NATHAN Herne will make an Australian racing comeback at next week’s VAILO Adelaide 500.
Herne, whose American Trans Am campaign recently finished in dramatic fashion, will by vying for back-to-back Tasman Cups.
The Adelaide round of S5000 doubles as both the Australian Drivers’ Championship decider and the one and only round of the Tasman Series.
Herne beat Joey Mawson last year in heated scenes.
He’ll be part of a six-pronged Garry Rogers Motorsport S5000 fleet next weekend, alongside Aaron Cameron, Ben Bargwanna, Nic Carroll, Sebastien Amadio and Super2 returnee Jordan Boys.
“It’s going to be exciting to come back home and race at Adelaide again, especially in the S5000s,” said Herne, who also made starts in Dirt Late Models in the USA.
“There is one S5000 car that has followed me around here in America, racing on the same weekends as I have been in the TA2 Series, and every time you see and hear the thing go around you remember just how cool of a car they are.
“A lot of my best memories from racing came from the S5000 series last year, obviously the Tasman Series being a highlight of that.
“To have the opportunity to come back and have a crack at going back to back in the series, it’s pretty exciting, and an opportunity I am super thankful for from Barry (Rogers) and the crew at GRM.
“Coming back into the seat with the GRM crew behind me once again will be awesome, I had a visit from a few of the GRM boys not too long ago, so to have the band back together is going to be awesome. We definitely floated the idea around between us whilst they were here once or twice.
“It’s been good to see Aaron flying the GRM Team Valvoline flag at the front. Aaron and I had some good racing last year at the Adelaide Street Circuit, where he actually pipped me in qualifying and pushed me along all the way in race one, so I’m excited to reignite that battle.
“It’ll be an awesome event to be a part of, open-wheelers on a street circuit, what else could you want.”
Cameron is in line to win the Gold Star, given he holds an 84-point lead over Cooper Webster.
Rogers welcomed Herne’s return, the Lismore product having also won the 2022 Australian Trans Am title with GRM.
“Nathan is a young driver who we have been watching since he was in karts in 2016,” said Rogers.
“He excelled in Formula Ford, winning both Victorian and NSW state titles in 2018.
“Following a couple of years in TA2 and Trans Am where he won his first National Trans Am title, we were able to get him across to GRM in 2021 to race an S5000 and in 2022 he raced Trans Am and S5000 with GRM.
“Nathan immediately took to the S5000, and his results showed, winning four of the six races in the 2022 Tasman Series and entering the 2023 three-race Tasman Series as the reigning champion.
“We have watched with interest as Nathan has competed in the USA during 2023 and has continued to show his talent in the Trans Am car, regularly featuring on the podium against the next generation of NASCAR drivers.
“The pointy end of the S5000 field is going to be very sharp with Cooper Webster, Aaron Cameron and another yet to be announced high-profile addition.
“These are three races you will not want to miss at next week’s VAILO Adelaide 500.”
