A two round Access Linemarking Equipment TA2 King of the West title in Western Australia saw back to back race weekends at Wanneroo Raceway Perth and Collie Motorplex to launch the new
TA2 Western Series.

East Coast competitors Peter Robinson, Mark Crutcher and Rob Leonard made the long haul across the Nullabor. Joining the TA2 field included well known Sprintcar star Jason Pryde, father and son dairy farmers Brock and Brad Boley, experienced international racer Brett Niall, Clint Rayner, Ron Moller, Greg Freeman, and Camarodriver Glen Melling.

Clint Rayner won pole at Wanneroo on a wet track, before he came together with Brock Boley early in the race causing a safety car. At the restart, Niall bolted early copping a 5 second post-race penalty.

Pryde, the only front runner to stay on wets made the move on Niall for the lead into Turn 1, however faded later in the race in a great three way dice with Brad Boley taking the win in the Camaro after Nialls penalty was applied.

Brock Boley scored the win from the back of the grid in Race 2, while Pryde won the final race from Niall and Robinson after Brock Boley didn’t finish.

Round 2 of the TA2 King of the West title moved to Collie Motorplex, built around an old coal mine west of Bunbury. Two new names joined the field in Marc Watkins in the ex-Nathan Herne Dodge Challenger, now owned by Peter George, the TA2 Category representative in Perth, and Mark Cates taking delivery of former TA2 champ Russell Wrights Mustang only days before the race.

Niall scored pole by 0.10sec from Pryde and Brock Boley. Race 1 was wet as Robinson rolled the dice as the only one who gambled with slicks on a drying track. Brock Boley was the first to go at the final corner, while Crutcher made it up to second before spinning. Moller was another victim of the wet track, spinning twice, while Robinson closed on Pryde for third before Pryde spun on the final corner. Niall went on to win from a fast-finishing Robinson and Moller’s Camaro.

Robinson and Pryde came together at in Race 2 off the start with Pryde into the back of the Dodge in greasy conditions. Leonard was another to spin at Turn 10, while Moller, Crutcher and Brock Boley all ran hard nose to tail with Boley getting by Crutcher for third on lap 5. Moller made the move stick on Niall for the lead at the final corner to take the win. The final race for the King of the West title was a four way stoush between Niall, Pryde, Robinson and Crutcher. Brock Boley, Ron Moller and Mark Crutcher claimed the top 3 spots in the finale.

In the overall King of the West pointscore combining both the Wanneroo and Collie events, Camaro driver Brett Niall claimed the title by six points from Pryde and Robinson.

 

Tempest Solutions Camaro driver Zach Loscialpo scored his first circuit racing championship win with victory in the 2022 TA2 Muscle Car Southern Series.

The first round in Sydney saw Kobelco Motorsport’s Michael Coulter lead the way after the night race in Sydney, finishing third overall for the round with Loscialpo fourth.

Coulter crashed out at The Bend during Round 2, while rookie Josh Haynes stole the show. He took overall round honours after a thrilling battle with eventual series champion Jett Johnson.

Former Toyota 86 and production car racer Dylan Thomas finished second with Loscialpo third of the Southern Series contenders.

Coulter was back on form at the third round at Winton to lead Nicholas Bates and John Holinger in the Southern Series, but Loscialpo’s consistency saw him head into the final round in Sydney in the lead of the points.

Loscialpo sealed the Southern Series at the final round in Sydney, when he scored his first overall round win ahead of Coulter and Bates, while Bates bested Coulter for second in the series.

Nash Morris has clean swept Round 3 of the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by HYTEK Steel Framing in a wild weather-affected Sunday at Queensland Raceway.

After a dominant win in Race 1 on Saturday, Morris lead the rest of the field away off the start in Race 2.

Michael Coulter ran into trouble through Turn 5 on Lap 1 and returned to pit lane with a broken throttle cable.

The safety car was called on Lap 2 when Chris Pappas and Nicholas Bates clashed at Turn 3, while Bates received penalty of five championship points for his part in the incident.

The race resumed on Lap 8, before drama struck again two laps later when Brad Gartner suffered a brake failure at Turn 4 and slid backwards into the infield tyre wall. Gartner was taken to the infield medical centre and cleared of any serious injuries. 

The field took the flag under safety car on Lap 10 with Morris taking the win from Haynes and Rice.

Morris scored a lights-to-flag win in Race 3 from Haynes and Thomas.

Michael Rowell spun out on Lap 1 at Turn 4 after having contact with Matt MacKelden, and received a three-grid spot penalty for his part in the incident.

Mark Crutcher spun at Turn 6 on Lap 2 after contact with Chris Pappas. 

Jackson Rice sat in third on Lap 6 until he dropped a wheel at Turn 6 and lost two positions, as Russell Wright moved up to fourth. 

Nicholas Bates recovered from his incident in Race 2 to move his way up from 19th to 12th, while Hayden Hume retired on Lap 7 with a gearbox issue.

The heavens opened on the formation lap of Race 4, as 12 of the 19 starters piled into pit lane to swap from slicks to wet weather tyres, including pole sitter Nash Morris.

Thomas and Haynes gambled to stay on slicks and lead the field away from Hugh McAlister and rookie Greg Keam.

Morris joined the back of the field on the first lap and proceeded to charge his way back into the lead by the third lap of the race, and produced a 30-second lead by half race distance.

Haynes and Thomas closed in as the track dried up in the closing stages, but the gap was too far gone as Morris hung on to win the race and the round on his series return.

In the championship points, Dylan Thomas extended his lead to 12 points over Rice, as Haynes moved up to third ahead of Bates and Cheney.

Hayden Jackson scored the Wilwood Big Braker Award for his strong overtaking moves all weekend, Michael Rowell scored the Bowden’s Best Presented Award, Greg Keam won the RaceTech Rookie of the Round and Russell Wright won the Circo Masters Class on his TA2 Comeback.

The Geoff Leeds Memorial Trophy, donated by Tony Quinn of Queensland Raceway, was awarded to Hugh McAlister for best displaying Leeds’ mantra of “Race Hard, Race Fair, Give Racing Room and Respect Your Fellow Competitor’.

Round 4 of the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek heads to Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick, QLD on July 8-9.

QUOTES

Nash Morris, #67 Supercheap Auto / Norwell Motorplex Ford Mustang

“It was good to win every race and get the pole position here at QR.

“I think it was the right strategy call to swap tyres and start from the lane, but then it actually stopped raining, so I was second guessing myself, I was pretty lucky to hang on there but it worked out well in the end.

“I love driving in the wet, so I enjoyed it. It was full NASCAR style. I brought it in, thought I was in the Daytona 500, but it was pretty cool. Credit to the team, they’ve been giving me a fast car all weekend.

“Winton will be good next week, hopefully we can carry on what we’ve done here, but I have not really raced there before so we’ll see how we go.

Hugh McALister, #6 McAlister Motors Ford Mustang

(Geoff Leeds Memorial Trophy Recipient)

"It’s an absolute honour to win the Geoff Leeds Memorial Trophy. I think yesterday on the grid was an amazing celebration and ceremony for Geoff and I know a lot of people teared up on the grid and he was in our minds a lot of the weekend.

“It’s a real honour to take this trophy home, I’m absolutely thrilled.”