Dodge Challenger drew first blood on the opening day of on-track activity for the TA2 Muscle Car Series in 2019, as George Miedecke lead the TA2 field and sat second outright in the Skye Sands Combined Sedans support races at the Bathurst 12 Hour.

The former Super 2, V8 Ute and Australian GT racer lowered the TA2 benchmark around the 6.12km Mount Panorama circuit to a 2:16.3640, three seconds quicker than the previous year’s best set by two-time American TA2 champion Gar Robinson. The Texan driver qualified in sixth with a 2:19.7, while 2017 champion Russell Wright scored a top ten start in ninth.

Outright category pole-sitter Steven Lacey failed to take the start in his Camaro Sports Sedan, leaving Miedecke to start the opening race from pole position, ahead of Geoff Taunton’s MARC car.

Miedecke battled through lapped traffic to take the chequered flag in second, as Robinson moved up two spots to fourth, while McAlister Motors driver Hugh McAlister climbed from 12th to sixth place.

Chevrolet Camaro racer Michael Kulig rose nine positions to 11th, as Ian McAlister and Peter Robinson followed in 12th and 13th respectively after a great battle in the mid-pack.

Rusty French, Cameron Sendall, Anthony Tenkate and Russell Wright secured top 20 positions, ahead of Greg Willis, Don Dimitriadis and Mark Crutcher rounding out the TA2 pack.

Thursday’s top performer George Miedecke was pleased with his opening day performance while still chasing more from the Miedecke Motorsport Dodge Challenger.

“Steve Lacey unfortunately didn’t take the start and I got to lead the first lap which was pretty cool, but I was a sitting duck when the quicker Sports Sedans made their way through the pack so I just focussed on my own race and it was great to get second,” said Miedecke.

“I’m really enjoying driving these cars, this is a great chance to race at the mountain and in these TA2 cars they’re just awesome.”

With track temperatures rising, Miedecke hopes the cooler weather forecasted in the following days will bring lap times down further.

“I was absolutely cooking out there today, the soles in my race boots are starting to come off so it was definitely hot out there.

“Cooler conditions will certainly be better for lap times and we’ll see if we can go for that 2:15 lap tomorrow.”

The Skye Sands Combined Sedans field will take to the track at 8:05am on Friday for race two, and at 3:50pm on Saturday for the third and final race.

Saturday’s race will be live streamed via the Bathurst 12 Hour website, www.bathurst12hour.com.au.

Two-time American TA2 Champion and Pirelli World Challenge driver Gar Robinson has arrived in Australia ahead of next weekend’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

The Texan ventured out to Queensland Raceway on Australia Day for a pre-event shakedown of the 74 Ranch Resort Camaro which he will compete within a 13-car TA2 contingent in the Skye Sands Combined Sedans support races at Mount Panorama.

“I love coming down here to race with the Australian TA2 series. It was so much fun last year and I was the first to put my hand up to come back again,” said Robinson.

Robinson unveiled the tribute livery which he will campaign at Bathurst, paying homage to the livery used by his father George Robinson’s Trans-Am Camaro of the early 1990s.

“With IMSA’s 50th anniversary this year and all the throwback liveries revealed in the US, we decided we’d do our own throwback to our original Trans-Am colours of 30 years ago.

“The ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ slogan which we ran on the car was used for a no-littering campaign at the time, it fit really well on our car so we put it back on the car for Bathurst.”

On his Bathurst debut, Robinson scored second outright and first in the TA2 class in the 55-strong Combined Sedans field in 2018, and hopes to go one better on his return to what immediately became his favourite race track in the world.

“I have the lap record for the TA2 cars around there so I have to come back and defend it!”

“I didn’t want it [Mount Panorama] to be my favourite track because it’s so far away, but it went to the top of my list straight away.

“If you took Virginia International Raceway and turned it into a street course and then added walls, kangaroos and tim tams, that’s Bathurst and I can’t wait to get back there.”

The Skye Sands Combined Sedans field is set for practice, qualifying and race 1 on Thursday, followed by a race each on Friday and Saturday, with Saturday’s action live streamed at www.bathurst12hour.com.au.

Two-time American Trans-Am TA2 champion Gar Robinson returns to headline a 14-car contingent from the TA2 Muscle Car Series in the Skye Sands Combined Sedans support races at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama on January 31 - February 3.

Robinson will race the 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro in an invitational appearance for the series ahead of the 2019 season proper.

In 2018 the Texan campaigned in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class with a Mercedes AMG GT4 and Chevrolet Camaro GT4 respectively. He also competed in two TA2 events, taking second at the Detroit Grand Prix and first at the penultimate round at the Circuit of the Americas, where he was joined by 2017 Australian champion Russell Wright in an international driver exchange event with car constructer Howe Racing Enterprises.

Robinson looks forward to returning down under and building on his first experience of the legendary Mount Panorama circuit.

“Enough cannot be said about the hospitality of the Australian TA2 organisation, we are honoured to be invited back and hope to make this an annual trip.”

“Bathurst instantly became my favourite track in the world after racing there last year, to say I am excited to be coming back would be an understatement,” said Robinson.

“We really enjoyed having Rusty Wright stateside for COTA, it makes the world a whole lot smaller getting to play with your friends on both sides of the world.”

Gar will pay tribute to his father George Robinson with a livery paying homage to his 1991 Trans-Am campaign on the Camaro he will race at the mountain.

“In 2018 we ran my championship paint scheme, for 2019 we are honouring my dad with his 1991 Trans-Am scheme, nothing would be greater than to represent my dad with a victory on the mountain!” 

Joining Robinson on the grid at Bathurst will be Tickford Racing Supercar team co-owner Rusty French in his third TA2 appearance, while 2018 TA2 rookie of the year Aaron Seton and series debutant George Miedecke join the field for their TA2 mountain debut.

Reigning series runner-up Hugh McAlister and third placed Russell Wright also return to the Mountain following their appearance in the Combined Sedans support class at last year’s 12 Hour.

Defending series champion Ashley Jarvis is absent from the field, but he is no stranger to racing on the mountain. Jarvis finished third in the GT4 class of the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour in a Brookspeed Motorsport prepared Porsche Cayman and has claimed a class podium finish at the Bathurst 6 Hour previously.

Meanwhile, 2018 series debutants Michael Kulig and Mark Crutcher will race at Bathurst for the first time.

Track action for the TA2 cars within the Skye Sands Combined Sedans field will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the event, before the feature race of the weekend, the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour on Sunday February 3, with streaming details to be announced shortly.

ENTRY LIST

2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series - Invitational (Skye Sands Combined Sedans), Mount Panorama (NSW)

#2 - Don Dimitriadis (NSW), Ford Mustang - Thunder Road Racing Team Australia #4 - Mark Crutcher (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Crutcher Developments #5 - Ian McAlister (NSW), Ford Mustang - McAlister Motors/Performax #6 - Hugh McAlister (NSW), Ford Mustang - McAlister Motors/Performax #7 - Michael Kulig (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Kulig Engineering #8 - Aaron Seton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Castrol Harris Racing #9 - Rusty French (VIC), Ford Mustang - Skye Sands #10 - Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - PBR Distributions/BStyled For Life #44 - Greg Willis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Cross Torque Racing/Surety IT #55 - Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - RoadBees Transport #69 - Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Ford Mustang - Tenkate Plant Hire/Performax #74 - Gar Robinson (USA), Chevrolet Camaro - 74 Ranch Resort #96 - George Miedecke (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Miedecke Motorsport #114 - Cameron Sendall (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - PBR Distributions/ESA

The Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series has teamed up with Australian driver talent program Race Academy International to offer a TA2 drive as the major prize of their maiden competition.

The recently-launched talent discovery program has announced the winner of the ‘ultra’ competition of Race Academy International will be awarded a fully-funded drive in a round of the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series.

Race Academy International was founded to provide an opportunity for racers to step up to competitive motor racing without the major cost barrier that prohibits many aspiring drivers, according to program director and production car racer Trevor Mirabito.

“We are thrilled to award the major prize of the inaugural Race Academy International competition a drive in a round of the 2019 Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series,” said Mirabito.

“Racing at a professional level is a serious business, and it’s something few racers undertake in their lifetime. Race Academy International is proud to make that opportunity available without the major barrier of costs.”

Mirabito will be joined by a host of experienced motor racers and technicians on the judging panel, including experienced driver coaches Chris Reeves and Darren Formosa, former Nissan GT Academy finalist Josh Muggleton, Australian Production Car racers Dominic Martens and Matt Thewlis and experienced race team manager Garry Mennell.

The program consists of four levels ranging from the freshman competition at $990 to enter, through to the ultra competition at $1295 to enter.

Entrants will complete two 15-minute scored driving sessions where performance will be scrutinised, assessed and judged. This will be followed by a debrief session with an experienced engineer where a problem-solving task will be scored.

Each driver will also complete an intense media training session with a motorsport journalist.

“The TA2 Muscle Car Series has continued to expand and truly established itself as a feeder category for racers looking for a step up to professional competition.”

“TA2 provides a high-performance parity racing platform at an affordable cost level, and this gives racers the best chance to showcase their abilities on an equal platform.

“Passion, commitment and skill will be needed to win the day, and we are looking forward to unearthing real motor racing talent through Race Academy International.”

Other prizes offered in the Race Academy International program include the State Competition (full-season drive in NSW Production Touring Car Series), Club Competition (co-drive in three rounds of the NSW Production Touring Car Endurance Series) and the Freshman Competition (three rounds in the BMW E36 Racing Series), with runner-up prizes also to be awarded.

Race Academy International will debut this year with a sole competition day at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 28.

Additional information including entry details can be found at raceacademyinternational.com.

Reigning Victorian and New South Wales Formula Ford Champion Nathan Herne will join the TA2 Muscle Car Series in 2019.

The Lismore teenager progressed to the Australian Formula Ford Championship as a former karting champion and ran a combined state and national campaign for the 2017 and 2018 seasons with BF Racing. This culminated in his maiden national race and round win at the final round at Sydney Motorsport Park to finish fourth in the national championship, while wrapping up this year’s Victorian and New South Wales state championships along the way.

Herne also recently completed a driver-evaluation day with Brad Jones Racing at Winton Motor Raceway in a Super 2 specification Holden Commodore.

After testing a TA2 car at Queensland Raceway in November, Herne has been confirmed to race a Dodge Challenger for his maiden TA2 campaign.

“There is no hiding behind the fact that I want to one day reach Supercars and I feel that at this point of time the move into TA2 is going to benefit me massively,” said Herne.

“The TA2 category is no doubt going to help expand my tin-top experience around a range of the country’s leading circuits, and the category itself is one that is growing, so I can’t wait to take this next step.”

The son of six-time Australian V8 Dirt Modified Champion Stuart Herne, Nathan looks forward to adding to the family element of the series, which already includes Aaron and Glenn Seton, as well as George and Andrew Miedecke, Hugh and Ian McAlister, Ashley and Paul Jarvis and Michael and George Kulig. 

“Apart from the actual competitive side of TA2, I’m really looking forward to working closely with my dad on these cars and being able to benefit from his years of racing and mechanical experience.”

The series caters for a same-spec V8-powered Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Challengers, comprising of a space-frame chassis and a controlled GM Motorsport engine package delivering 525 horsepower.

Last week the series took order of four more cars, with a further four cars to be delivered in mid-January adding to 32 cars in the country.