in the process.

A safety car was called on Lap 3 with Mark Crutcher in the wall at the final corner, reporting a failure in the front-end. After the restart, TA2 debutant Zach Loscialpo and Graham Cheney made contact, with Loscialpo dropping behind Cheney in fifth. TA2 debutant Barry Kelleher retired on Lap 7 after a solid weekend in his Mustang.

The fourth and final race saw McAlister hold off Coulter on worn tyres in a terrific scrap for the lead to secure the round win.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series will look at staging more events as border restrictions ease nationwide, with the next state of origin event planned for the AMRS round at Queensland Raceway on 23-25 October.

Kobelco Motorsport’s Michael Coulter and Kubota Racing’s Hugh McAlister shared the spoils as the first TA2 grid since COVID-19 hit the track today for the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series NSW State of Origin event at Sydney Motorsport Park.

After McAlister set pole position in the morning’s qualifying session, confusion on the rolling start saw a radio call made from race control which gave McAlister a false cue to take off before the lights went out to commence the race.

McAlister eventually crossed the finish line over two seconds ahead of Coulter, before he was handed a five second post-race penalty for a jump start.

Coulter passed former V8 Utes racer Andrew Fisher off the start and inherited his maiden series win from Fisher.

Series regulars Ian McAlister, Mark Crutcher and Craig Scutella enjoyed a good scrap in the midfield throughout the race, as Crutcher made it home or sixth ahead of McAlister, Chris Formosa and Scutella.

The top four staged a thrilling battle in Race 2 late in the day.

Fisher made a move for the lead until Coulter blocked into Turn 1. McAlister was a man on a mission as he passed Fisher for second at Turn 2 on Lap 4, and then Coulter at Turn 3 two laps later.

The Kubota Racing driver was never headed as he set the fastest lap of the race on his way to his maiden TA2 race win.

Former Toyota 86 racer Zac Loscialpo came to grips with his TA2 Camaro in Race 2, passing Fisher for third on Lap 6 and then Coulter for second on the penultimate lap to finish second on his TA2 debut.

Fisher then passed Coulter for third to score two podiums in his debut in the Jesus Racing Camaro.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series returns for two more races tomorrow at Sydney Motorsport Park to decide the NSW State of Origin winner.