20-year old third-generation racer Aaron Seton has won the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series in dramatic fashion following a mammoth overnight repair job by the Castrol Harris Racing team led by two-time Australian Touring Car Champion Glenn Seton.

Following a green-to-chequered victory in Race 1, Seton’s Mustang was significantly damaged after he spun around exiting Turn 1 off the start in Race 2 in twilight conditions on Saturday evening and was collected by Andrew Miedecke’s Dodge Challenger who was unsighted in the cloud of dust.

The race was postponed by race officials due to fading light and restarted at 8:30am on Sunday.

The Castrol Harris Racing team worked until 2:00am this morning with the assistance of many other TA2 Muscle Car Series teams.

Starting first on the restart of Race 2, Seton dropped to second behind 17-year old former Formula Ford racer Nathan Herne, as the Gulf Western Oils Dodge driver fended off Seton to win the final three races of the weekend to score his first round victory of the season.

Seton only had to finish the final race of the weekend to secure his second national circuit racing title after he won Class B of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge in 2015.

Remarkably, Seton took the chequered flag in the final race with a flat tyre.

Former GT, V8 Ute and Super2 Series racer George Miedecke finished the season 52 points behind Seton in second, with reigning champion Ashley Jarvis a further 86 points behind in third.

Entering the round in eighth position in the championship, Herne’s successful weekend catapulted him to fourth in the Performax Cup standings. He and Kubota Racing’s Hugh McAlister finished tied on points with Herne retaining the position by count back on race wins.

Queenslander Murray Kent finished sixth in the championship ahead of inaugural series champion Russell Wright, who scored his second consecutive victory in the Circo Master Class ahead of Bill Robinson and Mark Crutcher.

The final round of the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series will be broadcast on Fox Sports 506 on Monday the 18th of November at 2:45pm (AEDT), and also on Thursday the 21st of November at 6:30pm (AEDT). It will also be simulcast free on the Blend Line TV Facebook page.

QUOTES Aaron Seton, driver #88 Castrol Harris Racing Ford Mustang

“It feels so special to be crowned the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series champion and to be standing here holding up the Perfomax Cup,” said Aaron Seton.

“Yesterday was a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions.

“It was pretty hard at the time but i’m very lucky to be supported by an incredible team behind me in Castrol Harris Racing and also the whole TA2 community for pitching in to repair the car overnight to get me back out on track today.

“I can’t thank Craig Harris and the Harris Family enough for the opportunity to drive their car this season.

“We’re a small family team and thanks to my Dad Glenn, Chris Topp, Don Dimitriadis, Mick Benton and everyone involved behind the scenes in making this championship come to fruition.”

TA2 Muscle Car Series leader Aaron Seton is under pressure to repair his car overnight following an incident involving three cars in Race 2 at Queensland Raceway this evening.

Earlier in the day, the 20-year old Castrol Harris Racing driver lowered the qualifying record around Queensland Raceway to a blistering 1:12.5815 to score his fifth PWR Pole Award from six rounds, and went on to take a convincing green-to-chequered win in Race 1 ahead of 17-year old former Formula Ford racer Nathan Herne in the Gulf Western Oils Dodge Challenger.

The race commenced under twilight conditions at 6:00pm at Queensland Raceway. Seton lead Herne through Turn 1 before he lost the rear of his Mustang and spun around. As the field rushed through the cloud of dust in avoidance he was collected by Andrew Miedecke’s Ram Trucks Port Macquarie Dodge Challenger with significant damage to both vehicles. TA2 Masters class racer Russell Wright also collected Seton’s car but escaped with only a flat tyre and a broken rim.

The 15-lap race twilight race was cancelled following the incident to retrieve the cars, before both Seton and Miedecke were cleared of any injury by the circuit medical centre. The race has been postponed and will be restarted as the first race on the schedule at 8:30am on Sunday morning.

Seton’s closest championship rival George Miedecke finished fourth in Race 1, with Seton (on 1122 points) holding a 46 point lead over the Lubrimaxx/Miedecke Motor Group racer (on 1076 points).

The Castrol Harris Racing team, lead by two-time Australian Touring Car Champion and Aaron’s father Glenn Seton has already retrieved the car and begun the process of repairing the chassis and the front end of the vehicle to ensure it returns for track action tomorrow.

QUOTES Aaron Seton, driver #88 Castrol Harris Racing Ford Mustang

“I made a mistake coming out of Turn 1 and unfortunately it has ended our race,” said Aaron Seton.

“Fortunately I have the best team in pit lane behind me in Castrol Harris Racing so hopefully we can get back out there tomorrow and fight for the championship.”

The TA2 Muscle Car Series heads back to its roots at Queensland Raceway for the final round of what has been a breakout year for the thrilling modern-muscle racing category.

The series has seen regular grids upwards of 25 cars all season, and a record 32-car field will line up for the season finale at Ipswich featuring a host of racing legends, rising stars and gentleman racers enjoying what the TA2 Muscle Car Series has to offer.

The final round of the six-round series will feature three-time Australian Drivers’ Champion Paul Stokell debuting a new car owned by regular TA2 racer Warren Wadley. Finishing second in the 1990 Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series behind Russell Ingall, Stokell boasts an impressive resume that also includes back-to-back Nations Cup Championships in 2003-2004, and success in the Australian Mini Challenge in 2009.

The grid also welcomes the debut of local racing star John McLaughlin in the #17 Ford Mustang. McLaughlin is a former champion in the local Track Attack Excel Cup Series, and this year stepped up to the one-make Toyota 86 Racing Series that supports the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. McLaughlin will make his TA2 Muscle Car Series debut this weekend with a full-season campaign expected in 2020.

The final round will feature a battle between the two series protagonists in the hunt for the Performax Cup, young-gun third-generation racer Aaron Seton and the experienced, versatile second-generation racer George Miedecke.

Seton leads the Performax Cup standings by 40 points over Miedecke, and with 220 points available on the weekend, the top eight competitors are still within mathematical contention for the title. This includes 17-year old dual Formula Ford state champion Nathan Herne, who has made his mark with four race wins in his debut year in the category and one of only three race winners this season alongside Seton and Miedecke.

Ashley Jarvis sits third in the standings, but the reigning Performax Cup champion has his sights set further than a back-to-back title. The former Speedway racer will jet off to the United States shortly after the chequered flag falls at Ipswich to race in the final round of the American Trans-Am TA2 Series at the world-famous Daytona International Speedway on November 14-16. This forms as part of the Howe International Driver Exchange Program and a annual prize for the winner of the Australian TA2 Series, which drivers will be fighting for alongside the Performax Cup this weekend.

Australian racing legend Andrew Miedecke sits fourth in the standings, ahead of Gold Coaster Russell Wright who leads the Masters category for drivers over the age of 50 years of old.

Kubota Racing’s Hugh McAlister sits sixth ahead of local favourite Murray Kent, Gulf Western Oils Racing’s Nathan Herne, Gold Coaster and Kubota Racing team mate Matthew MacKelden and local Brisbane racer Michael Kulig complete the top ten.

The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series, join us trackside and in the pit lane between races to meet the teams, drivers and learn about this exciting new category taking the Australian motorsport landscape by storm.

Tickets are available at the gate for $20 on Saturday, $30 on Sunday or $40 for a weekend pass, with kids 12 and under free. A post-produced one hour highlights show from this weekend will follow on Fox Sports produced by Blend Line TV.

QUOTES

Paul Stokell, driver #9 Wadley Property Group Ford Mustang

“I have been doing some driver coaching with Warren [Wadley] lately and he got the second car and was kind enough to offer it to me to support the series more than anything,” said Paul Stokell.

“I’ve noticed the class before and i’ve suggested it to some customers of mine in the past as a potential move in the future, but as a driver myself it’s not something that i’ve thought about too much other than the opportunity to drive this weekend.

“There are some good drivers in this field and the car is brand new and hasn’t been sorted out yet, so i’m not expecting anything as far as results are concerned, but if we can develop the car and help Warren along the weekend then we’ll see what happens.”

Aaron Seton, driver #88 Castrol Harris Racing Ford Mustang

“The main goal is to have the cleanest weekend as possible, it’s been a year since we have last raced the TA2 at Queensland Raceway so i’m looking forward to getting back there and continuing the battle with myself and George Miedecke,” said Aaron Seton.

“It’s pretty exciting going into the final round with a chance at the title and i’m feeling good going into the weekend.

“We’ll see how we go and if we have a good weekend and are able to come away with the championship then the opportunities that come from that are really exciting, including the chance to drive in America.

“The series has grown in leaps and bounds with 29 cars at our last round in Sydney and to have 32 cars this weekend shows how every round is getting bigger and better.

“It’s a pretty exciting time for the series and it will be interesting to see where the series will go next year when the calendar is announced and i’m looking forward to seeing it grow further in the future.

“I couldn’t do this without the team behind me from Castrol Harris Racing including my Dad Glenn, Craig Harris, Chris Topp, Don Dimitriadis, Mick Benton and all my other supporters for getting me on the grid and providing me with a great car to fight at the front.”

ENTRY LIST - 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series Round 6/6 - Queensland Raceway (November 2/3)

#2 - Don Dimitriadis (NSW), Ford Mustang - Thunder Road Racing Team Australia#3 - Craig Vanderstelt (SA), Ford Mustang - Zenith Custom Solutions #4 - Mark Crutcher (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Crutcher Developments #5 - Matthew Mackelden (NSW), Ford Mustang - Kubota Racing #6 - Hugh McAlister (NSW), Ford Mustang - Kubota Racing #7 - Michael Kulig (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Kulig Engineering #9 - Paul Stokell (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wadley Property Group #10 - Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Morgans Investment Consultants #11 - Michael Coulter (NSW), Ford Mustang - Kobelco/Sydney Truck and Machinery #12 - Tim Shaw (TAS), Dodge Challenger - Shaw Developments #14 - Cameron Sendall (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Caddy Storage #15 - David Falvey (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Thunder Road Racing Team Australia #17 - John McLaughlin (QLD), Ford Mustang - MyRaceProfile.com #18 - Shaun Richardson (QLD), Ford Mustang - RTC Group/Road Rage Industries #20 - Darren Berry (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Tooth Booth Dentists #22 - Ashley Jarvis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Lighthouse Electrical #24 - Jack Childs (QLD), Ford Mustang - Think Investment Realty #28 - Tim Tritton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Everyday Finance Solutions #29 - Nathan Herne (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Gulf Western Oils #35 - George Miedecke (NSW), Ford Mustang - Miedecke Motorsport #44 - Greg Willis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Cross Torque Racing #49 - Chris Formosa (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Ranger Racing/Allgate Auto Doors #50 - Paul Hadley (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services #55 - Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - RoadBees Transport #69 - Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Ford Mustang - Tenkate Plant Hire #74 - Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Underground Civil Supplies #77 - Bill Robinson (NSW), Ford Mustang - Elite Smash Repairs Erina #88 - Aaron Seton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Castrol Harris Racing #95 - Andrew Miedecke (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Ram Trucks Port Macquarie #555 - George Elliot (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro - Dream Racing Australia #777 - Craig Scutella (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro - Dream Racing Australia #888 - Warren Wadley (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wadley Motorsport

The Australian-made hand-crafted ring, made in 18ct Yellow and 18ct White gold was designed by Stuart Bishop and Andrew Stott, with the centrepiece being a wheel drawn to replicate the actual wheels used by the modern-muscle racing series.

Bishop is a renowned drag racer in a supercharged V8 Camaro Pro Slammer, and the jeweller has previously worked on the trophies for the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship amongst their motorsport association.

Previous recipients of the TA2 Championship Ring include the inaugural series winner Russell Wright in 2017 and Ashley Jarvis in 2018.

Alongside the Performax Cup and the championship ring, the winner of the TA2 Muscle Car Series will also be presented with an opportunity to compete in a round of the American TA2 Series through the Howe International Driver Exchange Program by TA2 car constructer Howe Racing Enterprises.

Heading into the final round of the series this weekend, third-generation racer Aaron Seton holds a 40-point lead in the Castrol Harris Racing Mustang over the versatile and vastly experienced George Miedecke in the Lubrimaxx/Miedecke Motor Group Mustang. Jarvis sits a further 42 points behind in third ahead of Andrew Miedecke’s Dodge Challenger and Russell Wright’s Mustang.

The Performax Cup, the championship ring and a host of other awards will be presented at a Gala Awards Night to be held at the De Vito Waterfront Restaurant at Southport on the Gold Coast on Monday November 4 following the completion of the final round.

Stay tuned for the official TA2 Muscle Car Series event preview including details on the entry list, schedule and championship standings.