Just three points separate the top two in the standings as the Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series returns to Queensland Raceway for the penultimate round of the series this weekend, September 15-16 at the Queensland Racing Driver’s Championship (QRDC) meeting.

Lighthouse Electrical Chevrolet Camaro driver Ashley Jarvis regained the series lead from Russell Wright’s RoadBees Transport Mustang after winning round five of the series at Wakefield Park last month, highlighted by the clash between the Mustangs of title contenders Wright and Hugh McAlister on the opening lap of race three of the weekend.

McAlister dropped back to third in the points as a result and now sits 35 points away from Jarvis.

Camaro racer Cameron Sendall completes the top five in the standings, just 14-points off Ian McAlister with two rounds remaining.

A 13-car grid heads to the Ipswich circuit this weekend, as the series continues to grow with sales behind the scenes in the lead up to the 2019 season.

Season regular Greg Willis will miss this round with overseas commitments, but will leave the door of the #44 SuretyIT/Interfinancial Camaro open for Historic Touring Car racer Guy Gibbons to take the wheel as substitute.

The series also welcomes the debut of former Queensland Touring Car Championship racer Murray Kent, as he steps up from state-level racing to the national TA2 series in a Chevrolet Camaro.

Young-gun Aaron Seton remains the driver in-form heading into the weekend at Queensland Raceway. Seton took two out of four race wins last time out at Wakefield Park, and scored the round win at round four at Queensland Raceway with a clean sweep and the lap record.

The Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series will have four races across the weekend, headlining the fifth round of the QRDC, with live timing available at Natsoft Race Results.

ENTRY LIST

2018 Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series - Round 6, Queensland Raceway (QLD)

#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

#10 - Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - PBR Distributions/BStyled For Life

#14 - Cameron Sendall (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - PBR Distributions/BStyled For Life

#22 - Ashley Jarvis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Lighthouse Electrical

#44 - Guy Gibbons (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 - Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Underground Civil Supplies

#88 - Aaron Seton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Castrol Harris Racing

#92 - Scott Textor (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Textor Racing

Gold Coaster Ashley Jarvis posted two wins on Sunday at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park to reclaim the Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series lead after his two main championship rivals crashed out of Race 3.

Jarvis, Russell Wright and Hugh McAlister touched under brakes into turn two on the first lap triggering a chain reaction that put both Wright and McAlister in the sand trap and against the wall.

The safety car was deployed for five laps while the two Ford Mustangs were extricated, and while Wright was able to restart many laps down, McAlister was left to see his series points take a hammering.

After dominating Saturday’s proceedings and claiming a commanding win in race two earlier in the morning, Aaron Seton lead the field away on the safety car restart but was caught out by debris that remained on the track from the previous incident at turn two. This let Jarvis in the Lighthouse Electrical Camaro through for the win ahead of Brisbane’s Cam Sendall in the Equipment Services Australia Camaro. Sendall was later pinged for a restart infringement and dropped back to ninth.

Ford dealer Ian McAlister put on a stout performance to finish second with Seton third, Chad Cotton fourth and Mark Crutcher in the Crutcher Developments Camaro turned in one of his best drives to finish a credible fifth.

Dry blustery conditions set the scene for a final race showdown late in the afternoon, with Jarvis on pole for the 10 lap finale and Ian McAlister alongside. Jarvis started well, while Seton got by McAlister’s Mustang and closed quickly on Jarvis, lapping over a second quicker per lap.

With three laps to go, Jarvis held his nerve, going on to take the race win, round win and the series lead in the process. Canberra’s Chad Cotton passed McAlister for third late in the race after failing to start race one due to battery issues.

Peter Robinson and Cam Sendall finished fifth and sixth, while Wright came through from the back of the field to finish seventh, and Hugh McAlister limped around to salvage some critical championship points and minimise the damage to his title hopes.

Jarvis now leads the Performax Cup by three points from Wright provisionally, while Hugh McAlister dropped back to third.

“At the start of Friday I certainly didn’t think we would be in the position to win the round but I’m absolutely stoked,” admitted Jarvis.

“We had a few things go our way. Aaron [Seton] fell off the track in race three, and he was pretty nice to me in our battle in the last race but we’ll take it, a massive haul of points for my championship.”

“[Wright and McAlister] didn’t have their best of weekends but there’s still two rounds to go and anything can happen, this is motor racing after all.

“I’d like to give a massive thanks to my Dad for hauling the car down from Queensland, without him and the support from my family I couldn’t do it, and this result wouldn’t be possible without the support from Lighting Empire, Lighthouse Electrical, Nexgen Transport and Ormeau Physio.”

Round six of the Performax TA2 Muscle Series will be held at Queensland Raceway on September 15/16.

Just 16 points separate the top three in the standings as the Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series heads to Wakefield Park Raceway for their championship debut at the Goulburn circuit with the Australian Motor Racing Series this weekend, August 18-19.

Defending champion Russell Wright leading the championship in the RoadBees Transport Mustang, while three points separate second-placed Hugh McAlister’s Ford Mustang and Ashley Jarvis’ Lighthouse Electrical-backed Chevrolet Camaro.

They’ll be out to stop Aaron Seton’s run of form that saw him clean sweep all four races at round four at Queensland Raceway, with Seton committed to the remaining three rounds of the series in the Castrol Harris Racing Ford Mustang.

Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series manager Craig Denyer confirms talks are already underway with promoters to put together a calendar of events for next year.

“We are currently in the planning stages for the 2019 calendar, and ideally would like to have this locked away by the end of September or as close as possible,” explained Denyer.

The category has confirmed another order of cars in preparation for the 2019 season, with a total of 33 cars to be in the country by the end of this year.

“There has been a significant amount of interest in the category over the past few months, and PBR Distributions have just ordered another eight cars to be built and shipped from the USA which will be here by December, a number of those are already committed.”

“The fact that the Mustang and Camaro will both be sold in Australia has given the category even greater relevance heading into 2019 and the TA2 race car just offers such a great bang-for-buck racing experience at a very low-price point, what other category offers real V8 muscle car racing for the running costs of a Saloon Car.” 

Hugh McAlister is looking forward to returning to his home track for what will be a big weekend for the two-car McAlister Motors outfit he shares with his father Ian, and hopes to maintain his consistent run of form that has seen him in contention for the title.

“I’ll follow the same plan i’ve carried through all the rounds this season, and that’s simply to try and finish as close to the front as possible. I can’t afford to have a DNF with our points system,” said McAlister.

“It’s going to be tough with a full field of TA2 cars. Qualifying will be crucial to a successful weekend as overtaking opportunities can be very limited at Wakefield Park.”

The Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series will have four races across the weekend at the Australian Motor Racing Series, with event organisers dedicating a portion of gate proceeds and other fundraising activities to raise money for drought-affected farmers and communities through Rural Aid charity and the Buy a Bale of Hay program.

Sunday’s action will be live streamed courtesy of Blend Line TV, with live timing available at Natsoft Race Results.

ENTRY LIST 2018 Performax TA2 Muscle Car Series - Round 5, Wakefield Park (NSW)

#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 #10 - Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - PBR Distributions/BStyled For Life #14 - Cameron Sendall (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - PBR Distributions/BStyled For Life #22 - Ashley Jarvis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Lighthouse Electrical #44 - Greg Willis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Cross Torque Racing/Surety IT #55 - Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - RoadBees Transport #88 - Aaron Seton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Castrol Harris Racing #92 - Scott Textor (QLD), Dodge Challenger - Textor Racing #222 - Chad Cotton (ACT), Ford Mustang - Team Supreme Racing/Autocolours