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Trans Am Title Fight Arrives at Sandown
A 17-car grid is set to contest the penultimate round of the 2026 Trans Am Cup Series season at Sandown International Raceway from October 30 to November 1. Serving as support for the Shannons SpeedSeries event, Round 6 brings the muscle car category to the Victorian circuit with the title fight entering a decisive phase alongside a weekend bill that also features GT4 Australia.
Herne and Hazelwood lead championship fight
Nathan Herne heads into the event holding a 37-point advantage at the top of the standings, arriving fresh from making his Bathurst 1000 wildcard debut with Garry Rogers Motorsport. Herne steers the #29 BlueGold Industries entry and faces immediate pressure from two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Todd Hazelwood, who sits second in the points aboard the #1 Four'N Twenty Ford Mustang. James Moffat, Herne's endurance co-driver, holds third in the championship in the #34 AAT Racing Chevrolet Camaro after dropping positions due to post-race penalties incurred at The Bend Motorsport Park.
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Behind the top three, Jarrod Hughes occupies fourth in the championship table after also losing ground following the previous round at The Bend. Hughes has stepped up to the Repco Supercars Championship with Erebus Motorsport and will drive the #118 Chevrolet Performance Camaro at Sandown, though clashing Supercars commitments during the same event mean he is unlikely to see out the full Trans Am season.
Grid newcomers and returning drivers
The entry list features key additions and returning contenders across the field. Super2 competitor Ayrton Hodson of Matt Stone Racing links up with Ash Jarvis Racing to make his first Trans Am start of the year in the #44 Ford Mustang. Toyota 86 driver Jenson Teleskivi is poised to make his Trans Am Cup debut driving the #2 Maverick Performance Ford Mustang. Meanwhile, Isaac Demellweek returns in the #36 Image Racing Ford Mustang following a top-10 run on debut at The Bend, with plans to contest the Sandown round before backing up again at the season finale. The 17-car entry also features Ben Bargwanna, Jack Smith, Cody Brewczynski, Blake Tracey, Lachlan Evennett, Tyler Cheney, Tom Davies, Harrison Sellars, Des Collier, and Domain Ramsay.
Schedule and broadcast details
Track proceedings commence on Friday with two practice sessions timed for 12:30pm and 3:20pm. Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 12:05pm ahead of Race 1 at 1:50pm. The weekend concludes on Sunday with two further sprint encounters, starting with Race 2 at 11:40am and culminating in Race 3 at 3:15pm. Live television and streaming coverage of the entire Sandown event will be screened on Fox and Kayo Sports.
Sources: Trans Am Title Fight Heats Up Ahead of Sandown Showdown.
