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.

Russell Wright secured a round victory with a win and three podium finishes at the second outing of the Queensland 2017 Trans-Am 2 Racing Series at Queensland Raceway, a round that had four different race winners from as many races. 

There was plenty of action throughout the grid that took to the ‘Paperclip,’ with Group N racer Craig Allan (Chev Camaro) and Greg Willis (Chev Camaro) the latest additions to the grid. 

Wright continued his winning form from Lakeside, blitzing the field in his Ford Mustang to claim pole position by six tenths ahead of Peter Robinson and former Australian Trans-Am champion Craig Harris in third.

The opening race of the round saw a thrilling contest between the frontrunners, with Wright leading home a trail of four cars to the chequered. Harris enjoyed a late charge from third to take the lead of the race before settling for second.

Robinson, who finished third, charged off the line to claim the lead before Wright fought back for ascendancy.  Anthony Tenkate (Ford Mustang) and Allan were hot on their trail in fourth and fifth respectively, while Cameron Sendall (Chev Camaro) and Willis swapped positions at the rear of the field. 

Harris secured his first race win for the year in Race 2, coming home ahead of Wright and Robinson in an enthralling encounter that saw the first four finishers crossing the finish line within one second of each other. Allan and Willis, fourth and fifth respectively, recorded their best results to date, while Tenkate threatened to take the race win before spinning at turn three towards the end of the race.

Tenkate recovered to take maiden Trans-Am 2 race win, overcoming Wright and Allan in a reverse grid Race 3. Tenkate took the lead from polesitter Sendall and set about building a gap at the front of the field. Wright charged through the field from second-to-last to battle with Tenkate and former Group N compatriot Allan.

Robinson notched up a race win in the finale and the maiden win for Dodge in Trans-Am 2 Australia, leading home Tenkate and Wright to the chequered flag.  

Wright was pleased with the result after a weekend of intense racing.

“It’s been an awesome weekend with four winners from the four races and not a scratch on any car,” said Wright.

“The car was realigned in the week at M1 Tyres & Mechanical on the Gold Coast and the car was dialled in beautifully, it was faultless all weekend.

“We made a couple of little errors throughout the weekend but fought back after a race win and a couple of podiums to take the round win.”

The Queensland segment of Trans-Am 2 Australia returns to Queensland Raceway for the third round of the season at the 2 Days of Thunder on June 17 and 18.

Russell Wright has recorded a clean sweep of the opening round of the Queensland Trans-Am 2 Series at the Lakeside Tribute.

The Mustang driver lead an eight-car field including the Dodge Challenger in it’s first competitive outing in the hands of Hugh McAlister.

Wright set the bar in qualifying to secure pole position by over a second to series debutants Ryan Cochran and Anthony Tenkate.

He later converted pole into a Race 1 victory, leading a Mustang 1-2-3 ahead of Craig Harris and Ian McAlister, who fended off advances from a resurgent Tenkate for the ten lap encounter. The victory came after the race was restarted following an opening-lap incident involving Wright and Cochran.

Wright cantered away to win race two ahead of a tight contest between Ian McAlister, Harris and Tenkate. Hugh McAlister narrowly got the better of Cameron Sendall in a drag race to the chequered.

Sendall jumped to third in race three after contact between Harris and Ian McAlister at Hungry Corner turned McAlister around with Tenkate unable to avoid the stranded McAlister Motors-backed Ford Mustang.

Wright completed a clean-sweep in the final race of the weekend to kickstart his 2017 championship campaign in perfect fashion after a thrilling contest with a fast-finishing Harris and Tenkate.

“I had a moment out of the Carousel and Craig got through on me and we battled for a few laps. I pulled a power slide coming onto the straight which gave me some momentum and we went through the kink full-noise, side by side,” said Wright.

“It’s a good start for this year and that was the plan. I have done a lot of preparation work on the car and it ran faultlessly all weekend.

“I do know Lakeside fairly well so i’ve got a local track advantage in that sense. It’s one of the best tracks in Australia, but it can bite. You’re torn between risk and reward.”

The second round of the Queensland Trans-Am 2 Series will be at Queensland Raceway for the Ipswich Festival of Cars on May 6 and 7, while the New South Wales Trans-Am 2 Series begins at Wakefield Park on April 1/2 alongside the National Sports Sedan Series.

The all-new Trans-Am 2 Australia Series will launch into their first full season of racing at the historic Lakeside Park, with the ultimate American showroom showdown featuring at the Peter Brock Lakeside Tribute Meeting on March 18 and 19.

While 13 of the 17 available cars have been acquired so far, nine will take to the legendary Brisbane circuit with the meeting set to host the maiden competitive outing for the brand new Dodge Challenger TA2 body in Australia in the hands of series founder Peter Robinson.

The striking Plum Crazy Purple colour scheme on the Dodge Challenger was revealed to the public at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in February, where Trans-Am 2 held a promotional display while Ian McAlister raced his Ford Mustang TA2 to third in the space-frame class of the Riverwall Constructions Combined Sedans support category.

The McAlister Motors team has expanded to two cars for the 2017 season, with Ian’s son Hugh McAlister igniting a father-son battle on track in a Generation-5 Chevrolet Camaro for his debut in Trans-Am 2.

Fellow series debutant Anthony Tenkate joins the series in a Ford Mustang TA2, the Sunshine Coast racer is set for double-duties in his 1969 Ford Mustang that he campaigns in the Australian Trans-Am Series. Mustang racer Russell Wright will also campaign in both categories across the weekend.

Trans-Am 2 category manager Craig Harris is looking forward to putting on a show for the Lakeside fans.

“There is going to be some good, hard racing on show this weekend. The racing at the front will be very close as we now have a championship to race for,” said Harris.

“With some new cars coming out, Hugh McAlister in his Camaro, Anthony Tenkate in his new Mustang, and a few cars that have had a freshen up over the off-season. It will also be the first outing for the new Dodge, so we’re set for an exciting weekend.”

“The interest is still very high in the category, with three cars now in New South Wales and one in Victoria.

The Trans-Am 2 series has aligned with the Australian Trans-Am Series for the 2017 season, with both series campaigning at headlines events on the Queensland motorsport calendar. The series has also partnered with the New South Wales Sports Sedans category, with a selection of Queensland-based drivers joining their New South Wales counterparts for a ‘race within a race’ commencing at Wakefield Park on April 1/2. Further New South Wales and Victorian dates are to be confirmed.

2017 Queensland Trans-Am 2 CalendarRound 1: Lakeside Tribute, Lakeside Park - March 18/19 Round 2: Ipswich Festival of Cars, Queensland Raceway - May 6/7 Round 3: Two Days of Thunder, Queensland Raceway - June 17/18 Round 4: Queensland Racing Drivers Championship, Queensland Raceway - July 8/9 Round 5: Lakeside Classic, Lakeside Park - August 12/13 Round 6: Lakeside 300, Lakeside Park - September 30/October 1 

Following its Australian launch in 2016, America’s Trans-Am TA2 formula is preparing for a series launch in Asia this weekend.

The brainchild of the TA2 Asian expansion is expat Kiwi Craig Corliss, known for his racing exploits in the region in an ex-Triple Eight Holden Commodore V8 Supercar. Corliss will launch the series in Thailand, with plans underway to expand into Indonesia, China, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia.

TA2 Asia utilises the same space-frame chassis from American constructor Howe Racing Enterprises as used in the Australian Trans-Am 2 Series, and the controlled GM Racing V8 engine package producing 525 horsepower.

Corliss stresses that some adjustments have been made to suit Asian racing expectations.

“The car is manufactured in the USA and the quality, workmanship and finish is very high. However we elected to upgrade the car in a few ways to make it more driver-friendly, especially for the amateur driver.

“From the factory finished car we have put in a 6-speed sequential gearbox with paddle-shift controls, put in the full M150 MoTeC system, and we have a Ford 9-inch Detroit locking diff with traction control.”

The New Zealander believes the TA2 formula is ideal for drivers to be able to learn and showcase their skills.

“We’re looking forward to seeing very close and exciting racing. It’s a one-make series and we control the parts, so it all comes down to the driver and the crew’s setup.

“It’s very exciting for Thai motorsport, we’re looking to get thirty cars on the grid,” said Corliss.

A demonstration of the first TA2 Asia car is scheduled for this week’s Bangsaen grand Prix, where leading American Trans-Am driver Shane Lewis will put a Ford Mustang TA2 through its paces around the Thai street circuit.

Discussions have already taken place with Australian TA2 management, with a goal to host a combined Asia vs Australia TA2 challenge in the future.

The TA2 formula has already made its mark in Australia, with 17 cars in the country ahead of their first full season of racing, commencing at the Lakeside Tribute on March 18-19.