After Nathan Herne wrapped up the National Trans Am title yesterday for Dream Racing and Gary Rogers Motorsport, today’s final race at Mt Panorama will see three drivers tough it out for the PROMAXX TA2 Muscle Car Southern Series, being run this weekend as a co-round with Trans-Am. With Chris Pappas and Nash Morris nonstarters, Western Sydney’s Michael Coulter came into the final round with a slight points margin over Zac Loscialpo, with Mark Crutcher from Young in NSW in third.

Following Wednesday’s 100 kilometre 16-lapper, Coulter’s 14^th place behind Loscialpo’s 10^th place swung the points pendulum the other way with Crutcher also closing the gap. A tyre failure during yesterday’s event saw Loscialpo off the road at The Chase and dropping back to 14^th, while Crutcher had a great drive to 7^th outright, with Coulter finishing 11^th.

This moves all three drivers to within five points of one another with the final race scheduled for 9am NSW time Saturday morning. Crutcher has taken the series lead with 141 points, from Coulter on 139 and Loscalpio two points further back.

Gold Coaster Matt MacKelden and teammate Hugh McAlister came together at the top of mountain straight in Thursday’s race, when the two ran side by side into the braking area on the first lap, Mackelden admitted turning down on his team mate not realising he was there.  The Kubota Mustang was heavily damaged when it speared into the tyre wall on the left hand side. The team has worked hard to get the Mustang back on track for the final race with help from the NSW TAFE Repair Centre on track.  MacKelden will start from pit lane as a penalty for his role in the incident.

“Hugh did nothing wrong, I just didn’t realise he was there and turned in.  The car looks worse than it is, so I’m sure given the TA2 parts truck is on site we will have it ready for the final race.”   MacKelden said.

“Pretty frustrating really, I had a good run up the mountain and didn’t dive bomb into Turn 2, I was right alongside and Matt just didn’t know I was there. The first rule of racing is don’t take out your team mate! We’ve had a talk about it, so we will move forward from here,” McAlister said.

Nathan Herne is on for the hat trick if he can win the final race today, with Tim Brook and Kyle Gurton also having a strong weekend. Eden Thornburrow, who only finished his HSC exams last week sits equal 4^th on points with Ben Grice, son of twice Bathurst winner Allan Grice. Grice’s Mustang is being prepared by Melbourne’s Les Small, who also built the Chickadee Chicken Commodore that Ben’s father first won Bathurst in back in 1986.

The final TA2/Trans Am race will be televised live by the Seven Network on Saturday morning.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Southern Series will conclude this weekend with the third and final round of the regional series held alongside the National Trans-Am Series at the Bathurst 1000.

Following a successful round alongside the National Trans-Am Series at Phillip Island, the TA2 Muscle Car Series will join the Trans-Am field again for their final event at the week-long Bathurst 1000 festival, Australia’s biggest annual motorsport event.

After a strong performance at Sydney Motorsport Park and Phillip Island, Nash Morris leads Graham Smith and Chris Pappas in the points, however with those three absent from Bathurst the Southern Series title will be fought over between Michael Coulter, Zac Loscialpo, Jason Hassett and Mark Crutcher.

On 90 points, Coulter is the effective leader in the standings by only one point from Loscialpo, with Hassett a further two points behind in effective third with Loscialpo one point behind Hassett. They will join Jett Johnson as TA2 regional series champions in 2021.

Loscialpo was the quickest of the Southern Series runners in Qualifying on Tuesday, setting the seventh fastest time of the 19-car field at a 2:15.1669. Crutcher was 13th fastest from Coulter in 14th and Hassett in 19th on his Mount Panorama debut.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Southern Series will have three races this week live on Fox Sports and Kayo. Race 1 will be held on Wednesday at 1:15pm local time, with Race 2 on Thursday at 11:50am and Race 3 on Saturday at 9:05am.

TA2 Racing Australia has expanded its national footprint by announcing the formation of a Western Australian series set for launch in 2022.

Over 10 cars have already been sold or ordered for the Western Australian series, which will be known as the ‘TA2 Muscle Car Western Series’.

The Western Series will race for their own series point-score and will crown a Western Australian TA2 champion at the end of each season.

To promote the launch of the Western Series in 2022, plans are underway for two back-to-back events at Wanneroo Raceway and Collie Motorplex in July, where national racers from the eastern states will be invited to challenge the local racers for the ‘King of the West’ title.

The TA2 category launched in Australia at a state-level in Queensland in 2016 and has since become one of the most popular racing categories in Australia due to its affordability, accessibility and technical stability.

The category has grown to cater from club level, to state-level racing and to national competition with the TA2 Muscle Car Series and National Trans-Am Series.

The national car count now sits at over 80 cars, with multiple containers of cars on order from car constructor Howe Racing Enterprises in Michigan, USA to arrive in early 2022.

Perth-based Historic Touring Car racer Peter George has been appointed as the state manager for the Western Series, and will work closely with national category manager Craig Denyer and the Queensland-based TA2 management team to organise the operations of the series in accordance with national regulations.

George himself has acquired an ex-Nathan Herne Dodge Challenger to race in the series, while International endurance racer Brett Niall, who raced in the national TA2 Muscle Car Series at Winton in 2020, was one of the first racers to bring a car over to Western Australia, racing his Chevrolet Camaro in local Sports Sedan events this year.

Other racers signed up to race include Sports Sedan racer Ron Moller in an ex-Dream Racing Australia Chevrolet Camaro, Saloon Car father and son pair Brad and Brock Boley in a two-car Camaro team, Historic Touring Car racer Clinton Rayner in a Camaro, Chad Johnston in another ex-Herne Challenger, and Gary Melling.

The 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Western Series calendar will be announced alongside the full national TA2 Muscle Car Series calendar shortly.

QUOTES

Peter Robinson, Series Founder - TA2 Racing Australia

“It has always been our strategy to grow the TA2 Muscle Car Series as a state-based or regional championship, and we commenced that this year with the successful breakout of the Northern and Southern regional series.

“Adding a Western series to the current plan is a natural progression, giving the West Australian competitors their own home-based series without the extensive interstate commitments required for national competition.

“We look forward to working with Peter George in supporting and growing the series over the next 12 months and when border restrictions allow we plan on getting a number of eastern-state competitors over for a couple of special TA2 “King of the West” events in Western Australia to challenge the locals.”

Peter George, TA2 State Manager - Western Australia

“With 10 cars already likely to be on the grid in Western Australia next year and more interest every week from potential competitors looking for cars, we are keen to launch the TA2 Muscle Car Western Series in 2022.

“The local state-based series will give those interested in TA2 a place to race on a regular basis without having to do the long-haul trip to the Eastern States.

“We will manage and run the series locally, but with full spares and administration support through Peter Robinson’s PBR Distributions and the TA2 management team.”

Brett Niall, driver -  #54 Chevrolet Camaro

“I signed up to do the full national TA2 season in 2020 but we only did the first round at Winton before COVID hit.

“I’m still hoping to base my car over on the Eastern state for the national series, but if there is an opportunity to do local meets depending on borders I will compete locally, but the main goal is the national series.

“We’ve been racing in the Sports Sedan field over here but the racing between the TA2 cars has been so close.

“When we’ve had the car out locally they definitely have a lot of interest with the look, the sound and how they go out on track, there’s been people approaching us at the track to find out how to get one and they’re excited to see the category grow in WA.”

At only 16 years of age, third-generation racer Jett Johnson has scored his first circuit racing title with victory in the 2021 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series powered by Atlantic Oils after claiming the final round at Queensland Raceway.

Johnson scored finishes of third, second, fourth and second in the four races to take overall round honours ahead of Kubota Racing’s Matt MacKelden and Anthony Tenkate’s Tenkate Plant Hire Mustang. Peter Robinson in the Wagner Group Dodge and Robert Leonard’s Access Linemarking Equipment Camaro completing the top five for the round.

Following his victory in Race 1 on Saturday, the form man on Sunday was 18-year-old Nash Morris. After retiring from the lead of Race 2 with a gearbox issue, Morris drove the Norwell Motorplex Mustang from last to first in Race 3, before taking a comfortable win in the final.

Morris’ gearbox issue in Race 2 allowed Russell Wright through to victory, while Johnson fell back to fourth behind Karl Begg and John McLaughlin after he drove around in third gear with a broken gear shifter.

With only one point splitting Johnson and Wright in the points standings before Race 3, Johnson made a crucial move on Wright on the final lap, diving down the inside at the final corner to take third off Wright and extend his margin to three points before the final race.

As the field ventured out on track for the formation lap of Race 4, drama struck Wright as he pulled off the track with a broken axle, This gave Johnson a much easier task to finish the race in order to wrap up the Northern Series title.

Morris, the son of Bathurst 1000 winner Paul Morris, scored a comfortable four-second win in the final from Johnson, giving the grandson of multiple Touring Car and Bathurst champion Dick Johnson, and son of Supercars race winner Steve Johnson his first circuit racing title.

After missing the start in Race 2 with a broken wheel stud, Dalton Ellery, son of former Supercars racer Steve Ellery, charged from 11th to seventh in Race 3 before climbing to third in the Race 4, with the top three of the final race filled by sons of former Supercar drivers.

Johnson (620 points) won the Northern Series by 55 points ahead of Wright (565), Chris Pappas (519), Anthony Tenkate (516) and Warren Wadley (512)

The TA2 Southern Series is set for a round at Winton Motor Raceway on 12-14 November, before a combined round with the National Trans-Am Series at the Bathurst 1000 on 30 November-5 December.

QUOTES Jett Johnson, driver - #117 Full Throttle BBQ Ford Mustang

“It feels incredible to have won the TA2 Northern Series this year and to have this trophy in my hand, it’s my first title in cars,” said Johnson.

“It all happened so quickly when we joined the series this year, but it’s been such a good breeding ground for me and I’ve learned so much racing these cars.”

“The Northern Series was great while we couldn’t travel interstate this year, to have these three rounds at Queensland Raceway was fantastic and the racing was intense throughout all three rounds.

“After that gearstick issue in Race 2 I was pretty nervous with only one point splitting Russell [Wright] and I, but i’m so relieved when we crossed the line and it’s been such an amazing weekend.

“The national title would be what we’d look at next year, and we’ll also look at doing some Trans-Am rounds on the ARG calendar, but we’ll assess our options and see what we can tackle next year.

“Thanks so much to my Dad, Paul Forgie and our whole crew at Team Johnson and all our sponsors that have supported me through these races.”

Russell Wright, driver - #55 Wright Property Investments Ford Mustang

“I may have pushed too hard on the warm up lap however I think we’ve broken an axle.

“I kept a great set of tyres for the final race and I was confident I could take it to the young fellas and maybe win the series, however it wasn’t to be.

“Congratulations to Jett... winning this series will do fat more for his career at his age than it would do for me at my age, and he’s an absolute pleasure to race against and a deserved champion.

18-year-old Nash Morris has converted pole position to victory in Race 1 of the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series powered by Atlantic Oils at Queensland Raceway.

Morris lead home a speedy Russell Wright, the motorsport veteran quick as ever in his late 60s, and 16-year old Jett Johnson when the race was declared after nine out of the scheduled 12 laps due to an incident involving Chris Pappas and Adam Hargraves.

After dipping into the 1:12s bracket in practice, Morris topped the charts early in qualifying with his first flying lap of 1:13.5. Wright, the inaugural series winner and defending Masters class champion responded with a 1:13.8, and then lowered his marker again to a 1:13.1441.

Morris came back late in the piece with a 1:13.1384 to pip Wright by a mere five-thousandths of a second, the closest margin in TA2 Muscle Car Series history.

Karl Begg and Northern Series leader Jett Johnson filled the second row, with less than nine tenths of a second splitting the top seven on the grid.

Johnson moved to third around Turn 1 off the start, as Morris gapped the field out front. After starting 10th, debutant Dalton Ellery made a move on Kubota Racing’s Matt MacKelden into Turn 1 on Lap 4 for ninth place.

Wright closed in on the race leader Morris, setting the fastest lap of the race at a 1:13.76.

Pappas and John McLaughlin had a nose-to-tail dice that lasted over three laps, as the pair battled side-by-side down the front and back straights of The Paperclip. McLaughlin passed Pappas again down the main straight on Lap 6 for fifth as Anthony Tenkate closed in on the pair.

Drama struck on the following lap as Pappas got loose in the rear and spun at Turn 3, and was collected hard by Adam Hargraves’ Camaro.

A clampdown period was called as the medical team checked on Hargraves, but he was fine and cleared of any injury.

The race was declared after nine laps, with Morris taking the flag from Wright, Johnson, Begg, and McLaughlin in the top five, with Ellery, Tenkate, MacKelden, Peter Robinson, Rob Leonard and Warren Wadley rounding out the 11 finishers.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series returns tomorrow with three more 12-lap sprint races, with series organisers declaring that this will mark the final round of the 2021 Northern Series.

Jett Johnson holds a slender seven-point lead over Wright heading into the final day’s play for the Northern Series as he chases his first circuit racing title.