Former TA2 rookie of the year Nathan Herne has made a stunning last-minute comeback to the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series, dominating the opening two races at Sydney Motorsport Park including the feature night race.

Subbing for the injured Russell Wright, Herne took pole position by over a second, won the opening seven-lap race by 14 seconds and scored a commanding 40-second victory in the 17-lap night race.

Tim Shaw finished second in the opening race from Graham Cheney with a personal-best finish in third.

Starting fourth, debutant Nash Morris got by Zach Loscialpo at Turn 8 on the second lap, as the pair diced for the remainder of the race with Morris holding on for fourth spot.

Cheney got Shaw off the start for second place in Race 2, before Shaw got back in front as the pair rubbed on the opening lap.

Morris and Michael Coulter came to blows at Turn 5 on the second lap, as Coulter spun and hit the inside wall and retired from the race with damage to the front-left corner.

Loscialpo dropped out of the top five and pitted with gear shifter issues, as Morris and Cheney battled for third place. Drama struck again on Lap 10 when contact saw Cheney and Morris collide at Turn 1, with Cheney spinning into the outfield.

Provisionally, Herne won Race 2 from Morris and Shaw.

Anthony Tenkate climbed five spots from ninth to fourth, as Graham Smith rounded out the top five.

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series returns to action tomorrow for Race 3 at 9:12am and Race 4 at 1:22pm.

QUOTES Nathan Herne, driver - #55 Wright Property Investments Ford Mustang

“It was awesome to race under lights here in Sydney,” said Herne.

“The track was lit up so well, it lit up like a Christmas tree, I had my tinted visor and was worried how I’d go with it but it was so good out there.

“Sydney Motorsport Park and the ARDC have done an awesome job, the lighting looks like you’re in the daylight and it was a real privilege to race under lights tonight.

“A massive thank you to Russell Wright and his crew for the opportunity to drive this weekend, it was such a nice car and I barely broke a sweat in that race.

“It was awesome to be back with TA2 this weekend and a great way to ease myself to the upcoming double-header with S5000 next week at Phillip Island.”

17-year old Super3 racer Nash Morris will join a new-look 18-car field for this weekend’s opening round of the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Morris will take the wheel of the Motorsport Sales Ford Mustang courtesy of car owner Karl Begg for Round 1, with the car to be prepared alongside Chris Pappas’ Wealthrite Mustang out of the Paul Morris Motorsport stable.

Morris will be joined by two debutants from the NSW Sports Sedan ranks in John Ford and Steven Lacey, as well as former Speedway racer Barry Kelleher. Lacey will fill-in for series founder Peter Robinson in his Wagner Group Dodge Challenger, while Ford and Kelleher have purchased a Mustang for their respective TA2 entries.

A unique format for the series will see a 15-minute qualifying session followed by a 10 lap sprint race on Saturday, before a 30-minute feature race under lights commencing at 9pm on Saturday night following the four-hour Super GT race. The final two sprint races will be held  on Sunday.

Inaugural series champion Russell Wright returns to the grid, and is expected to feature at the pointy end of the field against the likes of Victorian State of Origin winner Graham Smith, Tasmanian Tim Shaw, Queenslander Murray Kent, Kobelco Racing’s Michael Coulter and former Toyota 86 series racer Zac Loscialpo.

Wright is recovering from surgery after recently breaking his leg in a cycling incident and will have 18-year old Lismore-based TA2 and S5000 driver Nathan Herne on standby if he doesn’t feel comfortable in the car.

Peter Herd returns in a RTC Motorsport assault, alongside the Illawarra Engineering Services team of Paul Hadley and Graham Cheney.

Series regulars Anthony Tenkate, George Kulig, Mark Crutcher and TA2 newcomer Jason Hassett complete the grid for Round 1. Crutcher, from Young in NSW, will debut a brand new Ford TA2 racer for the weekend, swapping the Mopar Dodge he has raced for the last few seasons for a new Mustang, recently constructed by Howe Racing Enterprises.

On-track activity begins on Friday with three official practice sessions. The TA2 night race will be shown on free-to-air channel SBS in a post-produced episode of popular Motorsport program Speedweek.

QUOTES

Nash Morris, driver - #40 Norwell Motorplex/Motorsport Sales Ford Mustang

“We know Karl Begg through Motorsport Sales who owns the TA2 car and he was going to race it this weekend but had to pull out at the last minute, so he rang me up to ask if we wanted to use his Mustang to get some laps under my belt at Sydney Motorsport Park,” said Nash Morris

“They’re a pretty cool car. They look awesome, they’ve got plenty of power, they move around on the tyre and there’s plenty going on with the H-pattern gear shifter which is a bit old school, so there’s a lot to learn from handling one of these beasts.

“I’ve done a couple of races there in my Excel, but the main reason to go there this weekend is to get some laps before I race there in the Super3 Series later in the year. The TA2s have similar sort of power to the Super3 so all this experience will help towards that.”

“The night race sounds really cool and I can’t wait to get out there and see what it’s like to race these cars under lights.”

Craig Denyer, TA2 Muscle Car Series Manager

“Given the border and lockdown issues we have all had to deal with over the past 12 months, this weekend’s first round of our 2021 series looks strong with good representation from all Eastern States.

“When you look at the line-up its hard to pick a winner so I expect the racing will be very close. Throw in the curve ball of a 30 minute race under lights,  and it could be anyone’s weekend.  It’s just great to be at the track again.”

Entry List

2021 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series

Round 1 - Sydney Motorsport Park, March 5/7

#3 Barry Kelleher (NSW), Ford Mustang

#4 Mark Crutcher (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Crutcher Developments

#7 George Kulig (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Kulig Engineering

#8 Chris Pappas (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wealthrite

#10 Steve Lacey (QLD), Dodge Challenger - PBR Distributions/Wagner Corp

#11 Michael Coulter (NSW), Ford Mustang - Kobelco/Sydney Truck & Machinery

#12 Peter Herd (NSW), Ford Mustang - RTC Motorsport

#21 Zac Loscialpo (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Tempest Solutions/Excelerate Motorsport

#26 Jason Hass (VIC), Chevrolet Camaro - Hass Pumps

#27 Graham Smith (VIC), Ford Mustang - Hazard Solutions

#40 Nash Morris (QLD), Ford Mustang - Norwell Motorplex/motorsportsales.com

#41 John Ford (NSW), Ford Mustang

#50 Paul Hadley (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services

#51 Graham Cheney (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Illawarra Engineering Services

#55 Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - Wright Property Developments

#66 Tim Shaw (TAS), Chevrolet Camaro - Shaw Property Developments

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

#74 Murray Kent (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Retro Motorsport/Fit Flask

Schedule

2021 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series

Round 1 - Sydney Motorsport Park, March 5/7

Friday

Practice 1 - 10:18am (20 minutes)

Practice 2 - 1:15pm (20 minutes)

Practice 3 - 3:57pm (30 minutes)

Saturday

Qualifying - 12:12pm (15 minutes)

Race 1 - 3:50pm (14 minutes)

Race 2 - 9:00pm (30 minutes)

Sunday

Race 3 - 9:12am (17 minutes)

Race 4 - 1:22pm (17 minutes)

The PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series will go racing under lights for the first time next Saturday, with a strong turnout expected for their opening round at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 5/7.

Race 2 of the season opener will see drivers take on a 30-minute single-driver mini-enduro race after dark on Saturday, with the Gardner Grand Prix layout of the Western Sydney circuit now fully lit to accomodate night racing.

A grid of 20 cars is anticipated for the first round of the 2021 championship, including the return of popular inaugural series champion Russell Wright.

The veteran Queensland racer won the inaugural national TA2 series in 2017, earning himself a drive in the penultimate round of the 2018 American Trans-Am Series at the Circuit of the Americas, where he ran up to the top five before being taken out late in the race at the Texan Formula 1 circuit.

2020 Round 1 winner John McLaughlin is expected to miss the season launch after welcoming the arrival of his first child.

The TA2 Muscle Car Series will welcome a host of new competitors to the grid including New South Wales Sports Sedan racer John Ford, with entries officially closing this Wednesday.

A draft format for the first of six rounds for the year will see the first sprint race taking place on Saturday afternoon, followed by Race 2 under lights, and the final two sprint races on Sunday.

All four races of the TA2 Muscle Car Series’ opening event for the year will be covered in a post-produced show on free to air network SBS via their longstanding motorsport programme Speedweek.

QUOTES

Matt Baragwanath - AMRS Series Manager

“On the back of a very challenging 2020 we are very excited about our upcoming season opener at SMP,” said Baragwanath.

“We continue to work with TA2 Management to ensure we are providing a valued-based, high-excitement series through the AMRS platform and to that end we are very excited about providing TA2 competitors a 30min ‘mini enduro’ on the Saturday night under lights.

“It’s the first time this has been offered since the beginning of TA2 in Australia, so we are very pleased to be able to offer such a spectacle for both competitors and fans.”

• Championship begins under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 5/7
• Six round series in 2021 covering four states, supporting the Australian Motor Racing Series
• Season finale to be at The Bend Motorsport Park in December
• Invitational event at Bathurst International
• Regional Northern & Southern series under discussion

The 2021 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series will kick off under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park in February, with organisers announcing a six-round, seven-event provisional calendar for next year.

The series will take in six championship rounds supporting the Australian Motor Racing Series (AMRS), visiting four states including a grand finale set for the state-of-the-art FIA Grade 2 circuit at The Bend Motorsport Park in December.

From Sydney Motorsport Park in March, Queensland’s Morgan Park Raceway hosts Round 2 in April before heading south to Winton Motor Raceway in regional Victoria in mid-June.

The series heads back north to Queensland Raceway in August before Wakefield Park plays host to the penultimate event in October ahead of the final points round in South Australia.

Australia’s famous Mount Panorama circuit will host a grand TA2 showcase towards the end of the year, with a full grid of cars anticipated for the Bathurst International.

The series’ long-term vision to have separate state or regional series for TA2 competitors may well progress for 2021, with discussions ongoing between competitors and track promoters to establish a Northern and Southern Series within the variety of events available in the national calendars.

The regional series’ will cater to competitors with varying budgets, travelling options, and work commitments, while still maximising track time and providing the ability to enter events around the country.

While no series champion was awarded in 2020, 21-year old Aaron Seton won the 2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series and earned himself the opportunity to compete in a round of the American Trans-Am Series.

2021 PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series Calendar

Round 1: Sydney Motorsport Park (NSW), March 5/7

Round 2: Morgan Park Raceway (QLD), April 16/18

Round 3: Winton Raceway (VIC), June 11/13

Round 4: Queensland Raceway (QLD), August 6/8

Round 5: Wakefield Park (NSW), October 22/24

Round 6: The Bend Motorsport Park (SA), December 3/5

INV: Bathurst International - Mount Panorama (NSW), TBA

QUOTES Craig Denyer, TA2 Muscle Car Series Manager

“While 2020 was a challenging year for all in motorsport, the TA2 Muscle Car Series continued from strength to strength with four state-based events for TA2 Muscle Cars to compete in as well as support events at Bathurst, Townsville and The Bend Motorsport Park.

“We hope to return to some form of normality in 2021, and our proposed calendar for 2021 offers a blend of outstanding circuits and bang-for-buck events.

“We are seriously investigating the opportunity to add a northern and southern regional series next year, the competitors have spoken out and they are looking to minimise long-distance travel and expenditure next year.

“The proposed events are all well-spaced across the year and interest in the series continues to remain strong with over 55 cars now sold in Australia and more enquiries on a daily basis.”

Victorian Graham Smith has scored his maiden PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series round victory after he edged out Sunday’s dual race winner Tim Shaw by two points.

Shaw got one back on Smith to win Race 3 on Sunday morning after a race-long scrap with Smith.

The Tasmanian lead the opening lap before Smith got back in front, passing Shaw on the inside at Turn 1.

Smith lead the majority of the race before a safety car was called to recover Jason Hassett's Camaro which spun at the penultimate corner, with the team replacing the clutch before the last race.

With a last-lap dash to the flag, Smith spun the wheels on the restart as Shaw dragged alongside to Turn 1. The pair ran side-by-side through Turn 1 as Shaw got the job done into the Turn 2/3 chicane to take the win from Smith, Warren Trewin and Steve Coulter.

With the majority of the field opting for wet tyres for the race, Queenslanders Peter Robinson and Cameron Sendall gambled on dry tyres, but that didn't pay off as the pair both dropped to the back of the pack.

Race 4 saw another cracking race between Shaw’s Camaro and Smith’s Mustang, as the pair battled for the lead throughout the entire 15 lap finale.

Smith lead after the first lap before Shaw regained the lead on the back straight. Smith slowed towards the end to secure the round win as Shaw won by 2.3 seconds.

Shaw took the flag to win both of Sunday's races, but fell only two points shy of Smith who scored the outright win of the Victorian State of Origin round.

Peter Robinson earned the Hyperco Hard Charger Award for fighting back from seventh to third, while Cam Sendall came through from eighth to fourth ahead of Trewin in fifth.

Kobelco Motorsport’s Steve Coulter finished sixth in the last race and earned the Coolshirt Systems Move of the Moment Award for filling in for son Michael at late notice, while Jason Hassett came away with the Bowden’s Own Best Presented Award for the Hass Pumps Camaro.

That concludes the 2020 season of the PROMAXX Performance Exhausts TA2 Muscle Car Series, with a 2021 calendar expected to be announced shortly.

QUOTES

Graham Smith, #27 Hazard Solutions Ford Mustang

“It’s been brilliant, even in the different conditions we faced today, it was just great to survive through those,” said Graham Smith.

“I was really happy to keep up with Tim Shaw as he was putting down some strong laps in practice and won the pole award with a 1:14.7, so I was just glad to keep up with him in the races and win a couple along the way as well.

“I could have tried a dive bomb or something in the last race but it wasn’t worth it, I knew if I finished second I’d get the round win so I just tried to keep my head up and come home with a clean car.

“I went up to Norwell Motorplex last year and they taught me a lot. I also had Jason Bargwanna mentor me back in the 86 series, he even came up to me before the wet race this morning and gave me some tips, I’m really grateful for those experiences that have helped me.

"Hopefully we can have a clear year ahead in 2021 so we can get some decent racing in, it would be good to go interstate and try our luck at some different tracks.

“I appreciate the support from my family and my pit crew, but also from PBR, Howe Racing Enterprises, PROMAXX Performance Exhausts and everyone, we couldn’t go racing without their support and it was great to get back on track this weekend.”