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Ellery name returns to full-time national competition
Dalton Ellery, the son of former touring car competitor of the 1990s and early 2000s Steve, will embark on his first national campaign as he campaigns the 2022 Turtle Wax Trans Am Series.
Ellery will make the step up from driving a BMW M3 in Queensland Production Cars and last year’s Bathurst 6 Hour to race in the highly competitive Turtle Wax Trans Am Series. He will drive a Ford Mustang formerly driven by Aaron Seton, with preparation spearheaded by Queensland motorsport stalwart Beric Lynton.
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Purchasing the Mustang from Harris Racing late last year, Ellery has tested at both Queensland Raceway and Morgan Park ahead of his debut at AWC Race Tasmania next month.
“My first taste of a Trans Am was at a race weekend last year at Queensland Raceway, which was a bit of a jump into the deep end,” Ellery recalled.
“We gave it a freshen up afterwards and completed another race event at Morgan Park in Sports Sedans where we weren’t really racing anyone, but we learnt so much through the course of those three days.
“It was just unbelievable how much we learnt about how the car works and the maintenance, so it was absolutely fantastic. I really got to grips with how the car handles, brakes and accelerates, plus the gearing as well.”
Preparations undertaken at Lynton’s Gold Coast workshop during the Christmas/New Year break included installation of a new engine, which was successfully shaken down last weekend ahead of AWC Race Tasmania on February 11-13.
Next month’s event will be the first time Ellery has raced at Symmons Plains although he did visit the venue when his father was part of the touring car scene in the early 2000s.
Ellery is not concerned by his lack of experience and expects to be mixing it among the established drivers.
“Learning new circuits is not an obstacle for me,” said Ellery.
“I think there are certain tracks where you can master a craft and I think particular corners on some where experience matters, but coming out of the box I’m pretty confident to be able to get up to speed fairly quickly.”
Close to 30 Turtle Wax Trans Am cars will feature at the second running of AWC Race Tasmania where it will be joined by Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship and exciting local categories.
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Image: MTR Images