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We can now confirm there will be eight teams making the trip across the ditch from the Queensland-based Australian Trans-am series to race with Historic Muscle Cars at the 2015 New Zealand Festival of Motor Racing. The teams are:
Ian Woodward: 1970 Pontiac Firebird John English: 1968 Ford Mustang Anthony Tenkate: 1969 Ford Mustang Shane Wilson: 1970 Ford Mustang Harry Charalambous: 1967 Ford Mustang Mike Collins: 1966 Ford Mustang Shane Cowham: 1968 Ford Mustang Alwyn Bishop: 1968 Ford Mustang
Unlike Historic Muscle Cars, Australian Trans-am runs to a championship structure, which in 2014 was contested over seven rounds, all of which were held in Queensland. Additionally, ATA raced at the Australian Muscle Car Masters for the first time in 2014. Within ATA there are two championship classes, the Tenkate Plant Hire Australian Trans-am Series, and the Fataz 5 Litre Australian Trans-am Series. Mike Collins, Harry Charalambous, and Shane Cowham will all contest for 5 Litre series points.
The HMC/ATA match-up will be an all muscle-car affair. In part this decision was made nearly two years ago, at the 2013 NZFMR, the last time the Aussies visited. At that event the historic saloon grid combined HMC, ATA, and the Under 3.0-litre historic saloons (now called Historic Saloon Cars and run by HMC). In all, well over 40 cars entered, which made for something of a high-speed traffic jam on the tight Hampton Downs layout, and resulted in a small amount of body damage on some cars, despite everyone’s best attempts to stay clean. Just having the big cars run on their own will create a slightly smaller grid, but the cars themselves can get up and really stretch their legs.
Although HMC and ATA run to different regulations, the two groups are both well matched performance-wise and, just as importantly, both groups place emphasis on keeping the look of the cars period-correct, and the wheel diameters at 15 inches. The Aussie teams are as excited to be coming to New Zealand as the HMC teams are to have them back. The two groups work well together, and the racing promises to be electric, while the TransTasman mud-slinging in the pits between races promises to be just as entertaining.
Additionally, as part of HMC’S dedication to celebrating NZ saloon car racing history, special guests Paul Fahey, Leo Leonard, Kerry Grant, Dennis Marwood, and Ray Stone will be at the HMC marquee signing posters and chatting to race fans.
More info on Historic Muscle Cars can be found at the HMC website: historicmusclecars.co.nz or through the HMC online discussion forum at The Roaring Season: theroaringseason.com.