Round 2 of the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series has been put on hold.

Scheduled for April 4-6 at Morgan Park Raceway, the event was postponed following yesterday’s announcement by the Queensland Government of an impending state lockdown as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The event at the Warwick, Queensland circuit was to have been the second round of the Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS), however the AMRS in consultation with the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series and all competing categories elected to suspend the round awaiting further advice from authorities on when it will be safe to race again.

With two race wins out of four at the opening round at Winton Motor Raceway, John McLaughlin leads the championship with he, Russell Wright and Murray Kent all picking up race wins.

McLaughlin leads the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series on 214 points from Kent on 207, Kulig on 201, with Michael Coulter (186 points) and West Australian Brett Niall (180) rounding out the top five.

QUOTESCraig Denyer - TA2 National Manager

“The situation has ramped up quite dramatically over the past week, and while the AMRS initially thought they could run the meeting without spectators and stay within the maximum 500 people cap for outdoor venues, the speed and seriousness of the current pandemic and the urgent need for social distancing caused us to review the position over the weekend and take the decision along with the AMRS to delay the round till later in the year,” explained TA2 National Manager Craig Denyer.

“Effectively, our series is on hold until we get clear advice that it is safe to race again, which at this stage is likely to be in the second half of the year.

We fully endorse and support the decision of the AMRS, as the health and welfare of the family unit and all individuals need to be the clear priority in managing the current outbreak. 

“The TA2 Muscle Car Series will return to the track when its acceptable to do so, and I am sure our teams, partners and fans will understand and support the decision.”

John McLaughlin put in a clinical drive in the final race of the weekend to win Round 1 of the 2020 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series at Winton Motor Raceway.

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In Race 2, McLaughlin lost the rolling start to second-placed Murray Kent’s Fit Flask Camaro, as Kent ferociously defended his lead for the remainder of the race. The Queenslanders could not be separated by more than half a car-length as Kent scored his maiden TA2 race win.

The safety car was called on Lap 5 after Graham Smith spun at the Turn 5 sweeper and caused a grassfire, as safety crews put it out and the race resumed a lap later.

Michael Kulig and Kobelco Motorsport's Michael Coulter swapped spots throughout the race battling for third, with Kulig hanging on for third and almost snatched second when McLaughlin climbed the curb exiting the final corner and slowed on exit. The top four crossed the line split by under two seconds.

The race was called four laps from home after Tim Tritton spun exiting Turn 10 and came back on track and heavily T-boned the side of Anthony Tenkate's Mustang. Tenkate was taken to hospital for observations but returned to the circuit to spectate the final race of the round.

Kent lead off the start before he slid wide exiting the Turn 1-2 chicane on Lap 2 and McLaughlin and Michael Kulig both passed him into Turn 3.

Kulig scored a personal-best race finish for Kulig Engineering and Racing in second to finish third for the round behind Kent.

A storming drive for Graham Smith saw him climb six spots from tenth to fourth including a move into Turn 1 on Graham Cheney as Cheney spun off the road to earn the Coolshirt Systems Move of the Moment Award.

Russell Wright moved up to fifth ahead of Mark Crutcher, who climbed from last to sixth to receive the Hypercoil Hard Charger Award for the round.

Coulter dropped back through the field with a power steering leak, while Darren Berry failed to finish after having fumes in the cabin.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series heads to Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick, Queensland for Round 2 on April 3-5.

QUOTES John McLaughlin, driver #17 myraceprofile.com Ford Mustang

“It’s a great feeling for the myraceprofile.com team and I to win the opening round of the 2020 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series,” said John McLaughlin.

“All weekend we had the pace to be at the front and I just hadn’t been able to utilise it in the opening few races.

“To get the pass into the lead done early in the final race allowed me to put a gap on the rest of the field and show what pace we had in the #17 myraceprofile.com Mustang.

“It’s been a great start to the season, we’re in it for the long haul and aiming for the championship so to come out on top after Round 1 is the perfect way to kick off the season.”

The opening day of racing for the 2020 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series has ended in dramatic fashion with Race 1 winner Russell Wright set to charge from the back after he was caught up in an unavoidable incident in Race 2.

The inaugural series champion and defending Masters champion, Wright scored his first outright PWR Performance Products Pole Award since his championship year in 2017 in a tight qualifying session as the provisional pole changed four times between he and John McLaughlin.

Wright's last lap effort that sealed pole for the Gold Coaster by two-tenths over McLaughlin and Michael Kulig with a personal-best effort qualifying in third.

Wright converted pole position to win the first race of the season narrowly over a fast-finishing McLaughlin. Kulig dropped a wheel off at the Turn 10 on Lap 2, letting Murray Kent through for third.

After battling early with Kobelco Motorsport’s Michael Coulter, Allgate Motorsport's Chris Formosa found the Turn 2 fence hard on exit on Lap 3, forcing a safety car period for four laps to recover the stricken Dodge.

Wright lead from the outset in Race 2 with McLaughlin staying in close contact in the early stages.

The pair were closing in on lapped traffic late in the race before Lap 9 when series debutant Jason Hassett’s motor expired in the Hass Camaro. Wright saw oil down entering Turn 5 and slowed to avoid the ailing car. McLaughlin's view was blocked by Wright and he hit the oil and spun, with the rear of McLaughlin's Mustang hitting the front of Wright.

The damage was enough to end Wright's race, while McLaughlin recovered and took the chequered flag under safety car conditions on Lap 10, two laps early.

Murray Kent scored a personal-best finish in second and walked away with the fastest lap of the race, ahead of Kulig and Coulter. KTM off-road racer Graham Cheney finished a remarkable fifth on his debut circuit racing weekend in the Illawara Engineering Camaro.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series is set for a further two races tomorrow to decide the opening round of the year.

QUOTES John McLaughlin, #17 myraceprofile.com Ford Mustang

“It isn’t how we planned on getting our first win, but we’ll take it,” said McLaughlin.

“There was a bit of carnage there with lapped traffic and I managed to get through relatively unscathed which was all we needed to finish the race in first.

“I haven’t really been able to utilise the pace we have in the car yet as we’ve been tucked in behind Russell Wright, but hopefully tomorrow we can show more of our speed and stay at the front.”

Russell Wright, #55 Wright Property Developments Ford Mustang

"It’s pretty disappointing to start the year off this way,” said Wright.

“As i’ve come around Turn 4 I could see some smoke from a car I was about to lap, then I saw flame and I thought there would be some oil down a backed off right away.

“Unfortunately John who was just behind me had his view blocked by me, and he may not have been able to see the car that was dropping oil. He’s come through realised too late, locked up and turned the car sideways and skidded into me as the rear of his car hit the front of mine.

“We were off to a good start but got a tail-end Charlie award in Race 2 so we’ll be fighting from the back tomorrow.”

Fresh from signing new naming-rights partner PROMAXX Performance Exhausts, the TA2 Muscle Car Series has announced a new free-to-air television deal for 2020 including live-streaming from all AMRS Series rounds.

Commencing from Round 1 of the series this weekend at Winton Motor Raceway near Benalla in Victoria, all PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series rounds will be covered in high definition on SBS free-to-air television through the long-standing motorsport programme SPEEDWEEK. The broadcasts will also be replayed through Fox Sports 506, the same channel that carries Supercar, Formula 1, World Rally Championship, Moto GP, Formula E and all mainstream motorsport events.

In addition, the AMRS rounds will also be replayed through Kayo Sports, internationally through Motorsport TV and live-streamed on the AMRS website. In addition, the AMRS rounds will also be replayed through Kayo Sports, internationally through Motorsport TV and live-streamed on the AMRS website. Motorsport TV alone has over half a million followers on YouTube and Facebook, and combined with coverage through Europe via MotorTrend On Demand and USA via MavTV will give the series by far its biggest audience footprint.

In just three short seasons on the national stage, the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series is one of the fastest growing motorsport categories in Australia delivering a raw V8 muscle-car experience in current generation Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers that rewards drivers and fans with a high horsepower, low-grip experience, ensuring the racing is as good as it gets and affordable for the competitor.

A competitive field of 22 TA2 Muscle Cars will line up at Winton this weekend for qualifying and four races across two days of action.

The grid will feature a blend of rookies such as Camaro drivers Jason Hassett and Graham Cheney, proven talent in former Toyota 86 series racer John McLaughlin, Michael Kulig, Murray Kent and Michael Coulter, as well as series veterans in 2017 champion Russell Wright, Australian Trans-Am regular Anthony Tenkate and Camaro driver Darren Berry.

Cheney, who lives near Bathurst in NSW is a factory KTM off-road rider and is having his first run on four wheels as part of a two-car Camaro team with Paul Hadley. Also joining the series for the first time is West Australian Brett Niall in a Ford Mustang prepared by Ron Cremen Racehire, NSW Aussie Racing Car driver Peter Herd, Victorian Toyota 86 Series racer Graham Smith in the Hazard Solutions Camaro and Warren Trewin also returning in the High Voltage Coffee SNB Racing Camaro.

The outright battle is expected to be fought out between Wright, McLaughlin, Kent, Coulter and Kulig, with a very competitive pack including Tim Tritton, Peter Robinson, Darren Berry and Anthony Tenkate expected to also push well into the top ten.

QUOTES

Craig Denyer, TA2 Muscle Car Series National Category Manager

“Expanding the media deal for this year is a major step towards exposing the TA2 product to a significantly larger audience which then directly benefits all fans, teams, drivers and commercial partners,” explained Craig Denyer.

“Matt Baragwanath and the whole team at the Australian Motor Racing Series have done a superb job in pulling together this year’s package which will also help grow the AMRS series as a low-cost, high-reward experience for competitors and fans.

“It’s great that the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series can headline their events for 2020 and be the major part of their media and television package.”

SCHEDULE

2020 TA2 Muscle Car Series Round 1 - Winton Motor Raceway, VIC (AMRS), February 29/March 1

Friday, 28 February 2020

Practice 1: 11:10am (20 minutes)

Practice 2: 1:50pm (20 minutes)

Practice 3: 3:55pm (20 minutes)

Saturday, 29 February 2020

Qualifying: 10:55am (20 minutes)

Race 1: 1:40pm (12 laps)

Race 2: 3:45pm (12 laps)

Sunday, 1 March 2020

Race 3: 10:20am (12 laps)

Race 4: 1:50pm (15 laps)

ENTRY LIST

#4 - Mark Crutcher (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Crutcher Developments

#7 - Michael Kulig (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Kulig Engineering

#10 - Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Morgans Investment Consultants

#11 - Michael Coulter (NSW), Ford Mustang - Kobelco/Sydney Truck and Machinery

#12 - Peter Herd (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - RTC Motorsport

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

#20 - Darren Berry (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Tooth Booth Dentists

#24 - Jack Childs (QLD), Ford Mustang - Think Investment Realty

#26 - Jason Hassett (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Hassett Pumps

#27 - Graham Smith (VIC), Ford Mustang - Hazzard Solutions

#28 - Tim Tritton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Everyday Finance Solutions

#35 - Chris La Rosa (NSW), Ford Mustang - Natcorp Direct

#49 - Chris Formosa (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Ranger Racing/Allgate Auto Doors

#50 - Paul Hadley (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services

#51 - Graham Cheney (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services

#54 - Brett Niall (WA), Ford Mustang - Ron Cremen Racehire

#55 - Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - RoadBees Transport

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

#71 - Warren Trewin (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro - High Voltage Coffee Racing

#74 - Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Underground Civil Supplies

#77 - Bill Robinson (NSW), Ford Mustang - Elite Smash Repairs Erina

#888 - Warren Wadley (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wadley Motorsport

Nine entrants from the TA2 Muscle Car Series once again shone in the Combined Sedans support races at the Bathurst 12 Hour.

17-year old Nathan Herne continued his Friday form in the Gulf Western Oils Dodge Challenger to fight at the front of the field, setting a new TA2 track record at a 2:15.0 and lapping competitively against stronger thoroughbred Sports Sedans and V8 Supercars.

Herne finished second on track in Race 2 this morning before he was sent back five seconds to sixth in the official results after receiving a penalty for overlapping on the safety car restart. This handed the TA2 class victory in the race to debutant Jimmy Vernon (Mustang), who finished the weekend after this performance and sat out the final race due to the extreme heat at the circuit.

Dodge Challenger double Chris Formosa and Peter Robinson tangled at Turn 1 on the restart, with Robinson unable to finish the race.

In the final race, Herne quickly charged back to second on the opening lap behind Paul Boschert’s Corvette Sports Sedan. Herne lapped within half a second of the race leader and challenged across the top of the mountain, however Boschert’s straight-line superiority prevailed in a car with over 325 horsepower more than the TA2 cars.

Robinson charged through the field from 40th to 18th, while Cam Sendall (Camaro) worked his way forward to finish 13th outright and 3rd in the TA2 class behind Herne and Anthony Tenkate (Mustang).

Mark Crutcher finished fifth in class behind Peter Robinson in 19th outright and ahead of Chris La Rosa and Bill Robinson. Steve Coulter fought back to 27th outright from the back of the field after combatting power steering issues earlier in the day.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series is set for the opening round of the series at Winton Motor Raceway on February 29/March 1, headlining the opening round of the Australian Motor Racing Series.