News
James Moffat switches to Trans Am for 2023
James Moffat will make the bold switch into the National Trans Am Series in 2023.
The former Supercars race winner and Bathurst 1000 podium finisher will remain with the Garry Rogers Motorsport outfit, but switch from the team’s TCR Australia program to its Trans Am squad.
Moffat will drive the Ford Mustang chassis that Nathan Herne drove to back-to-back series success in 2021 and 2022, with major support from Valvoline and LMCT+.
Moffat has competed in every season of Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series to date, driving the Renault Megane RS TCR. During those three full seasons that have been contested, he has claimed six podium finishes and one pole position (The Bend, 2019).
This will not be the first time that Moffat has raced Trans Am, though. The son of Australian touring car great Allan made his Trans Am debut at Sydney Motorsport Park in 2021 where he was immediately on the front-runner’s pace, finishing second on debut and backing it up with a victory in the final race of the weekend.
On that Sydney weekend, he competed in a livery that depicted the famous Coca Cola Mustang colours that his famous father used during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Moffat has vast experience in rear-wheel drive V8 race cars, having contested close to 250 Supercars races, including three Bathurst 1000 podium finishes.
But he doesn’t expect an easy run in the class, with the likes of GRM stablemates Owen Kelly, Lochie Dalton, plus Ben Grice, Brett Holdsworth and Jett Johnson set to offer a tremendous 2023 title tussle.
The 2023 National Trans Am Series kicks off at the AWC Race Tasmania on February 24-26, alongside the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters, S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship and more.
CLICK HERE to secure your tickets.
Stan Sport will provide live, uninterrupted and on-demand coverage of all Shannons SpeedSeries rounds. AWC Race Tasmania will also feature free-to-air broadcasting on the Nine Network’s digital channels on Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm (February 25).
QUOTES
James Moffat
GRM Trans Am driver
“I’m excited to be driving in Trans Am, I really enjoyed the race I did in the category at the end of 2021,” said Moffat.
“The racing is clearly very exciting, for both drivers and fans alike, and it has become more competitive over the last couple of years as well.
“There’s plenty of young talent coming up through the category and also plenty of drivers with lots of experience and it creates a good mix on the race track.
“The Hoosier tyre plays a big role, being a cross ply tyre, it lends itself to sliding across the track which is an exciting sight for spectators.
“Each year we’re seeing more quality drivers up the front of the field and there’s now plenty of variety with different teams getting involved and it’s creating a racing product that only gets better every time the category goes racing.
“The main challenge for me will be adapting as quickly as I can, and fortunately I’ve got that prior experience to draw on from 2021. As with any championship, consistency will be the key, but even more so in Trans Am where it’s proper elbows out racing. GRM has a great data pool to draw on for each round now, and I know I’m driving for the best team who will provide me with a great car.
“It’s tremendous to have the backing of Valvoline and LMCT+, we can’t go racing without their support. I’m just going to go out and do the very best we can at every given weekend and then see where we end up.”