Sam Power has won the opening Australian Formula race at Symmons Plains while he had to watch from the sidelines as Ash Quiddington took the second race.
Both of the day’s races featured highly competitive battles and plenty of drama, with the second race featuring a remarkable eight changes for the lead across its 16 lap duration.
Synergy Motorsport driver, Power, held out Sonic Motor Racing’s Anton De Pasquale by just 0.2s to take the opening race this morning, as fellow title contenders Macauley Jones (CAMS Rising Star) and Simon Hodge (Sonic Motor Racing) collided in the final corner whilst dicing for third.
Jones was penalised 10 seconds and five-championship points for his role in the contact that saw both cars off in the dirt, and at the bottom of the top-10 at race’s end.
The second race featured even more drama with Quiddington (American Made Cycles Spectrum 012) taking a surprise victory as leaders Power and Liam Sager collided half way through the final lap.
Having started sixth, CAMS Rising Star driver Sager had charged his Mygale through the field in the second race and was dicing with Power for the lead before the pair made contact exiting Symmons Plains’ famous Hairpin.
Sager’s front wheel made contact with the rear corner of Power’s car as they squeezed to the side of the circuit, both ending up well off the road and out of the race – leaving Quiddington to emerge through and take the victory.
Anton De Pasquale finished second whilst Jones recovered from his race one dramas to finish third.
A further two races to complete the opening round of the 2013 Australian Formula Ford Championship will be completed tomorrow alongside the Microsoft Office 365 Tasmania Challenge at Symmons Plains.
