US Champ Returns for TA2 Bathurst Challenge

Two-time American Trans-Am TA2 champion Gar Robinson returns to headline a 14-car contingent from the TA2 Muscle Car Series in the Skye Sands Combined Sedans support races at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama on January 31 - February 3.

Robinson will race the 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro in an invitational appearance for the series ahead of the 2019 season proper.

In 2018 the Texan campaigned in the Pirelli World Challenge GTS class with a Mercedes AMG GT4 and Chevrolet Camaro GT4 respectively. He also competed in two TA2 events, taking second at the Detroit Grand Prix and first at the penultimate round at the Circuit of the Americas, where he was joined by 2017 Australian champion Russell Wright in an international driver exchange event with car constructer Howe Racing Enterprises.

Robinson looks forward to returning down under and building on his first experience of the legendary Mount Panorama circuit.

“Enough cannot be said about the hospitality of the Australian TA2 organisation, we are honoured to be invited back and hope to make this an annual trip.”

“Bathurst instantly became my favourite track in the world after racing there last year, to say I am excited to be coming back would be an understatement,” said Robinson.

“We really enjoyed having Rusty Wright stateside for COTA, it makes the world a whole lot smaller getting to play with your friends on both sides of the world.”

Gar will pay tribute to his father George Robinson with a livery paying homage to his 1991 Trans-Am campaign on the Camaro he will race at the mountain.

“In 2018 we ran my championship paint scheme, for 2019 we are honouring my dad with his 1991 Trans-Am scheme, nothing would be greater than to represent my dad with a victory on the mountain!” 

Joining Robinson on the grid at Bathurst will be Tickford Racing Supercar team co-owner Rusty French in his third TA2 appearance, while 2018 TA2 rookie of the year Aaron Seton and series debutant George Miedecke join the field for their TA2 mountain debut.

Reigning series runner-up Hugh McAlister and third placed Russell Wright also return to the Mountain following their appearance in the Combined Sedans support class at last year’s 12 Hour.

Defending series champion Ashley Jarvis is absent from the field, but he is no stranger to racing on the mountain. Jarvis finished third in the GT4 class of the 2017 Bathurst 12 Hour in a Brookspeed Motorsport prepared Porsche Cayman and has claimed a class podium finish at the Bathurst 6 Hour previously.

Meanwhile, 2018 series debutants Michael Kulig and Mark Crutcher will race at Bathurst for the first time.

Track action for the TA2 cars within the Skye Sands Combined Sedans field will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the event, before the feature race of the weekend, the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour on Sunday February 3, with streaming details to be announced shortly.

ENTRY LIST

2019 TA2 Muscle Car Series - Invitational (Skye Sands Combined Sedans), Mount Panorama (NSW)

#2 - Don Dimitriadis (NSW), Ford Mustang - Thunder Road Racing Team Australia #4 - Mark Crutcher (NSW), Chevrolet Camaro - Crutcher Developments #5 - Ian McAlister (NSW), Ford Mustang - McAlister Motors/Performax #6 - Hugh McAlister (NSW), Ford Mustang - McAlister Motors/Performax #7 - Michael Kulig (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Kulig Engineering #8 - Aaron Seton (QLD), Ford Mustang - Castrol Harris Racing #9 - Rusty French (VIC), Ford Mustang - Skye Sands #10 - Peter Robinson (QLD), Dodge Challenger - PBR Distributions/BStyled For Life #44 - Greg Willis (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - Cross Torque Racing/Surety IT #55 - Russell Wright (QLD), Ford Mustang - RoadBees Transport #69 - Anthony Tenkate (QLD), Ford Mustang - Tenkate Plant Hire/Performax #74 - Gar Robinson (USA), Chevrolet Camaro - 74 Ranch Resort #96 - George Miedecke (NSW), Dodge Challenger - Miedecke Motorsport #114 - Cameron Sendall (QLD), Chevrolet Camaro - PBR Distributions/ESA