News
Big grid confirmed for National Trans Am Series debut
A minimum of 19 V8-powered Trans Am race cars will compete in the inaugural round of the all-new National Trans Am Series, to be held on the famous streets of Adelaide next month.
After contesting its formative years at state-level competition, the Trans Am class will make a grand entrance onto the Australian national scene in Adelaide, supporting the Superloop Adelaide 500 in front of an expected weekend crowd of over 250,000 fans.
Among the strong list of entrants for Adelaide and the six-round series includes Aaron Seton, son of Australian Touring Car Hall of Famer Glenn.
Seton has been one of the leading drivers in recent domestic Trans Am racing, and aboard his Ford Mustang, he will be offered some fierce competition from the likes of Chevrolet Camaro stars Nathan Herne and George Miedecke.
Miedecke recently tested his Camaro at Queensland Raceway, while Herne’s entry is part of a three-car Dream Racing Australia assault, alongside Adelaide driver Craig Dontas and team owner Craig Scutella.
There are also a number of significant debutants set to race these famous muscle cars of America around the streets once owned by Formula 1 cars.
Former SuperUtes and Toyota 86 contender Cameron Crick will make the step up, driving a Dodge Challenge, while Brett Holdsworth, the older brother of Supercars Championship driver Lee, will get back behind the wheel of a big V8, steering a Camaro.
The Trans Am Series, based on the heroic American muscle cars, has been building in prominence over the past few years, both in Australia and overseas.
Trans-Am racing was pioneered in the USA back in the 1960s and is one of the most enduring forms of motorsport anywhere in the world.
The current evolution of the series caters for modern V8-powered, rear-wheel drive muscle cars that feature iconic makes such as Mustangs, Camaros and Dodge Challengers.
The Trans Am Series will feature in three races around the Adelaide streets and will be on-track on all four-days, kicking off on Thursday, February 20.
QUOTES
Matt Braid
CEO, Australian Racing Group
“This is a really top heavy field of drivers and the grid so far has fallen into place just as we expected, if not better,” said Matt Braid.
“Having the likes of Aaron Seton and Nathan Herne in the field is exactly what this class is about – young talent looking to prove themselves in cost-effective, fast and flamboyant V8 race cars.
“I truely don’t believe that people realise how much they are going to enjoy watching these cars. They sound great, they’ll have plenty of attitude and the racing will be really, really close.”
George Miedecke
#7 Chevrolet Camaro
“There’s a lot of good drivers in the pack, so I’d expect this to be the most competitive race for these cars that we’ve ever seen,” said George Miedecke.
“The Trans Am cars are wild. They spit flames, they’ll be jumping kerbs. I’m expecting them to be a handful.
“The mid-corner speed is quite high, though, so combine that with Turn 8, no ABS, no traction control – just a 6.2 litre V8 monster on a real driver’s circuit … it will be a serious test for those on the grid.”
CONFIRMED ENTRIES
|
Car # |
SPONSOR |
DRIVER |
STATE |
VEHICLE |
MODEL |
CC |
COLOUR |
|
1 |
Harris Racing Pty Ltd |
Aaron Seton |
QLD |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
Blue |
|
2 |
RTC Motorsport |
Shaun Richardson |
QLD |
Dodge |
Challenger |
6200 |
Black |
|
3 |
Flo-gineering Pty Ltd |
Jimmy Vernon |
NSW |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
Black |
|
4 |
Crutcher Devlopments |
Mark Crutcher |
NSW |
Dodge |
Challenger |
6200 |
Yellow/Black |
|
5 |
Kubota Racing |
Matthew MacKelden |
QLD |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
Black/Orange |
|
6 |
Kubota Racing |
Hugh McAlister |
NSW |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
Black/Orange |
|
7 |
Retractable Tarps |
George Miedecke |
QLD |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
Red |
|
11 |
Kobelco/Sydney Truck & Machinery |
Michael Coulter |
NSW |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
Green |
|
12 |
RTC Motorsport |
Peter Herd |
NSW |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
White |
|
14 |
Crick Motorsport/Plus Fitness Racing |
Cameron Crick |
NSW |
Dodge |
Challenger |
6200 |
Black |
|
29 |
Dream Racing Australia |
Nathan Herne |
QLD |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
Black |
|
44 |
McAlister Motors/ Mad Harry’s Steel |
Ian McAlister |
NSW |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
Orange |
|
49 |
Allgate Auto Doors and Gates |
Christopher Formosa |
NSW |
Dodge |
Challenger |
6200 |
Orange |
|
66 |
Shaw Motorsport |
Tim Shaw |
TAS |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
Black |
|
69 |
Tenkate Plant Hire |
Anthony Tenkate |
QLD |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
Green |
|
75 |
JAMEC Racing |
Steve McLaughlan |
VIC |
Ford |
Mustang |
6200 |
White |
|
99 |
Shaw Motorsport |
Brett Holdsworth |
VIC |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
White |
|
555 |
Dream Racing Australia |
Craig Dontas |
SA |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
Black/Blue |
|
777 |
Dream Racing Australia |
Craig Scutella |
VIC |
Chevrolet |
Camaro |
6200 |
Black/Blue |