Last Weekend, Young Gun Diesel Thomas got his first taste in what it was like to race a TA2 Muscle Car during the season opener at Winton.

Diesel was one of few rookies to take part last weekend and he quickly began to impress, fighting against top star drivers in the field.

“The team and I discussed before the weekend and said if i can get anywhere near the top 10 in any of the sessions it would be a good weekend, but i surpassed this goal straight away by being in the top 10 all weekend and just coming shy of the podium. But it was amazing to come home with p1 in the rookies which is something i didn’t except.” explained Thomas.

Prior to TA2, Thomas starred in the TFH Hire Formula RX8 Series in 2024, where he scored multiple top ten results as well as achieving a podium result at Queensland Raceway.

The Formula RX8 Series has been well regarded as a great grassroots category for drivers looking to step up in the motorsport world while also racing in tough but fair competition.

“Formula rx8 has helped me prepare for Ta2 in more ways then i can think of, all of the fundamentals of racing that i have taken over to Ta2 i learnt in Formula Rx8,” Diesel shared to Let’s Talk Motorsport.

“I think all young drivers should go through Formula Rx8 in their racing career as it is a vital stepping stone. It taught me great race craft and the competition is very competitive and i don’t think I would be where I am today without doing it.”

The Formula RX8 Series is set to return in 2025, kicking their season off at Bathurst during the Bathurst 6hr weekend which Diesel will compete in.

Using the skills he learnt during last year’s RX8 season, Diesel impressed at Winton last weekend, earning himself the Rookie of the Weekend award. Thomas was quick out the box, scoring himself multiple top ten results and just missing out on a podium finish on debut.

Despite performing well however, it was a baptism of fire for the young Queenslander.

“It was a very up and down weekend for me had an awesome first day of practice being p8 in practice one, p4 in practice two and p8 in practice three it was a big confidence boost going into qualifying the next day” explained Thomas.

“I had a strong qualifying coming p8 and the first race is where it went down hill I got taken out lap 1 turn 1 and had split the radiator in my car.”

“We knew we had another qualifying on Sunday so we reset and had another crack at it and this is where the weekend started to turn good we had our highest qualifying in any category coming home in p4 on our debut weekend out qualifying my brother as-well, and also finishing p4 in the last race for the weekend which I couldn’t be more happy about especially being near the top against all these experienced drivers in the category.”

Diesel was just one of four TA2 cars under the TFH Racing banner this weekend, with brother Josh Thomas returning to the category in 2025. Josh has been a consistent front runner throughout his time in the series and Winton was no exception with scoring multiple top five finishes. Despite being his first weekend however, Diesel was able to beat his older and experienced brother both the second qualifying session as well as the final race of the weekend.

We’re sure that both brothers made father and owner of TFH Hire, Brett Thomas, very proud.

“I think dad had a very proud son moment this weekend, it was good too see him enjoying the weekend watching me already come so far in racing and going well in it. But my brother on the other hand I don’t think I will let him hear the end of it for a while. It was not something i expected to beat him in a race my first weekend in the category but I will take it.”

Diesel also shared exclusively to LTM that he hopes to continue racing in the TA2 Racing series for 2025 but also contest in the final three rounds of the Trico Trans Am Series once he’s old enough and as previously mentioned, will return to the TFH Hire Formula RX8 Series for the opening round at Bathurst in April.