TA2 Mustang battle to light up Morgan Park
The Hi-Tec Oils Super Series heads to Morgan Park this weekend, with the TA2 Muscle Car series on a top-three knife edge.
Seven categories will be ascending on the 2.9 km Morgan Park Circuit in Warwick, with the TA2 Muscle Car series set to headline a possible championship defining round.
Round 4 tips the TA2 championship over the halfway mark, and after Queensland Raceway – where Nash Morris came in and made a neat mess of things with a dominant four race sweep – the battle up top is hanging by a thread.
Jackson Rice held onto second place in the championship at QR despite a Haynes podium sweep
The breakaway Mustang top-three is separated by just 30 points with TA2 King of the North winner Dylan Thomas the pick of the crop on 611 points.
But closely behind him is Jackson Rice on 588 points, and Josh Haynes on 581 points, who closed the gap to Rice at QR with a podium sweep.
Although it’s tight up top, that also means a consistent podium round from Thomas can make things tough heading into the final rounds at SMP, and the huge Calder Park round that’s scheduled for Novemeber.
Thomas heads the TA2 championship by 30 points at the halfway mark
Both Rice and Haynes are returning to action from the Winton national round, where Rice had a consistent round in the national Trans Am series with three top-ten finishes, whilst Haynes took part in his maiden Precision National Sports Sedan Series, taking a memorable victory against the likes of Tony Ricciardello and Jordan Caruso.
Although neither of the top-three scored a win at the 2 Days of Thunder in the face of Trans Am visitor Morris, it was a vital points scoring round for Haynes who scored a sweep of second places.
Thomas managed to take three podiums himself, and a fourth place in Race 2 helped Haynes shut the gap on the championship leader even more.
Josh Haynes heads to Morgan Park after a QR podium sweep to make it a tight three-way TA2 Mustang battle
Rice in the meantime took the one podium and ended the round with a P4, P3, P5 and P7, allowing Haynes to enter Morgan Park in reach of at least second place should Thomas feature regularly up the top again.
In fourth place, Nicholas Bates has a slender two point lead over Camaro driver Graham Cheney, with Bates sitting 99 points back on Haynes.
For the TA2 field, they’ll be nice and warmed up for Saturday’s action with four practice sessions, whilst the weekend opens with a two-part qualifying headlined by a Top 8 Shootout and Race 1.
A massive three race Sunday will end round four, with good weather expected over all three days.
Also racing in the Mazda RX8 Cup, Replica Tourers, Legend Cars Australia, Queensland Production Cars, Queensland Touring Car Championship, and the classic Australian Trans Am series.
Expected TA2 Entry List
| Number | Make/Model | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2023 Howe Mustang | Mark Crutcher |
| 7 | 2019 Ford Mustang | Jackson Rice |
| 13 | 2017 Ford Mustang | Greg Keam |
| 21 | 2021 Chevrolet Camaro | Zach Loscialpo |
| 22 | 2019 Howe Mustang | Brad Gartner |
| 24 | 2017 Ford Mustang | Nicholas Bates |
| 37 | 2021 Ford Mustang | Josh Haynes |
| 40 | 2022 Howe Mustang | Rob Leonard |
| 50 | 2022 Howe Camaro | Paul Hadley |
| 51 | 2021 Howe Camaro | Graham Cheney |
| 55 | 2021 Ford Mustang | Russell Wright |
| 68 | 2019 Howe Mustang | Dylan Thomas |
| 81 | 2021 Dodge Challenger | Hayden Jackson |
| 99 | 2022 Howe Mustang | Matt MacKelden |
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