The Australian Racing Group has announced the formation of its own Trans Am 2 series, effective 2020, following its split from organisers of the existing TA2 Muscle Car Series.

The creation of the National Trans Am Series means that TA2 cars will still race at next month’s Superloop Adelaide 500 and November’s Bathurst International, where the first and last rounds of the six-round season will be held.

“ARG is extremely excited to launch the National Trans Am Series for 2020,” said ARG CEO Matt Braid. “Without doubt, the original aim was to have an integrated approach between ARG and PBR that would have seen a two-tier series – one for national competitors and one at a state level, providing choice for competitors. While we were close to finalising this arrangement, we eventually agreed that the best way forward was to operate independently.

“Trans Am cars are some of the most exciting race cars that are currently in Australia. They look and sound spectacular, create great racing and they are built with cost in mind. It is our goal to give these iconic brands like Mustang, Camaro and the Dodge Challengers the national footprint they deserves, and what better way to kick it off than at the Superloop Adelaide 500. The grid sizes will be capped to 32 cars. This is largely dictated by circuit densities, so this will strictly be on a ‘first in, first served’ basis.”

A minimum of 19 V8-powered Trans Am race cars will compete in the inaugural round of the all-new National Trans Am Series, to be held on the famous streets of Adelaide next month.

After contesting its formative years at state-level competition, the Trans Am class will make a grand entrance onto the Australian national scene in Adelaide, supporting the Superloop Adelaide 500 in front of an expected weekend crowd of over 250,000 fans.

Among the strong list of entrants for Adelaide and the six-round series includes Aaron Seton, son of Australian Touring Car Hall of Famer Glenn.

Seton has been one of the leading drivers in recent domestic Trans Am racing, and aboard his Ford Mustang, he will be offered some fierce competition from the likes of Chevrolet Camaro stars Nathan Herne and George Miedecke.

The current evolution of the series caters for modern V8-powered, rear-wheel drive muscle cars that feature iconic makes such as Mustangs, Camaros and Dodge Challengers.

The new National Trans Am Series is comprised of four rounds on the Motorsport Australia Championships platform, bookended by the marquee events in Adelaide and at Mount Panorama, in a calendar which has a similar look and feel to that which was originally released in December 2019.

That ARG series will be open to the current specification TA2 cars that already race in Australia, and retains Hoosier as control tyre supplier.

The original TA2 Muscle Car Series, meanwhile, is set to revert to a calendar comprised largely of Australian Motor Racing Series events which organisers say will be announced this week.

National Trans Am Series (ARG) 2020 calendar