Ben Grice will have two new team-mates when the 2022 Turtle Wax Trans Am Series kicks off next weekend at AWC Race Tasmania.

Having ushered a new Ford Mustang into the series in last year’s penultimate round at Sydney Motorsport Park, he will be joined now by former Super3 front-runner Nic Carroll and Trans Am newcomer John Holinger.

Carroll, who has one previous start in National Trans Am to his name, will drive Grice’s old Dodge Challenger, while Holinger gets behind the wheel of a new Chevrolet Camaro.

“Nic is a first grade driver, so we can both compare and push each other to go faster,” said Grice.

“We had a pretty successful test just recently at Winton and Nic has been on the podium in the category, so it certainly helps having strike bowlers at both ends of the pitch.”

Carroll scored a podium on his Trans Am debut at Adelaide in 2020, but the pandemic soon paid to his campaign.

“I had a taste of the category in 2020 and we set our sights on continuing in Trans Am, but with COVID it didn’t happen,” he explained.

“I’m pretty excited to be back driving and locked in for the whole season.

“I’m looking forward to teaming with Ben, I raced him back when we were doing Toyota 86s which was great and to be also working alongside Les [Small] is awesome.

“I’m looking forward to racing in Tassie and getting stuck into the rest of the season.”

On the rapid expansion of the Les Small-led team, Grice remarked, “I’ve been in motor racing my whole life and I’ve never seen anything come out of the blocks this quick.

“I don’t think it’s going to slow down either.

“It certainly has legs and it’s what Australian race fans want to see.

“It happened pretty quickly and just goes to show how good this category is.”

Also on the bill at Race Tasmania will be the Supercheap Auto TCR Australia Series and the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship.

The event takes place at Symmons Plains on February 11-13, with television/streaming coverage on the 9Network and Stan Sport as part of a new media deal for the Australian Racing Group.