Round 2 of the 2024 TFH Hire Muscle Car Series framed by HYTEK Steel Framing is set to return to Morgan Park Raceway May 31^st to June 2.

After a thrilling Round 1 in Sydney, Herzog Steel Ford Mustang driver Josh Haynes heads into Round 2 leading the championship 43 points in front of Paul Hadley Developments Motorsport driver Graham Cheney who sits 30 points ahead of rookie driver, Connor Roberts in the Arrow Transport Repairs Dodge Challenger. 

Both Mark Crutcher and Brad Gartner are fit and well and will return for Morgan Park after their cars were both heavily damaged after an incident in Race 4 at Sydney Motorsport Park. 

Queensland driver Steve Wilson will join the list of rookies in the field this weekend in the ex-Nick Lange Chevrolet Camaro, and will drive it for the first time this weekend at Morgan Park.

Hayden Jackson had a tough run in Sydney with mechanical dramas, but is looking for better luck this weekend, returning with Dream Racing Australia in the #81 Maitland Glass and Windscreens Dodge Challenger.

Speedway star Danny Reidy will be back in the #5 Chevrolet Camaro, after a solid start to his first season in the TA2 Muscle Car Series. Reidy came home with the Wilwood Big Braker Award after Round 1 and is looking to continue the strong performance this weekend. 

Paul Hadley driver of the #50 Paul Hadley Developments had a strong run at Sydney coming away with 5th in the championship and 2nd in the Circo Master Class. 

Western Sydney’s Michael Coulter in the Turps Tippers Mustang will return and speedway star Domain Ramsay will round out the field for the weekend, following a successful first round at Sydney Motorsport Park claiming 3rd in the Circo Master Class.

The weekend schedule will kick-off with 4 practice sessions on Friday. A 15 minute qualifying session will be held Saturday morning at 11:45am which will set the grid for Race 1 on Saturday afternoon. Race 2 on Sunday morning will be live streamed via the TA2 Racing Australia and Hi-Tec Oils Super Series Facebook pages at 10:30am before Race 3 and 4 will be included as part of the live TV broadcast on SBS Viceland, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports. 

QUOTES

Josh Haynes, #37 Herzog Steel Ford Mustang

Josh Haynes, #37 Herzog Steel Ford Mustang
"Obviously we have had an awesome start to the year with Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park back in April. It was awesome to have a big name like Todd Hazelwood there and not only for myself be close to him but also beating him in qualifying and 3 of the 4 races. 

It has certainly been a massive change for us joining Waltec Motorsport this year, obviously dad and I have worked so hard in the garage every year and that’s disappeared so it’s definitely been a weird thing but a really good thing for us as well and we appreciate and enjoy the weekend a little bit more while we are there. 

I am really excited to go to Morgan Park, I love the track. Last year I really enjoyed it there and came home with a win. Some people think the track is really tight but obviously in these big TA2 cars a-lot of tracks are tight."

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY
8:55am Practice 1
11:00am Practice 2
1:30pm Practice 3
3:35pm Practice 4

SATURDAY
11:45am Qualifying
4:30pm Race 1

SUNDAY
10:55am Race 2
1:10pm Race 3
4:25pm Race 4

ENTRY LIST

#3 Steven Wilson, Wilson Auto Racing Chevrolet Camaro

#4 Mark Crutcher, Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

#5 Danny Reidy, Reidy Racing Chevrolet Camaro

#11 Michael Coulter, Turps Tippers Ford Mustang

#19 Connor Roberts, Arrow Transport Repairs Dodge Challenger

#22 Brad Gartner, Hi-Tec Oils Chevrolet Camaro

#37 Josh Haynes, Herzog Steel Ford Mustang

#50 Paul Hadley, PHD Chevrolet Camaro

#51 Graham Cheney, PHD Chevrolet Camaro

#71 Domain Ramsay, C&H Trucking Chevrolet Camaro

#81 Hayden Jackson, Maitland Glass and Windscreens Dodge Challenger 

BROADCAST

1pm-5pm
Saturday: Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and SBS Viceland 

Live Stream 10:20am-10:40pm

1pm-5pm
Sunday: Fox Sports, Kayo Sports and SBS Viceland

Live Stream 10:30am - 12:35pm

Veteran racer Peter “Kaos”  Ward wrapped up the NZ TA2 Muscle Car title with a solid performance during last weekends final round at Hampton Downs.  Driving the Ward Demolition Camaro, the former NZ V8 Ute champ qualified on pole position and secured enough points over the weekend to edge out last years Champ Andrew Turner for the series win.

Brett Rudd having his last TA2 drive before hanging up the helmet was a surprise winner in the final race, coming from the back of the grid over the weekend after missing the earlier sessions due to the sudden death of his father. Ward, Turner and Rudd all finished the season on the podium.

Ward is no stranger to the sport, having a raced in a variety of classes and been a keen supporter of drivers such as Shane Van Gisbergen over the years.  He recently Captained the NZ TA2 team against the Australian representatives during the recent TA2 Trans-Tasman Challenge at Ruapuna Christchurch and Highlands Park in February.  He won the 2022 NZ V8 Ute series then moved into NZ Muscle Cars before purchasing the PBR Spec TA2 Muscle Car.

Turner’s Nautech Mustang qualified 2^nd to Ward, and after an incident in Race 1 finished 6^th,   5^th in Race 2 and 4^th in Race 3 to be declared runner up to Ward at the final round for the season.

Rudd is also a former V8 Ute competitor, having raced in Australia at Mt Panorama representing New Zealand during the V8 Ute years, finishing second overall in the NZ V8 Ute series in 2013/2014  before graduating to the TA2 NZ series last year.

Interest in TA2 New Zealand has been growing steadily, with more cars now available for sale already in the country at Paul Manuell’s Eastern Automotive Performance Centre.

Plans are underway for a return NZ vs AUS TA2 Trans-Tasman Challenge as part of future event planning on both sides of the ditch.

QUOTES

NZ TA2 Category Manager Gary Lathrope

“Each year, the TA2 series steps up a level and Wardy is a worthy champion in a very competitive field which included Brent Collins, Ben Stewart, Steve Ros, Brianna and John Roberts plus others. He is a great ambassador for motorsport in New Zealand and with Jake Stoneman engineering the Camaro,  a very competitive force on track. Congratulations to Andrew Turner and Brett Rudd, again solid performances to end up on the podium.  We are in the process of planning the 24/25 calendar and expect our TA2 numbers to continue to grow in the off season as   the series continues to impress fans and teams alike as a real V8 crowd pleasing category.”

Hi-Tec Oils, Australia’s largest national independent oil manufacturer, has proudly announced   its partnership with the TA2 Muscle Car Series as the official oil supplier for the 2024 season. 

After a tough 2023 season, South Australian farmer boy Brad Gartner will be driving a brand-new Chevrolet Camaro that was purchased by Hi-Tec Oils owner George Gambino for the 2024 TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing. 

The #22 Camaro will have Hi-Tec Oils as the major sponsor and will be serviced and prepared by Ben Leeds out of PBR Distributions in Queensland. 

In addition to Gartner’s Camaro, all engines built and shipped out of the PBR Distributions workshop will now be lubricated by Hi-Tec Oils, with special discounts on all Hi-Tec Oil products available to TA2 teams. Extensive dyno work was carried out by TA2 Technical Manager Cam Sendall over the summer break with the Hi-Tec product well exceeding the technical specifications required.

Hi-Tec Oils has  developed a major presence  in motor sport over the years, firstly in drifting, speedway, the annual six hour production car race at Mt Panorama Bathurst, naming rights to the control tower at Queensland Raceway and now the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series, a 6 round national series televised live on SBS,  Sky Sports NZ, Fox Sports and Kayo which features the TA2 Muscle Car Series as the headline act.

Gartner had a tough Round 1 at Sydney Motorsport Park, being involved in an incident in Race 4 which resulted in a rebuild of the Chevrolet Camaro but will be back for Round 2 and is ready for a competitive season ahead. 

Round 2 of the TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing will kick off May 31st - June 2nd at Morgan Park Raceway. All of the weekend’s action will be covered live on SBS, Simulcast on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports. Schedule times will be released closer to the event. 

QUOTES

George Gambino, Owner of Hi-Tec Oils 

“Hi-Tec Oils are proud to announce they will be the official oil supplier for the 2024 TA2 Muscle Car Series, it is a great opportunity for us. We were looking at the TA2 Muscle Car Series last year and saw how great the racing was and the fan reaction. I had a meeting with all of my managers around the country and we decided to buy a brand-new car and put a young, talented driver in it. We chose Brad as although he had some bad luck last year, we really like the way he presents himself and goes about things.” 

Cameron Sendall, TA2 Technical Manager

“Hi-Tec are a great Company to work with and the product we use is specially developed for conditions such as the high horsepower intense racing that TA2 delivers. We have tested the product under extreme conditions on our in-house dyno and the product more than meets our requirements.  It’s great to see a Company such as Hi-Tec committing to the sport and using it as a test and development programme for their product lines.”

Josh Haynes has taken out Round One of the 2024 TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by
HYTEK Steel Framing after an incident packed final day of racing for the series opener at Sydney
Motorsport Park.

Supercar driver Todd Hazelwood got the jump for the lead on Waltec Motorsport driver Josh Haynes in Race 2 for the weekend, Haynes continued to apply the pressure to Hazelwood but as the race went on Haynes’s car was becoming loose in the rear giving Hazelwood the win.

Newcastle’s Tom Hayman pitted on lap 3 due to a gear selection issue, managing to cross the finish line 2 laps down.

Queensland’s Josh Thomas was the hard charger in Race 2, carving his way through the field to 10th by Lap 4, finishing the race in 8th after starting from rear of grid while Brad Gartner also had a stellar run from 16 th to 4 th .

Race 3 saw trouble for TFH driver Todd Hazelwood, after a diff yoke broke while leading, with Haynes going on to win the race 3. 5 seconds in front of CXC Racing driver Dylan Thomas and Gartner. Dream Racing Australia driver Hayden Jackson’s exhaust feel off on lap 2 forcing him to retire while Michael Coulter’s Ford Mustang broke a bolt off the steering arm on the last lap.

Hayman made up 14 spots finishing 4 th after starting rear of grid. Race Four was red flagged after a major incident with 10 laps down when Todd Hazelwood and Brad Gartner came together, which set off a chain reaction involving Mark Crutcher and Lee Stibbs at the final corner coming onto the Main straight. Mark Crutcher was taken to hospital for precautionary neck and spinal checks as a result of the heavy impact. Tom Hayman and Hayden Jackson both had incidents that led to a mid-race safety car. At the re-start Hazelwood, who had come from the back of the field, Brad Gartner and Haynes were involved in a three-way stoush for the lead with only 2 laps to go when Hazelwood made a move on Gartner, the two coming together, and setting up what was a very high-speed impact involving 4 cars that blocked the track and ended the race.

Haynes won the round from reigning champ Dylan Thomas and Graham Cheney, Queenslander
Connor Roberts finished 4 th outright on points on his TA2 debut, winning the Racetech Rookie of
the Round Award, Anthony Tenkate won the Circo Master Class from Paul Hadley and Domain
Ramsay, while Danny Reidy claimed the Wilwood Big Braker Award.

Round 2 of the 2024 TFH Hire Muscle Car Series framed by HYTEK Steel Framing heads to
Morgan Park in Queensland May 31- June 2.

QUOTES

Josh Haynes, #37 Herzog Steel Ford Mustang
“It was a really good start to the weekend, obviously it was a bit of a tough way to end with the red flag, hopefully Mark Crutcher is alright. The Herzog Steel Mustang was quick, we had some good battles and it was really good way to start off our 2024 racing season, hopefully we can continue this momentum through to Round 2 in Morgan Park." 

Josh Haynes has scored the first win of the 2024 TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing at Sydney Motorsport Park under lights. The #37 Herzog Steel Ford Mustang driver converted pole position to take the chequered flag 2.8 seconds ahead of Supercar driver Todd Hazelwood in the #111 TFH Hire Services Ford Mustang followed by young gun Tom Hayman’s Mustang.

Hazelwood’s TFH teammate Josh Thomas was a non-starter after engine failure in practice while Greg Keam also had a diff issue and didn’t take the race start.

Haynes jumped well, while Gartner, Cheney, Stibbs and Hayman toughed it out over the first 2 corners, however Gartner in the Hi-Tec Oils Camara went off at turn 3 on lap 1 with power steering failure.

Rookie Connor Roberts started the race in 11 th and was having a strong run until a tyre deflated forcing him into pit lane.

Mark Crutcher was the hard charger moving up to 6th behind 2023 championship winner Dylan Thomas while IES Camaro driver Paul Hadley and Anthony Tenkate had a great battle on lap 4.

Speedway driver Domain Ramsay, having his first taste of TA2, had a wild spin at Turn One mid race, while rookie Danny Reidy made some strong moves to pass Hadley and Tenkate only to be re-passed by Tenkate a lap later.

Haynes eased out to a comfortable margin by the end of the 12 laps, winning from Hazelwood, Hayman, Lee Stibbs in the Arrow Car Sales Mustang, reigning champ Dylan Thomas, with Crutcher, Cheney, Jackson, Coulter and Tenkate rounding out the ten.

The TFH Hire Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing will return to Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday for the final three races.

Race 2 will be live streamed on the TA2 Racing Australia, Hi-Tec Oils and Speedcafe Facebook Pages, Race 3 and 4 will be live and free to air on SBS Viceland, Fox Sports and Kayo Sports from 6pm. 

QUOTES

Josh Haynes, #37 Herzog Steel Ford Mustang
“ I had a good start, I was obviously really nervous having Todd Hazelwood who is a big name next to me bit I made sure I got a clean start held it together at turn 2, came out of there cleanly and then put my head down to try and build a bit of a gap so it was really good.