Hungry Herne makes major switch

Nathan Herne will be a renewed force in Trans Am with the two-time champion racing with different colours and panels at Queensland Raceway this weekend.

In 2024 Herne has made an anticipated comeback to the category, getting two podiums since returning at the second round at Symmons Plains.

But now determined to make the next step from challenging for podiums to chasing victories, the “Lismore Bullet” will be back in a Ford Mustang…sort of.

Having raced the three rounds since his comeback in his 2021-winning Dodge Challenger, Herne will carry on racing the successful chassis, but with Ford Mustang panels.

With Ford winning all 14 races so far in 2024, Herne hopes the new bodywork can help propel him back to the top after a frustrating time at The Bend.

Nathan Herne racing the Dodge Challenger at The Bend.

“At the end of the Bend round I left it a bit disillusioned with it all,” Herne told AUTO ACTION.

“I felt like I had a car to win and didn’t get any. I made a few mistakes, but just felt like I needed the last percent.

“There were a couple of issues with cooling. I sat behind a car for a lap and just had no brakes. I want to be able to follow lap after lap and put pressure on people again.

“Everyone told me when I came back that the Dodge isn’t competitive but I think we proved them wrong to an extent and had some good results.

“But moving forward I want to be on an even playing field which is the best thing for me with the category getting more and more competitive.

“I want to turn this into a pretty successful operation and challenge for race wins and want to make sure I have the best chance possible to do that.”

Herne seemed almost unbeatable when he took back-to-back Australian Trans Am titles in 2022, sealing the deal at Sandown. Image: Jack Martin Photography

Herne has great success racing a Mustang in Trans Am, having collected 12 wins during his championship winning 2022 campaign with GRM.

He enjoyed some laps at a recent shakedown in his latest Mustang, which has filled him with confidence ahead of going racing around the “Paperclip” where he dominated in 2022.

“We had a shakedown and a few of the headaches we had throughout the year were alleviated for sure,” Herne said.

“I felt like it was a successful day and I left with a massive smile.

“It is an old car so silly things like bolts had worn out and luckily they showed their ugly heads on the test day because if they didn’t it would have been pretty upsetting.

“But we sorted out the issues and had some good long running to try some things.

“I am quietly confident about how we will go but you can never count your chickens before they hatch, it is such a competitive field now.”

Nathan Herne racing hard in the USA last month.

During the long break since the last SpeedSeries round at The Bend, Herne has been busy returning to America.

He left Australia last year to take on Trans Am in the USA, but despite showing lots of promise lost a ride after one year which is why he is back.

Herne was able to make a cameo appearance at a recent round at Mid Ohio and made an impact, leading with 17 laps to go before being punted off.

However, Herne felt he turned the right heads and already wants to go back across the Pacific.

Nathan Herne will be back aboard the pony. Image: Daniel Kalisz

“It was awesome. It is how I wanted to go back there,” he reflected.

“I had been away for a fair while so every other driver and team has had a fair bit of development on me, but I knew I had a good team around me again in Howe Racing.

“It was a great weekend, even though I got taken out of the lead for a second time in a row over there. 

“We will see and are working behind the scenes to make that happen. I have got to fire some shots back when I hopefully go back there. I won’t be pushed around anymore.”

Trans Am hits the track for practice and qualifying on Friday before four races are spread over the weekend.

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