The Trans-Am 2 Australia category has unveiled plans for a national series to commence in 2018, expanding to events in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.

Series management have confirmed a seven-event calendar for the 2018 season containing six championship rounds, as well as an invitational event at the Muscle Car Masters at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Trans-Am 2 is the current evolution of America’s Trans-Am Series catering for modern V8-powered Trans-Am muscle cars, comprising of a purpose-built space-frame Howe Racing Enterprises chassis and a controlled GM Motorsport engine package developing 525 horsepower.

The Australian Trans-Am 2 Racing Series will commence at Winton Motor Raceway in March, featuring at the opening round of the new Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS).

The AMRS will later host Trans-Am 2 rounds at Wakefield Park and Sydney Motorsport Park, where competitors will enjoy the added exposure of live streaming and a dedicated 30-minute TV program on Foxtel channel Aurora after each AMRS event.

"It's a well-balanced calendar that focuses on our roots in Queensland, while also forming a basis for our planned national expansion," said Trans-Am 2 Category Manager Craig Harris.

"We're excited to host the opening round of the national series at Winton Motor Raceway, our first event in Victoria.”

The series is in talks to stage an international Trans-Am event at the Muscle Car Masters, welcoming drivers from the Trans-Am Series in the US, Asia and Europe to race against the local drivers.

“Trans-Am 2 is a growing formula around the world and it’s a great time to kickstart our growth here in Australia,” said Harris.

Series management have confirmed 15 cars already sold to competitors in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, including to Prodrive Racing Australia co-owner Rusty French, with 21 cars arriving in the country ahead of the 2018 season.

"Trans-Am 2 will be a great series for competitors. They're fast, they're market relevant and the running costs are very low."

"Importantly, the fan reaction has been tremendous. The cars look great on track, they sound great and it taps into the Ford vs GM rivalry that Australian race fans know and love, with the Mopar thrown in for good measure."

Harris, a former Supercars driver himself, believes it's an ideal category for young drivers to learn and develop the skills required to progress to Supercars away from the spotlight.

"They have similar driving characteristics, and it provides a chance for drivers to learn about using the MoTeC system for data analysis."

"They're great fun to drive. There's over 525 horsepower, but with all the creature comforts expected of a modern race car."

Full Trans-Am 2 technical specifications and series information are now available on the category's relaunched website, www.ta2racingaustralia.com.au.

Further invitational events will be announced in due course.

2018 AUSTRALIAN TRANS-AM 2 CALENDAR Round 1: Winton Motor Raceway (AMRS) March 10/11 Round 2: Queensland Raceway (Ipswich Festival of Cars) April 20/22 Round 3: Queensland Raceway (2 Days of Thunder) June 22/24 Round 4: Wakefield Park (AMRS) August 18-19 Round 5: Queensland Raceway (QRDC) September 14/16 Round 6: Sydney Motorsport Park (AMRS) October 27/28 Invitational: Sydney Motorsport Park (Muscle Car Masters) Date TBA

The 2017 Trans-Am 2 Australia Series draws to a close this weekend, as the Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series heads to Lakeside Park for their season finale on September 30-October 1 in support of the Lakeside 300 endurance race.

Eight cars will hit the track to round out the season, including the debut of Sports Sedan racer George Kulig, and Saloon Cars racer Paul Jarvis in Chevrolet Camaros. Jarvis will take the reigns of the car owned by his son, Ashley, who will focus on his commitments in the Lakeside 300 endurance race.

Mustang driver Russell Wright (460 points) currently holds a dominant 103-point lead over Anthony Tenkate (357 points), with 105 points up for grabs across qualifying and the four races at the historic Lakeside circuit.

In what has been a building year for the series, category manager Craig Harris is impressed with the level of interest garnered leading into a breakout 2018 season.

“We’re at the stage of confirming our 2018 calendar. I would suggest we’ll see a lot more interest in the category once that calendar is revealed,” said Harris.

“We’ll have close to 20 cars on track by early next year.”

“It’s very cost-effective racing, we don’t spend more money trying to go quicker than the next car as they don’t require that level of maintenance.”

“The fan response has been great. They’re fast, good-looking cars, they sound great and they throw flames on down changes.”

The final round of the 2017 Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series commences with general practice on Friday, followed by qualifying and four races to conclude the 2017 racing season.

In their first appearance at the Lakeside Classic, Trans-Am 2 Australia turned up the action as Russell Wright claimed three out of four races to win round five of the 2017 Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series.

Wright (Ford Mustang) set a blistering 54.7 second lap to claim pole position with the fastest recorded time of the entire race meeting. Wright would start on the front row alongside Chad Cotton (Ford Mustang), who bested Craig Harris (Ford Mustang) by 0.01 seconds to secure second spot.

It was a Wright vs Cotton showdown in race one, as Wright withstood a hard-charging Cotton to open his account in style. The pair took the chequered within one-tenth of a second, as Anthony Tenkate (Ford Mustang) rounded out the top three.

Wright cantered away to win race two comfortably, as Cotton, Tenkate and Craig Harris (Ford Mustang) staged a great battle in the closing stages. Harris recovered from a power steering issue in the opening race to charge back to second place from the rear of the grid, with Cotton two-tenths behind Harris in third at the chequered.

Wright fended off Harris in the early laps of race three, before Harris spun dramatically at the kink on lap three. Harris managed to stay off the wall, but pulled into the pit lane to record a DNF. A nail-biting finish saw Wright lose power due to an alternator issue, as Cotton passed Wright on the final corner on the final lap to take the win ahead of Tenkate.

Cotton and Wright engaged in a great battle in the final race as the pair were nose-to-tail for the opening seven laps. Cotton lead from the outset before Wright got through at the kink on lap six to take the race and round win.

With 21 Trans-Am 2 cars in Australia leading into the 2018 season and interstate expansion on the horizon, Wright is excited by the challenge that lies ahead.

“I love racing here at Lakeside. It’s such a challenging track and to drive a car like this around here is a real buzz,” said Wright.

“Chad [Cotton] kept me honest all weekend and I had to work very hard to stay in front.

“He’s definitely got the speed, but perhaps i’ve got more experience around the Lakeside track which has favoured me this weekend.”

The next event will see seven cars head to Sydney Motorsport Park to support the New South Wales Sports Sedans Series on September 16-17.

However, the Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series returns to action for their final round at Lakeside Park in support or the Lakeside 300 endurance race on September 30-October 1.

In his debut series appearance, Stephen Voight took the round victory at the fourth round of the Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series at Queensland Raceway.

After four races across the weekend, the Camaro racer took two second placings, followed by two wins to take overall honours ahead of Anthony Tenkate and series leader Russell Wright.

Qualifying saw Mustang driver Craig Harris take his maiden series pole position ahead of Voight’s Camaro and Wright’s Mustang, with the entire seven-car grid split by less than two seconds.

Harris went on to take an undisputed win to open the weekend, stretching a four-second margin by the chequered flag ahead of a close battle between Voight and Anthony Tenkate. Peter Robinson climbed three positions to take fourth place from the rear of the grid in his Dodge Challenger.

Harris, Voight and Wright engaged in a great battle in race two, with the trio split by only half a second at the finish. Voight lead from the outset before Harris regained the lead on lap five to take the win.

The tables were turned as Voight took his maiden Trans-Am 2 Series win in the reverse-grid race three. Harris and Wright made their way to second and third respectively by the final lap before an attempted last-corner move saw Wright and Harris make contact, sending Harris to the rear of the field. Wright received a 30-second penalty added to his race time, as Cameron Sendall and Greg Willis took their maiden series podium finishes.

Voight came home to take the win in race four followed by a fast-finishing Wright and Tenkate.

In a one-off series appearance, Voight was impressed with the performance and parity of the series.

“I think it’s a great series. I’ve driven many makes and models of cars over the years, it’s a good overall package that is reasonably priced and the average punter can jump straight into one and be competitive with the other drivers,” said Voight.

“The car I drove was straight out of the shed. All I did was check the tyre pressures, put some fuel in it and away we went.

“It goes to show that the cars are very equal across the board, it doesn’t matter what model you buy as all the cars are the same.

“All the guys were great to race with. I’ve raced with some of them in other categories over the years, the quality of drivers were very good.”

The Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series returns to action at Lakeside Park for the annual Lakeside Classic on August 12 and 13.

With a hat-trick of wins, Russell Wright extended his championship lead in the Queensland Trans-Am 2 Racing Series after an enthralling third round of the season at the 2 Days of Thunder at Queensland Raceway.

Trans-Am 2 debutant Ashley Jarvis claimed pole position for the ten-car grid with a scintillating 1:14.9, the fastest lap ever in a Trans-Am 2 car at Queensland Raceway. The former Saloon Car driver then followed up by taking the opening race win in wet conditions, as well as a pair of second placings across the weekend. Camaro racer Greg Willis climbed three positions to secure a personal best finish of fifth in the opening race.

Starting from second, Wright fended off Jarvis in race two to take the win, while Chad Cotton battled handing issues in the wet conditions to take a pair of thirds in the opening two races.

In a reverse-grid race three, Wright and Cotton charged from the rear as Wright gained the lead from eventual third place finisher Ian McAlister on lap seven. An intense battle for the final podium spot saw McAlister lead home Peter Robinson, Hugh McAlister, Jarvis and Craig Harris as they all crossed the line within 1.5 seconds.

Starting fifth for the finale, Jarvis made his way through the field to challenge Wright for the race lead in the final laps. Wright took the chequered flag by half a second to take the round win, as Harris rose from seventh to secure an impressive third place finish.

Wright was delighted with his result as the competition stepped up another level.

“We were racing so close and so hard, and through all Trans-Am 2 cars there were no mechanical issues and no panel damage. It was an incredibly successful weekend for the category,” said Wright.

“There was less than a second between more than three-quarters of the field, so it’s getting incredibly close.

“The cars are actually quicker than most of us are driving them, so everybody is starting to step up to the challenge as they feel more comfortable in the cars.”

Trans-Am 2 Racing Australia next heads to Sydney Motorsport Park, with four cars currently scheduled to race within the combined NSW Sports Sedans and National Sports Sedans field on July 1-2.