Capo wins the first instalment of new look Australian Driver’s Championship

The first of seven rounds for the Hyper Racers and backed by the Velocity Management Group, drew 15 competitors. Dean Crooke who won the category series in 2022, scored pole by 0.0077s over Capo with last year’s series winner Damon Sterling and Jayden Crossland just a couple of tenths away.

Capo who came in to replace Noah Sands at Carbon Racing at the last minute due to health reasons, won the first of four races after Crooke led until half distance. Crossland was a close second with Sterling and Crooke the next two.

Luke Klaver finished fifth, just in front of Brenton Davey while Niko French last a couple of positions from earlier to take seventh in front of Bastien, Terry Knowles and Hardy Kuhn.

Crooke led every lap of Race 2 where Capo overcame his battle with Sterling to secure second. Klaver placed seventh from Crossland and they were chased by Treptel and Josh Gardiner.

After he led the first lap of Race 3, Crooke ultimately fell to third behind winner Capo and Sterling. Crossland was on his own in fourth as Klaver, Treptel and Brad Smith ensued. Capo continued his winning way into the last, led all the way, and crossed the line ahead of Crooke with Smith third from Sterling, Davey and Gardiner.

“In the 60 years I’ve been actively involved in motor racing as a driver, designer and manufacturer, I’ve never seen an Australian Drivers Championship race meeting as competitive as the racing I saw on the weekend,” said category manager Jon Crooke.

The opening round of the Victorian Motor Race Championships also featured Vic V8s where Mark Kakouri (Holden VH Commodore) won the first two races before a broken tailshaft ruled him out. Brien Finn (VS Commodore) won the later races while consistency won Craig Eddy (VH) the round.

In 2 Litre Sports Sedans Steve Howard won all four races in his Toyota Corolla. Linda Devlin swapped from her initial Mini JCW Cooper S to her second, sister car to ensure she was second in each.

The second round of the VMRC will be at Winton on May 10-12 and will again feature the Hyper Racers, Round 1 of Australian Super Trucks, Excel Racing, Victorian Sports Cars, 2 Litre Sports Sedand and Super TT.