On his solo TA2 debut, TCR Australia star Jordan Cox clean swept the penultimate round of the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek, after taking out the final three race wins under lights on Saturday at Sydney Motorsport Park over Tom Hayman and Dylan Thomas.

After his win in Race 1 on Saturday, Cox went back-to-back in Race 2, holding off a fast-finishing Hayman in the Di Pronto Concreting Mustang who passed Dylan Thomas for second into Turn 2 on Lap 9, and set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 10 with a 1:35.7 while chasing down Cox.

Cody Gillis started from the back of the grid in each race on Sunday, as a result of the contact with Haynes in Race 1. The Racing Academy driver pitted early in the race to get some clean air for testing purposes.

Gillis’ teammate Elliott Cleary was fighting hard with Ben Grice for fourth on Lap 4, before he came together with Ben Grice at the exit of Turn 2, with Cleary spinning into the infield.

A safety car was called on Lap 4 when Kyle Gurton stopped on the side of the track around Corporate Hill with low oil pressure.

TFH Hire duo Josh Thomas and Josh Anderson both had strong runs from the back of the grid to 15th and 11th respectively, with Anderson receiving the Hyperco Hard Charger Award for his efforts.

Cox scored a hat-trick with victory in a shortened Race 3 in Sydney after a final lap dash to the flag over Hayman.

The race was marred by a fire which engulfed Graham Cheney’s IES Motorsport Camaro on the exit of Turn 3 on the opening lap. Fortunately Cheney exited the car swiftly and was cleared from the infield medical centre.

The field resumed on Lap 5 before another safety car was called two laps later after John Holinger spun off track at Turn 1, before a one lap dash to the flag after eight laps.

In the finale, Cox fended off Hayman in a 15 lap thriller to clean sweep the weekend. The pair could not be split for the entire race until a last charge at the lead couldn’t pay off for Hayman, with Cox taking the chequered flag by 2.3 seconds, with third-placed Haynes over ten seconds behind.

Dylan Thomas sat in fourth early on before a gearbox issue saw the CXC Racing Mustang lose second gear, but salvaged a commendable seventh position and third overall for the round behind Cox and Hayman.

Nicholas Bates won the Circo Masters Class by one point over Kubota Racing’s Matthew MacKelden, while Zach Loscialpo won the Wilwood Big Broker Award and Anthony Tenkate won the Bowden’s Own Best Presented Award for the new colours on the Tenkate Plant Hire Mustang.

The final round of the 2023 TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Steel Framing will be held at the Calder Park Raceway on November 30 - December 2.

QUOTES

Jordan Cox, driver #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“Hopefully [Mark Crutcher] says he’s out and I’m in for the rest of the year! Seriously though I can’t think him enough for giving me these opportunities. It's people like him in motorsport that really give people like myself a chance to showcase our skills and I can't thank him enough, I really appreciate it. 

“The IES Motorsport crew did a great job running the car all weekend. It was fast.

“It was a super interesting race, that last one. I was quick in places, Tom [Hayman] was quick in places. He's a really good steerer, I was right on the limit and I thoroughly enjoyed that last race.

“The best thing about these cars is you have to wheel them. My shoulders are sore, with the gearbox, the H-pattern dog box, you have to wheel it. But it’s not just one thing that makes a category. It's great people, great cars, well run and it was a good all round category to be a part of.”

Jordan Cox has dominated the opening day of racing at Round 5 of the TA2 Muscle Car Series Framed by Hytek Steel Framing at Sydney Motorsport Park, converting a record-breaking pole position to a lights-to-flag win in Race 1.

While series newcomers Ben Grice and Tom Hayman, who regularly race in the National Trans-Am Series, topped the times in Practice 1 and 2 respectively, Qualifying saw TCR Australia front-runner Cox steal the show with a new TA2 practice lap record in the Top 10 Shootout, setting a 1:32.8221 for his maiden PWR Pole Award from series leader Dylan Thomas, Josh Haynes and Cody Gillis.

Cox, driving the Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang usually raced by Mark Crutcher, lead the field away off the start, withstanding a charge from Haynes who challenged for the lead on the opening lap through Turns 3 and 4, before shuffling back to third.

Haynes race unravelled at Turn 2 on the following lap after contact with Cody Gillis which sent Haynes back to 17th, before a strong recovery drive back to ninth.

CXC Racing’s Dylan Thomas hunted Cox for the lead but could not get close enough to threaten the leader, finishing half a second behind to extend his series lead over seventh-placed Jackson Rice.

Gillis placed third in The Racing Academy Mustang from Tom Hayman and 17-year old Elliott Cleary.

Rice, Kyle Gurton, Haynes and Brad Gartner completed the top ten.

Nicholas Bates lead the Masters class for the majority of the race, before a clash with Russell Wright at Turn 2 on the final lap saw Wright retire, as well as John Holinger in the aftermath. Bates finished in 19th out of 20 finishers, as Kubota Racing's Matthew MacKelden won the Masters class in 12th overall.

West Australian was in the pits on the opening lap with an overheating issue, while series newcomer Josh Thomas failed to finish with a differential issue, and debutant Josh Anderson pitted on Lap 9 with a drivetrain issue. 

The TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek is back in action tomorrow for Races 2, 3 and 4 at 1:06pm, 6:06pm and 8:11pm respectively.

A live stream will kick off at 1pm on the TA2 Facebook Page, Hi-Tec Super Series Facebook and YouTube Channel and on Speedcafe.com, while the broadcast commences live and free on SBS Viceland from 5:40pm, simulcast on Fox Sports and Kayo.

QUOTES

Jordan Cox, driver #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“It was awesome to take the win tonight under lights in Sydney. I feel great in the car and I can’t thank Mark Crutcher enough for giving me the opportunity to do this in his car.

“Mark has been super enthusiastic. Before we went overseas, he was sending me messages about the set up, what to do, and the boys were in the shed back at Young, sorting it out for me. I’ve been really spoiled to be able to do this and glad to get a pole position there and a win, with one down and three to go.

“Dylan [Thomas] is fast. Through turn one, turn two, in sector one he's really good, I got him in sector two, then we're sort of pretty even through sector three. He’s close and so are some of the other guys behind us. It'll be a good close race for the rest of the weekend."

Dream Racing Australia title contender Jackson Rice will have a teammate for Round 5 of the TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series as West Australian Brett Niall joins the operation.

Rice is 13-points off the series lead heading to Sydney Motorsport Park and while the last event at Morgan Park was in early-July, the young gun has enjoyed regular seat time since then. Rice has raced both internationally and locally, while fulfilling his normal role in driver training to ensure he is the best prepared ahead of the penultimate round.

An influx of competitors from the National Trans Am Series will provide an interesting subplot to the weekend as the top three title contenders are split by just 13-points and will be a consideration for Rice this weekend.

Vastly experienced both locally and abroad, Niall brings a CV including the Nurburgring 24 Hour, Barcelona 24 Hours, Bathurst 12 Hour as well as recently racing TA2 in his home state. Niall also contested the exhibition National Trans Am Series round at Mount Panorama in an all-West Australian attack on the Mountain and raced the opening round of the TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series in 202 at Winton where he finished fifth.

Niall will contest the final two rounds of the TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series at Sydney Motorsport Park and Calder Park as he holds ambitions to join full-time in 2024.

A test day on Wednesday at Sydney Motorsport Park ensures an early start to the weekend as track action begins on Thursday, racing starts on Friday night and continues on Saturday.

Fans can watch Saturday’s action live on SBS and Kayo Sport.

QUOTES

Jackson Rice,

Dream Racing Australia, Ford Mustang

“I’ve spent a bit of time driving, I went over to Thailand to compete in the Super Series over there, I’ve also continued my usual driver training work in between and tested various cars, so I’ve been in the seat quite regularly,” said Rice.

“I’ve just been keeping myself busy, I also raced in the Winton 300 with Brad Gartner, which was a really cool event and helped keep me race fit ahead of this weekend.

“The main thing is we have to race smart. At Morgan Park, we were leading in the points until we had a spin in the last race to drop a few back.

“I think the main thing is we want to be competitive and I think the Trans Am guys will be very fast, but we want to put on a good show. Though, in the back of my mind we have to finish, keep our noses clean and as long as we’re in front of the other guys we’ll claw points back to work towards the series win.

“I’m excited to race at Sydney Motorsport Park under lights. I’ve done it a couple of times and quite enjoyed it. I’m super keen to see what will come and I think it will be interesting racing, also night racing provides a different aspect to focus on due to the ambient temperatures changing the way you drive the car.”

Brett Niall

Dream Racing Australia, Chevrolet Camaro

“The local racing in Western Australia has reasonable numbers, but not many competitors from the Eastern states are coming out, so that’s what made me come over,” Niall explained.

“Having run a car in a national series before, leasing a car is much easier than running a car out of Perth. I spoke to Peter Robinson and I had met Craig (Scutella) at Bathurst, so made contact leading to a deal.

“I’m really just wanting to have fun, see where I am in the field and decide what I want to do next year.”

Craig Scutella

Dream Racing Australia, Team Owner

“Brett is coming in to drive our second Chevrolet Camaro at Sydney and Calder,” Scutella confirmed.

“Bringing with him international experience and in different cars, Brett is very proficient in TA2, who will be a shining light for the series at the final two rounds.

 “Talking to Brett, if all goes well it points to him joining the series full-time in 2024.

“We ran fellow West Australian Ron Moller a couple of seasons ago in one of our old cars in Sydney. Also we aided young Brock Boley last year as well, so Dream Racing Australia has a strong connection and a great affiliation with the West Australian guys.

“If we can bridge between the west and east coast to make it easier for competitors to arrive and drive, then it’d be a great opportunity for any other Western Australian drivers in 2024 to test their skills in the TA2 Racing Muscle Car Series or National Trans Am. 

The TA2 Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing has reached the pointy end of the season with the penultimate round of the championship kicking off this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park under lights for the first time this year.

A strong 26 car field will hit the track as the series welcomes a host of high profile entries set to challenge the regular contenders.

Toyota 86 front-runner Jarrod Hughes is set to make his solo TA2 Muscle Car Series debut in an AC Delco-backed Mustang. Hughes previously paired up with Hayden Jackson back in May for Darwin’s King of the North enduro where they had a strong run, finishing 9th in the points.

TCR star Jordan Cox will sub for Mark Crutcher in the Crutcher Developments Mustang. The pair won the final two-driver race in Darwin, while Crutcher has handed the keys to Cox for this round while Crutcher is overseas.

National Trans-Am stars Cody Gillis, Elliott Cleary, Tom Hayman, Ben Grice, Joshua Thomas, John Holinger and Kyle Gurton will all line up on the grid in Sydney.

Reigning TA2 King of the West winner Brett Niall will return to the grid, making the journey across from Perth to drive a Dream Racing Australia prepared Camaro.

Queenslander Anthony Tenkate returns to the series for the first time this year after an extensive repair following a crash at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2022.

New South Welshman Michael Coulter and Chris Formosa return to the grid this weekend as well as Queenslander Peter Robinson who joins the field for the first time since Round 1 at Winton.

By way of consistency, Dylan Thomas in the CXC Mustang leads the series by just 13 points from Jackson Rice in the Mud Tamer Mustang, sharing second overall with the Beaches SeaDoo Ford of Josh Haynes, however Camaro driver Graham Cheney, Dodge Challenger racer Hayden Jackson and Mustang mounted Nicholas Bates are all within striking distance.

Thomas has played a smart game so far, driving consistently for points and winning the $20,000 TA2 King of the North with Tim Brook in Darwin earlier this year. Rice and Haynes have both traded race wins and steadily closed the gap on Thomas over the past few rounds, making this weekend’s Sydney Motorsport Park round critical in setting up for the final showdown at the re-birthed Calder Park Raceway in December.

Bates and 2017 TA2 Champion Russell Wright are fighting it out for the Circo Masters Award, with Crutcher overseas for this round.

South Australian Brad Gartner will be back for this round, currently sitting 10th in the Mountain Motorsports Mustang, series behind Matt MacKelden, Wright and Crutcher. While, Gunnedah’s Greg Keam is eyeing the $2000 Racetech Rookie of the Year prize for first year drivers, only 1 point behind rookie leader Hayden Hume, with just two rounds to go.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series - framed by HYTEK Steel Framing will have four races across the weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park, Friday will see Qualifying and a Top 10 Shootout plus Race 1 under lights, while Saturday will feature three races with a 15 lap final under lights and televised live on free to air channel SBS Viceland in prime time.

Catch Saturday’s action live streamed from 1pm AEDT on the TA2 Facebook and Hi-Tec Oils Super Series Facebook pages, and live on air from 6pm AEDT on SBS Viceland, simulcast on Fox Sports and Kayo.

SCHEDULE

TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek

2023 Round 5 - Sydney Motorsport Park

13-14 October

FRIDAY

Practice 1: 11:25am (20 minutes)

Practice 2: 2:15pm (20 minutes)

Qualifying A: 4:35pm (15 minutes)

Qualifying B: 4:55pm (15 minutes)

Top 10 Shootout: 6:40pm (30 minutes)

Race 1: 9:25pm 10 laps 

SATURDAY

Race 2: 1:06pm (12 laps)

Race 3: 6:06pm (10 laps)

Race 4: 8:11pm (15 laps)

BROADCAST TIMES:

Live stream: Saturday 1pm (Hi Tec Oils Super Series Facebook & YouTube)

Speedweek: Saturday 5:40pm (SBS Viceland, SBS On Demand, Fox Sports, Kayo Sports)

ENTRY LIST

#1 Elliot Cleary (VIC), Ford Mustang -The Racing Academy 

#2 Kyle Gurton (VIC), Ford Mustang- Nuveau group

#3 Ben Grice (VIC), Ford Mustang - All American Driveline

#4 Jordan Cox (NSW), Ford Mustang- Crutcher Developments 

#7 Jackson Rice (VIC), Ford Mustang- Mudtamer

#10 Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger- B styled for life

#11 Michael Coulter (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro- Kobelco Motorsport

#13 Greg Keam (NSW), Ford Mustang- Debeers Refinish

#19 Cody Gillis (NSW), Ford Mustang- The Racing Academy

#21 Zach Loscialpo (NSW),Chevrolet Camaro- Tempest Solutions

#22 Brad Gartner (SA), Ford Mustang- Castec Rural Supplies

#23 John Holinger (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro- Holinger Racing

#24 Nicholas Bates (NSW), Ford Mustang- Bates Motorsport

#30 Tom Hayman (NSW), Ford Mustang - Tom Hayman Motorsport

#37 Josh Haynes (NSW), Ford Mustang- Beaches SEADOO

#39 Chris Formosa (NSW), Dodge Challenger- Allgate Motorsport

#50 Paul Hadley (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro- IES Motorsport

#51 Graham Cheney (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro- IES Motorsport 

#54 Brett Niall (WA), Chevrolet Camaro- Dream Racing

#55 Russell Wright (QLD), ford mustang- Wright Property Developments

#68 Dylan Thomas (NSW), Ford Mustang- CXC Racing

#69 Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Ford Mustang, Tenkate Plant Hire

#81 Hayden Jackson (NSW), Dodge Challenger- MGW/Team RSG

#99 Matt MacKelden (QLD), Ford Mustang- Kubota Racing

#118 Jarrod Hughes (QLD), Ford Mustang- ACDELCO

#169 Joshua Thomas (QLD), Ford Mustang- TFH Hire Service

TCR Australia contender Jordan Cox is gearing up for his solo debut in the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by HYTEK Steel Framing, set to unfold at Sydney Motorsport Park during the penultimate round on 13-14 October.

Cox, widely known for his impressive performances in TCR Australia, will step into the #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang, substituting for Mark Crutcher, who will be unable to attend this event due to overseas commitments. 

Notably, Cox and Crutcher previously joined forces in the TA2 Muscle Car King of the North two- driver race at Darwin in June, where they clinched victory in the final 35-lap enduro race and secured the fastest lap of the race.

Currently occupying fifth position in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, Jordan Cox pilots the Schaeffler Peugeot for Garry Rogers Motorsport. 

His solo outing in the TA2 Muscle Car Series presents a thrilling opportunity to showcase his racing prowess in a V8 rear-wheel drive muscle car.

Sydney Motorsport Park holds a special place in Jordan Cox's heart, being his home track and the site of his past successes in Improved Production Racing during his climb through the ranks. 

Although his track time at the circuit has been limited this year, Cox is poised to make the most of this opportunity, using it as valuable training for the upcoming round of TCR in Sydney scheduled as part of the TCR World Tour at Race Sydney on 3-4 November.

The Sydney round promises to be a captivating day/night affair, with racing under lights on both Friday and Saturday. 

The pinnacle of excitement arrives on Saturday night, with live prime-time television coverage of the racing action on free-to-air channel SBS Viceland and Fox Sports/Kayo.

As the TA2 Muscle Car Series heads into its penultimate round, CXC Racing’s Dylan Thomas maintains the championship lead with 822 points. Dream Racing Australia’s Jackson Rice and Beaches SeaDoo Mustang driver Josh Haynes are currently tied in second place, each with 809 points.

Quotes:

Jordan Cox, driver #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“I’m pumped to make my first solo TA2 start in Sydney. It’s a great category with great cars, and great competitors as well, so I’m super excited to get into it.

“It was a really funny conversation with Mark. He called me up and explained to me that he wasn’t able to do it, and so he said, “look, have a think about it, let me know what your thoughts are and if you want to do it,” and the next words I said were, Mark, I’ve thought about it, and I want to do it, so I didn’t have to think twice about jumping in.

“I’m expecting it to be tough. It’s what we’ve become accustomed to watching TA2 racing and it’s arguably one of the best racing categories in the country right now.

“Darwin was great, I think from a driving point of view the races played out a little differently to what I thought would be the case, as to what I'm sort of used to in TCR, but I was able to learn that pretty quickly. 

“Right now I’m sort of only racing seven times a year with TCR, so any time I can jump into a car and do some laps its great. It’s always good fun racing in a category like this.” 

Mark Crutcher, owner/driver #4 Crutcher Developments Ford Mustang

“While I’m not able to race myself at this round, I’m excited to provide the opportunity for Jordan Cox to race my Mustang at Sydney Motorsport Park at the next TA2 round.

“Jordan has proven his speed in these cars when he joined me for the enduro in Darwin and we took home the win in the final race, so I have full confidence in his abilities and am thrilled to have him represent the team in Sydney.”