Jake Santalucia has recorded his second win of the weekend after a thrilling race at the third round of the Australian Formula Ford Series.

In a one-lap flyer to the flag after a Safety Car, Santalucia was able to wrestle the win from Synergy Energy’s Cody Maynes-Rutty (Spectrum) by 0.24 seconds with Borland Racing’s Xavier Kokai (Spectrum) third.

Series leader Matt Hillyer’s (Sonic Mygale) woes continued. He was penalised ten seconds for an incident with Altatek Racing’s Kobi Williams (Spectrum) in the first race. He would start four places further back on position 13. Williams also had dramas with a loop at the hairpin on the out-lap. He was unable to refire and was therefore a non-starter.

On the third lap Synergy’s Eddy Beswick (Spectrum) and Colin Hill Engineering’s Daniel Frougas (Mygale) clashed out of the hairpin. Beswick was squeezed against the tyre barrier by an unsighted Frougas who ran up over the nose cone of the Spectrum which also bent a steering arm. Frougas was left stranded with broken front suspension. Hillyer who was behind them was lucky not be caught up in the incident.

When the track was cleared, there was one race lap left. Kokai brought into the battle for the lead before Maynes-Rutty briefly had his nose in front. Santalucia snatched it back through the penultimate corner. There was some interlocking of wheels through the corner which they were able to come out of without damage.

Fourth place meant that CHE’s Zak Lobko further narrowed the points spread to Hillyer while his teammate Lachlan Strickland was next in front of Altatek’s Matt Holmes, Lachie Mineeff, Borland’s Harrison Sellars, Hillyer and Synergy’s Elliot Cleary. Conor Somers, Fraser Hie and Imogen Radburn completed the finishers.

The second round for the national Formula Fords will completed on Sunday with the third race scheduled for 10:45 local time/AEST.