A karting champion who has been mentored by Marcos Ambrose will contest next year's National Trans Am Series with Garry Rogers Motorsport.
Lochie Dalton won the national KA1 title in 2018 and joined the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series this year, with the Sieders Racing Team.
It has now been announced that the Tasmanian will drive a Ford Mustang in Trans Ams in 2022, out of the GRM operation which counts Ambrose as its competition director.
“I've known Marcos for a while,” said Dalton.
“He has helped me all through my karting so I've always leant on him a lot on what my pathway should be and the costs associated with Trans Am, it's silly not to do it.
“It has the best racing at the moment in the country. Marcos suggested it was probably the best series to take the next step into and then having Tim down here it all makes sense.
“Then to get involved with GRM, it couldn't have been better.”
‘Tim' is Tim Shaw, whose Chevrolet Camaro Dalton has tested before.
“Luckily, Tasmania was pretty open during the pandemic so we did some testing with Tim Shaw and knew straight away that it was an awesome category to jump into,” explained Dalton.
“I love the power, the sound and how much they move around.
“I thought it was a real raw race car.”
Dalton also counts Andre Heimgartner as a mentor, and works alongside the Supercars Championship race-winner at Driving Solutions.
“I have Andre to lean on as well to ask what he thinks I should be doing and how I should attack a few things helps as well,” he added.
Dalton will undertake a test with Shaw at Symmons Plains this Friday, with Ambrose on hand also.