The event has been conducted on various state championship rounds since 2016 except in the two years of the Covid lockdown. Australian Saloon Cars was a series before that. It began in 2000 and ran as part of the CAMS Motor Racing Championships from 2006 to 2015.
Since Saloon Cars changed from a series to a one-off Nationals, it has held in West Australia, Victoria twice, South Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales in two classes – Pro (Holden Commodore VT/VZ and Ford Falcon AU) and Pro-Am (Commodore VN/VP and Falcon EA).
This year will be the second time the Rightway Industrial Saloon Car Nationals is held in the west, at the circuit 50kms north of Perth. On the first occasion Commodore drivers Grant Johnson (Pro) and Mark Jones (Pro-Am) were the winners.
Johnson also took the Pro honours at Hidden Valley and Sydney Motorsport Park in 2019 and 2022. Damien Mitchell (Commodore) won at Phillip Island in 2017, and Joel Heinrich won the following year at The Bend in a Falcon.
Heinrich became the only second generation winner after his father Bruce won five titles when it was a series. Tickford Racing Super 2 driver Brad Vaughan (AU) took out last year’s event at Sandown in an AU.
With 25 entered in Pro, Johnson has the opportunity to win a fourth title to go with his many state championships and two V8 Ute championships.
His major opposition will be from Commodore drivers Garry Hills, 2009 series winner Shawn Jamieson, Brock Boley and Matt Martin. The Ford camp is very strong with the likes of Robert Marcon, Travis Sharpe, Mason Harvey and Rick Gill out to give the blue oval back-to-back Nationals.
The Pro-Am class has yet to have a repeat winner. In 2017 Justin Chaffey (VN) was the winner and since it has been Peter Holmes (VN), Nick Hanlon (EA), Michael Koberstein (VN) and Reg Ralph (VP). That could change as Chaffey and Koberstein shoot for a second win.
The LGC Equipment Hire Nationals, which is hosted by the WA Sporting Car Club, will also have the Formula Vee National Challenge as well as several of the state championship categories.
