When a vehicle isn’t an AUSCAR, a Stock Car (NASCAR) or an OzTruck and the driver wants to run with Stock Cars Australia, it goes into the Muscle Division, and they share the track with the previously mentioned classes.

Examples of cars in the Muscle Division are the XE Falcon, the Holden Torana and the VT Commodore.

Michael Rice was the 2025 champion, and we tell you all about his championship winning journey here.

Round 1 – Winton Motor Raceway

Practice started well for Michael; he had a best lap of 1:39.0334 which was good enough for fifth overall and was ahead of the SCA AUSCAR pack.

The #108 VT Commodore was qualified in fifth place with a time of 1:40.3620 just over a second ahead of the lead SCA AUSCAR driven by Jamey Hollier.

Race 1 was a quiet one for Michael, he started fifth and made the position his own, untroubled by any competition all race long to finish fifth.

Race 2 was an action packed one for the #108, the VT Commodore started fifth and had to contend with the SCA AUSCARs driven by Brad Lighton and Jamey Hollier.

Michael was able to keep Jamey at bay, but Brad Lighton got through to take fifth by .3371 of a second giving the #108 a sixth-place finish.

Race 3 was another action-packed race as Michael, Brad and Jamey battled for fifth, sixth and seventh positions.

Michael’s best lap was a 1:41.3596 on Lap 8 to put pressure on the two SCA AUSCAR runners but he fell short of taking sixth from Jamey Hollier by .2172 of a second giving him a seventh place finish.

That was the end of round for the #108 as only Jamey Hollier and Troy Perichon raced in the exhibition that was Race 4.

Round 2 – The Bend

It was out to The Bend for the first time in Stock Cars Australia history and the #108 was one of the ten competitors to be at the circuit.

Mechanical issues stopped popular SCA AUSCAR racer Lukas Gates from competing and so nine vehicles qualified with Michael taking eighth with a time of 1:37.3752.

Race 1 was an eighth-place finish for the #108 as Jamey Hollier finished ahead of Michael in their battle on the track.

Race 2 saw the #108 turn the tables on the #71 and with attrition striking the field, the #108 was rewarded with a sixth-place finish.

Race 3 gave the #108 another sixth-place finish as the #108 stayed ahead of the #71, Michael’s best lap time was just 0.0002 faster than Jamey’s and both recorded their lap on lap 5.

Race 4 was a quiet one for the #108 as the #71 dropped out of the race after recording six laps and the VT Commodore finished in seventh, it is interesting to note that the #108’s best lap was again on Lap 5.

Round 3 – Sydney Motorsport Park

Round 3 was a non-championship round and so the #108 was not at the track that weekend.

Round 4 – One Raceway

It was a very cold One Raceway that greeted the Stock Cars Australia field.

Not only did the field have to battle each other but also battle those devices that measured decibels.

The #108 did not get to set a lap for qualifying and was at the rear of the field for Race 1 with Laurence Mckinnon and Richard White.

Twelve cars got the green flag, it would have been thirteen, but Phil Muffet encountered mechanical issues that parked the #41 Ford Thunderbird for that race.

The #108 finished in tenth position, it was a quiet race compared to what was usual for the VT Commodore which isn’t a bad thing.

It was a different story in Race 2 as Michael finished in ninth position, just under a second covered Colin Matton, Brad Lighton and Michael in another action-packed battle between the Muscle Division car and the SCA AUSCARs.

Race 3 saw another Muscle Division vs. SCA AUSCAR battle as Michael gained a place to finish eighth and was just .5010 from passing Colin Matton for sixth place.

Race 4 was another action-packed race as it seemed nobody wanted fourth position as Richard White, Colin Matton and Mick Heppleston all struck trouble to knock them out of the race when in contention for that spot.

That moved Michael up to fourth position and a season best finish was beckoning but officials declared that the #108 was too loud at the sound sensitive track forcing Michael to give up the position and retire from the race with Brad Lighton inheriting and keeping fourth position.

Round 5 – Calder Park Raceway

Michael had to sit out of Round 5, but he had done more than enough to wrap up the Muscle Division title for a second consecutive season.

Another trophy in the Rice Motorsport collection and well deserved too keeping the car out of trouble in very close but wise racing with the SCA AUSCARs.

Muscle Division is a great class within Stock Cars Australia; it gives drivers a nice category to be part of and the cars are around the pace of SCA AUSCARs ensuring that there is action and action that is usually free from wrecks.