Hi-Tec Oils Super Series decends on QR
By Dan McCarthy
Round 3 of the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series in collaboration with 2 Days of Thunder and Ipswich Festival of Horsepower will be stacked with racing from dawn until well after dark at Queensland Raceway this weekend.
The Ipswich venue will play host to no less than a dozen racing categories, not only circuit racing, but also drifting, with the addition of the national Hi-Tec Drifting All Stars.
The headline act across the weekend is the TA2 Muscle Car Series, but it presence is bolstered by a high-quality support bill of both national and local Queensland categories.
The other national categories are Legend Cars Australia, Formula RX8, Stock Cars Australia, Australian Super TT, Australian Excel Series and Australian Trans Am.
The local Queensland Touring Car Championship, Replica Tourers, Queensland Production Cars and Production Sports Queensland complete a packed schedule.
“This event is a partnership with Queensland Raceway as a part of their Two Days of Thunder event,” said AASA CEO Stephen Whyte.
“The biggest thing that attracts people to this series is the fact that you can watch state and national racing on the same program, and it's nonstop action.
“Our catch cry is pure racing and that's what we'd like to promote. It's constant racing, it's all about giving the competitor and the fan the opportunity to constantly see a show.
“Certainly, that that is one of the key areas as to why it's a popular series, and why it's growing.”
The TA2 Muscle Car Series could not be any closer entering Round 3, after two action packed rounds at Sydney Motorsport Park and Morgan Park, two drivers are tied on points at the top of the table, Josh Haynes and Graham Cheney are locked together on 408 points each.
Brad Gartner was the dominant force in the most recent round at Morgan Park, taking a clean sweep of wins, he will be one to watch out for this weekend. He sits third in the standings just few points back.
Another one to watch is Jarrod Hughes, in a cameo appearance last year, the Queensland youngster won three races on his solo debut, he returns this weekend and will certainly be a dark horse.
TA2 sees Ford Mustangs, Chevrolet Camaros and Dodge Challengers go to battle around some of the nation’s best racetracks. They cars are not easy cars to drive, with a h-pattern gearbox and a lot of horsepower to the rear wheels with thanks to a big V8 at the front, these machines are tough to tame.
“TA2 as our lead category has got a bumper field of 20 plus cars, this round sees some names return along with the regular front-runners,” Whyte expressed.
“The beauty of TA2 is it's got a sprinkling of all of them, it's got some fantastic young talent that's going places and it’s got the wily veterans that are still there and giving it to the young bucks, it covers off on all those different particular elements of the sport.
“Not only that, it gives every everybody an opportunity because the cars are available. You can purchase them and go racing in what is in what is arguably the best value for money V8 category in the country.”
The Hi-Tec Oils Super Series is a true motorsport spectacle with not only circuit racing, because when the sunlight fades, drifting commences.
Queensland Raceway will see Round 2 of the Hi-Tec Oils Drift All Stars take to the circuit.
After a great first event at Sydney Motorsport Park, James Abbott leads the championship and will be looking to extend his series lead this weekend.
“Towards the end of last year George Gambino our sponsor from Hi-Tec Oils wanted to create a larger event style program, as we go along, we're gradually doing that step by step,” Whyte explained.
“Where we can, we're facilitating the drifting, creating an event which has both facets to the sport.
“Queensland Raceway is the second opportunity for our competitors and fans alike to cross over and take in some fantastic national level drifting with the Hi Tec Oils Drift All Stars.
“It gives the opportunity for the crowd to experience the event in its entirety. They don't just get circuit racing, but they get now they get another discipline, a whole other skill set.
“There’s something for everyone, we're putting on a show and that was George's dream from the get-go when he started sponsoring this series.
“Queensland lends itself to it because you can run at night, it should work really well. The racing ceases at 5pm and then drifting practice starts, with competition starting from 6.30pm.”
One of the most popular categories on the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series program is Legend Cars Australia.
These pocket rocket machines always produce insane racing, commonly going three or even four cars wide.
The long straights at Queensland Raceway will produce great slipstreaming duels and will mean it is unlikely that a leader will break away from the rest of the field.
Powered by motorcycle engines, the cars don’t just race well, they are incredibly fast and sound awesome.
Round 2 saw Lachlan Ward take a clean sweep, it’ll be unlikely to happen again with such a competitive field, anyone can win on any given day in Legend Cars Australia.
A large field have entered in Formula RX8 once again, if you are a rotary motor fan, this is the category for you.
The one-make Mazda RX8 series is always hard fought at the front, and this year a state of origin battle is forming up the front of the championship. Rob Boaden of New South Wales leads Queenslander Brock Payne in the championship.
Stock Cars Australia is a category open to machines that used to race on the iconic Thunderdome at Calder Park, it includes NASCARs, AUSCARS and even trucks. It is also open to all sorts of V8 powered machinery from TA2 cars to Ford Falcons.
The 2024 Stock Cars Australia season started under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park with a record equalling field, watch this category grow as 2024 progresses.
Australian Trans Am is a throwback to racing over 50 years ago, it pays tribute to the great American Trans-Am Series of the late 60s and early 70s.
The category caters 2-door, 4-seat, rear wheel drive, V8-powered American muscle cars built from 1963-1974, it is a series that has always drawn crowds to the fence.
The versatile Australian Super TT category rules make this a series with a large variety of vehicles and intriguing on track action with cars having very different strengths and weaknesses.
Hyundai Excels are at most state level race meetings, however the Hi-Tec Oils Super Series round at QR plays hosts to the nation’s best, as it is a round of the Australian Excel Series.
The Queensland Touring Car Championship, Replica Tourers, Queensland Production Cars and Production Sports Queensland complete a truly packed schedule.
It won’t just be the roar of vehicles on track, off track there will be plenty to see and do with trade stands, activities, and entertainment across the weekend.
Admission to watch practice on Friday is free for all, Saturday general admission tickets cost $20 and $30 on Sunday, while a weekend pass the costs just $40. Kids under 16 are free all weekend. Tickets available here
If you can’t make it to the track, there are plenty of ways to watch the weekend’s action.
Saturday and Sunday Live action can be viewed on SBS, Foxtel or Kayo from 1:00pm – 5:00pm AEST.
While the livestream on Hi Tec Oils Super Series starts at 10:30am to 12:30pm AEST.