Hazelwood commits to Trans Am title defence
TODD Hazelwood will vie to defend his Trico Trans Am title in 2025 and has committed to running the #1 on his TFH Mustang for the mission.
Hazelwood shone at last month’s Adelaide 500 to defeat 2023 champion James Moffat in a “nerve-racking” decider.
It capped a big year for the 29-year-old, who won the Bathurst 1000 with Brodie Kostecki and subsequently sealed a “boyhood dream” to sign with Dick Johnson Racing.
“I really enjoyed my time in the Trans Am series in 2024. I was brand-new to the category and working with a team that was brand-new to circuit racing in Australian motorsport so it was certainly a steep learning curve, starting from nothing,” he told V8 Sleuth.
“We had a blank sheet of paper as far as set-up was concerned at the start of the year and results certainly showed that because we had a bit of a struggle in trying to get our heads around the cars and get the mechanicals right and all that sort of thing.
“But we certainly turned up the intensity dial towards the middle of the season once we started to get some runs on the board, that got the whole team motivated to try to do more and be better and we kept working hard at it.
“To achieve our first race win and pole position was pretty cool, but to then go on and seal the title up against GRM (Garry Rogers Motorsport) who have essentially dominated the Trans Am series for a long period of time now, and Moff who has been the benchmark operator in the category.
“So to do it was no fluke and to do it the way we did it, very proud of the whole team and all our efforts.”
Hazelwood feels competing in Trans Am is an ideal way to stay sharp for the Supercars enduros.
“The Trans Am category has been perfect for me, the driving style and similarities between a Supercar,” he said.
“It isn’t a Supercar, don’t get me wrong, there’s some things that the Trans Am does very different to a Supercar, but the key principle is the basis that it’s an overpowered-to-weight ratio race car, it’s got no downforce, no ABS, no traction control.
“Those parallels are all very similar with a Supercar, and obviously being rear-wheel-drive as well.
“So the way you think and the way you drive the car is somewhat similar, I believe, and definitely the racing.
“The intensity of the racing has definitely been the highlight for me. You have to race the cars super hard.
“There is an element of tyre conservation involved because you generally only have six tyres to use over three or four races, so you do have to play it smart, but at the same token you get rewarded for racing hard, punishing the tyre and getting the most out of the car.
“The races are super intense. Although the races are shorter than Supercars, you’re probably driving it like you would in qualifying lap after lap after lap, so the intensity level is right up and it certainly helps keep the mentality and mindset sharp for race day as soon as I jump back in a Supercar again with Brodie.”
A seven-round 2025 Trans Am calendar has been unveiled, featuring stops at Symmons Plains, Mount Panorama, Hidden Valley, Winton, The Bend, TBC (likely Mallala) and Adelaide.
