Ellery name back in national-level competition

Dalton Ellery, son of former Supercars driver Steve, will compete in this year’s Turtle Wax Trans Am Series.

Ellery shared a BMW M3 with father Steve and brother Tristan in last year’s Bathurst 6 Hour, but has otherwise been a regular in state-level competition, namely Queensland Production Cars.

In 2022, he gets behind the wheel of the Ford Mustang TA2 car previously driven by Aaron Seton, which was bought from Harris Racing late last year.

Ellery has already tested at Queensland Raceway and Morgan Park, and it was at the former where he contested a round of the TA2 Muscle Car Northern Series last October.

“My first taste of a Trans Am was at a race weekend last year at Queensland Raceway, which was a bit of a jump into the deep end,” he recalled.

“We gave it a freshen up afterwards and completed another race event at Morgan Park in Sports Sedans where we weren’t really racing anyone, but we learnt so much through the course of those three days.

“It was just unbelievable how much we learnt about how the car works and the maintenance, so it was absolutely fantastic. I really got to grips with how the car handles, brakes and accelerates, plus the gearing as well.”

The Beric Lynton operation, which ran the Ellery trio’s BMW and that which Shane van Gisbergen/Shane Smollen/Rob Rubis drove to victory at last year’s Bathurst 6 Hour, will prepare the Trans Am.

A new engine was installed at Lynton’s Gold Coast workshop over the Christmas/New Year break, and was shaken down last weekend.

Ellery will make his National Trans Am debut at AWC Race Tasmania on February 11-13.

That event will be his debut at Symmons Plains, although he is not fazed by his lack of experience at the Launceston circuit.

“Learning new circuits is not an obstacle for me,” said Ellery.

“I think there are certain tracks where you can master a craft and I think particular corners on some where experience matters, but coming out of the box I’m pretty confident to be able to get up to speed fairly quickly.”

According to organisers, around 30 Trans Ams are expected to converge on Symmons Plains, where Supercheap Auto TCR Australia and the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship will also be on the bill.