WHY IS EVERYONE JOINING TA2 RACING IN AUSTRALIAN MOTORSPORT?

As a racer I’m absolutely in love with the TransAm Series. I’d love to eventually race it myself because for me it just ticks all the right boxes.

Being a competitive Formula Ford racer myself and an avid NASCAR fan this category just has everything you want as a driver. Anyway, I’ve been very distracted and not blogging as regularly since my podcast “On The Couch with Hooly” took off, so let's get into another opinion piece. 

How did it get started in Australia?

The Series has really begun to draw in the numbers not just locally either but nationally around Australia. The first TA2 landed on Australian shores in October 2015, when Queensland businessman Peter Robinson purchased the initial car from Howe Racing Enterprises in Michigan, USA. The original Chevrolet Camaro and engineering behind it eventually turned into Australian TA2 PBR specification.

The category itself then brought in two other TA2 chassis into the country which included a Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger. The first designated National Series had mainly entries from “Gentleman” racers such as Ian McAlister, former V8 Supercars driver Craig Harris and eventual champion Russell Wright. The series only had ten cars in 2017 and was mainly based around state level racing formats across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

TA2 is the modern day version of the legendary Trans-Am Series, which started in the 1960s and was based out of America. It had huge racing stars back in the 1960’s and 1970’s which included drivers such as Willy T Ribbs, Randy Lanier and Parnelli Jones. The original Trans-Am category had brands such as Chevrolet, Alfa Romeo, Plymouth, BMW and Dodge with two separate categories having an over 2.0L and an under 2.0L class. It essentially set out to rival other racing championships in the United States such as IndyCar and NASCAR with the attitude of ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’.

Willy T Ribbs was a major star in Trans Am Series in the United States.

TA2 these days caters for a more modern V8-powered, rear-wheel drive muscle cars that are filling car dealership showrooms across the United States and Australia. The series in Australia has been used as a ‘proving-ground’ for future supercar drivers, who are now using it as a rabbit hole to funnel talent and bridge the gap between Supercars and Sports Sedans at state level. The category has become so big around the world, having 40+ grid sizes with Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Challengers being the main selling cars. The driving style is focused on cost control, driver talent, strict regulations and the promotion of close competition. Having similar regulations to categories such as Formula Vee, Formula Ford and the Toyota 86 Series.

Nathan Herne, is one of the most talented racers I’ve ever seen behind the wheel of a race car. This dude can hop in anything and give it a red hot go!. He is a multiple Formula Ford State Champion.

In 2018 the TA2 category grew from ten to twenty-five competitors over an eight month period. You also had more well established talent come into class such as GT drivers like George Miedecke, Drew Ridge and rising star Aaron Seton who worked for DJR Team Penske at the time. Previously, Seton raced for Craig Harris before he moved into the Super2 Series a few years later with Matt Stone Racing after the pandemic hit. The eventual winner in 2018 was Ashley Jarvis in a Chevrolet Camaro who won the championship in a close battle with Hugh McAlister and inaugural champion Russell Wright.

When 2019 came around we saw Aaron Seton put on a stellar campaign by dominating the series aboard the Craig Harris owned Mustang. Meanwhile, GT racer George Miedecke and Ashley Jarvis, battled it out for the minor placings. The field had expanded yet again for the TA2 organisers with now 35 competitors on the grid that season. 

Notable mention is rising star Nathan Herne, who had also bought a Dodge Challenger with his father once they had sold their Formula Ford team. Herne had finished fifth in his debut season in the category whilst challenging for podiums and wins along the way.

What is the TA2/Trans-AM “Brand” split?

2021 saw the owners of TA2 making the decision to choose between two different series. Now, this has caused some controversy, maybe an argument here or there with fans disagreeing that the Trans Am Racing and TA2 series are different categories. Well, I’ve got news for you race fans, they aren’t any different from each other; it is the same thing! In my opinion you can run both series on different weekends. Motorsport Australia runs one which competes under the ARG/Supercars banner whilst the other runs under AMRS/Benalla Auto Club banner.

The way I see it is kinda like Supercars and Super2. The rookies and gentleman drivers normally just race locally in the TA2 Series, whilst the professional drivers race under the ARG/Supercar Trans Am events. Trans Am has had drivers such as Jimmy Vernon, Elliott Barber & Cameron Crick all compete for the outright Trans Am Championship over the last couple of years. Although Aaron Seton is the only driver thus far to win both the TA2 Series and Trans Am Championship but having rising stars like Dalton Ellery, Nathan Herne, Tim Brooke have all shown the capabilities that they could win both championship series if they put their mind to it. 

Nathan Herne is essentially the ‘poster boy’ for the category in 2022 as he is the most publicised driver with oil sponsor Valvoline coming onboard his car this year. He is also the only driver in the ARG Series to race both s5000 and Trans Am in the same year. Although he was rejected by Supercars to compete at the 2020 Bathurst 1000, he has shown incredible driver abilities over the last couple of years winning duel Formula Ford State Championships and winning the Trans Am National Championship last year. Garry and Barry Rogers have both taken him under their wing along with Supercars driver James Moffatt in mentoring the young lismore-born driver into a bright future wherever he may end up. The last couple of years champions for both series include Jett Johnson and Nathan Herne.

Will it ever replace Supercars as the mainstay?

Unfortunately, as much as some fans might want it to happen due to the increasing grid numbers and those cars having a V8 engine in them, I just can’t see it happening anytime soon. Supercars dominates the market in terms of tv rights in this country across the board. However, I do see it as a great breeding ground for future stars of the sport who want to make it into the lower ranks within NASCAR over in America or the Super2 Series back here in Australia.

A few drivers who you could see eventually making it into the Supercars main game from the Trans Am Series could be the likes of Nash Morris, Jett Johnson and Nathan Herne. As they come from a racing family background and have sponsors behind them which includes Supercheap Auto, NAPA Auto Parts and Valvoline.

For me personally the category itself has lots of potential to grow in terms of media capabilities. Since the Trans Am Series races with Australian Racing Group and the SuperCheap Auto Australian TCR Series on Stan Sport it’s all definitely heading in the right direction. Fans should expect to see a lot more of the category on tv over the coming years.

What’s your thoughts? Make sure to drop them in the comments.

DH