TA2 NZ

Part 5 of The Anti-Tech Files: The Weight of It All (And No ABS)

No ABS. No traction control. And a minimum weight of 1250kg
When you have 525 horsepower pushing you down the straight, stopping is entirely up to the driver's foot. There are no algorithms to save you if you brake a fraction too late. It’s braking on an absolute knife-edge, balancing the car on its Hypercoil and Penske Suspension.

It is a genuine character-building exercise every single lap.

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿: Jamie McDonald
Car number 71, Hometown Kumeu, Auckland

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗔𝟮 / 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹?
I started racing when I was 10 years old in a Quarter Midget at Western Springs then progressed to a Three-Quarter midget for a few years. I then went on to spend 20 years racing Sprintcars in New Zealand, USA, and Australia. Highlights included becoming the NZ champion, winning 74 Feature races as well as winning every championship in NZ during that time. Along with the successes came plenty of crashes which is part of open wheel racing. After finishing my Sprintcar career I had major back surgery to have some vertebrae fused together which I had been putting off for a long time. With the back feeling much better I really wanted to take on a new challenge and race competitively again. I had seen TA2's racing in Australia and loved the fact they were V8, spat flames, were under-tired, and moved around a lot on the racetrack. I was very fortunate that my long-term sponsors shared the same excitement for the TA2 class, so we purchased a car and the rest is history.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲)?
I'm not superstitious but I definitely follow a routine on race days. The more everything happens automatically without having to think on a race day the better.

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 (𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁) 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
"Races are won in the shed" Ive found this to be 100 percent true. From the car build through to weekly maintenance, planning with sponsors, training yourself, preparing spare parts etc. If you do the off-season right, you generally have a good race season.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲?
If you race like that you better have a lot of time and money....

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗽?
AC/DC - Back in Black

𝗪𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸?
Anyone who is in front of me

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁).
I'm currently the only person to have ever won all 4 of the major Sprintcar titles in New Zealand. The NZ Champs, North Island Champs, South Island Champs, and the NZ Grand prix.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻?
I'm looking forward to piecing together everything I learned last season and trying to get a little closer to the young guys up the front. Also, I'm looking forward to not having to learn a new track just about every round!

We can't wait to see Jamie back out there when the season kicks off!

The rising star is one of several drivers outside the 2026 Enduro Cup field to be turning laps today.

🏁 Car of the Fortnight 🏁

TA2 cars bring back proper V8 touring car vibes — loud engines, aggressive styling, and racing that usually ends with someone rubbing doors. These machines often pack around 500+ horsepower and are set up for close, door-to-door battles on tight circuits, where bold overtakes and heavy braking are the norm.

The white, grey, and fluorescent orange livery on this Mustang gives it a clean but intimidating look that suits the category perfectly, the high-contrast palette boosting visibility and on-track presence.

Please consider following the page for more race coverage, event galleries, and motorsport content from around the country.

Queensland Raceway today

P1 race 2 and 19 year-old
Brock Paine
Great job great win and well deserved
Oldest car in feild
Gforce gear box
Great wk

Go TA2

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿: Mark Pitcher
Car number 11, Hometown Wellington

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗔𝟮 / 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹?
Got into racing speedway when I was 21. Raced speedway in the super saloon class since mid 90's. Always wanted to try circuit racing and TA2 fits the bill essentially being a NASCAR with controlled parts, but they are a roar horsepower big V8 with lots of noise and cool as looks like the super saloons in speedway.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲)?
I don’t eat !

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 (𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁) 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂?
A NZ champion told me; to win first you must finish, then to score season points you must finish every race...watch whats happening 6 cars in front of you not the car directly in front, and very rarely will you will it in the first corner ......

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Patch me up and let’s go again!

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗮𝗽?
Days Of Thunder Theme Song

𝗪𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸?
The person in front of me

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁).
I am always nervous before a race, even after all these years of racing

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻?
After a season of learning I'm super keen to be in the pack this season.

We can't wait to see Mark back out there when the season kicks off!