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Jordan Cox is out to shed his tag as a front-wheel drive specialist when he makes his TA2 in a world-first two-driver event at Hidden Valley next week.
Cox is now among the front-runners in the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series, which features an array of small cars driven through the front wheels.
However, the five-time TCR race winner had already become a cult hero thanks to his exploits in Improved Production at Bathurst, on the 12 Hour support card back in 2017.
Then, he was driving a Honda Civic which, like the Peugeot 308 and Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce he has piloted in TCR, put their power through the front wheels.
The opposite will apply when he pairs up with Mark Crutcher for Round 2 of the TA2 Muscle Car Series framed by Hytek Steel Framing in Darwin, the first time the category has seen a multi-driver event anywhere in the world.
“I’m super excited to line up for the TA2 enduro in Darwin,” said Cox.
“Mark Crutcher, who’s a good friend of mine and someone who supported me in the early days of my racing career, he asked me to tag along and it took me less than a second to say yes for it.
“I’m pretty keen to shake the ‘front-wheel drive’ tag. I’d like it to be an ‘all-round racer’ tag. To be honest, every time I drive a rear-wheel drive car I like it more than a front-wheel drive.
“I haven’t driven one in a competitive outing in a race meeting before, so it will be a different kettle of fish.
“Mark’s got a good car, it’s well prepared and there’s no reason why I don’t think we should do well at it.”
Cox is not entirely without experience in TA2 machinery, however.
“They’re a great car. I’ve actually driven it twice,” he added.
“The first time was in Tasmania a few years ago in a practice session, and it was good then, and then I drove it at Winton this year and it felt 10 times better than what I thought it was back then, and I though they were really good even back then.
“I quite enjoyed the small amount of laps I did in it at Winton. They’re very unique to drive. I’ve actually driven the European-style Trans Am before, and that’s very different again, but I do know a bit about the cars, which helps. It’s a very unique driving style, but I think I can adapt to it.
“I’ve never been to Darwin full stop, so not only am I excited to go race at Darwin, I’m very excited to go there and experience that part of the country for the first time.”
Cox is not the only notable who will be vying to be crowned one of the ‘TA2 Kings of the North’, with Tickford Racing enduro driver Tyler Everingham also joining the fray.
As well as enjoying more seat time ahead of his drives in the Supercars enduros, Everingham’s cameo will directly benefit his efforts in the National Trans Am Series, and he will pair up with his team-mate from that competition, Jackson Rice.
The event is set to feature a qualifying session and sprint race for each driver, with an enduro on the Monday featuring a driver change during a minimum timed pit stop.
On-track action takes place from April 29-May 1.
