Hillyer, Grubel take Formula wins in Sydney

The National rounds of Formula Ford and Formula Open were the stars of the second round of the NSW Motor Racing Championships.

Matt Hillyer didn’t figure in the major places of the third and final race, but sixth was enough to get him the second-round victory in the Australian Formula Ford Series at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Meanwhile after the non-event of race one on Saturday, Tim Macrow Racing’s Trent Grubel won both Sunday Formula Open races.

Hillyer backed up from his Race 1 victory with a repeat in Race 2. He lost the lead for a lap to Sonic team-mate Conor Somers.

CHE Racing’s Zak Lobko finished third after his team-mate Lachlan Strickland and Synergy’s Eddie Beswick collided on Lap 6.

Behind the three Mygale drivers, Xavier Kokai was the first of the Spectrums ahead of Daniel Frougas and Kobi Williams.

From the outset of the last race, Hillyer was in front with his only real threat coming from Lobko. Somers dropped out of contention, falling down the order after a first-corner clash.

Lobko took the lead from Hillyer, however the Sonic Racing driver regathered the front running before the two clashed and Hillyer fell to sixth.

Lobko won ahead of Kobi Williams as Lachlan Strickland fought back to third and just held off Edison Beswick, the latter all the way from the back of the grid, while Lachlan Mineeff placed fifth.

Behind Hillyer in the round result was Lobko with Somers third. Anglo Motorsport’s Thomas Kalamakis was the winner of both outings in the Kent class, each time ahead of Will Liston.

Grubel [Dallara F312] was the tearaway winner of both the Formula Race Cars that hosted Australian Formula Open. Ryan Astley was second in the initial part of the first race before he lost out to TMR’s Ryan How, also at the helm of a F308/11.

The 2015 Gold Star winner Jon Collins came through for third for Gilmour Racing when he displaced Astley on the penultimate lap.

In the later race, How held second throughout. Collins dropped spots to Astley, Winston van Laarhoven and Myles Bromley on the second lap, but Collins fought back to finish third. Van Laarhoven was next ahead of Ryan Astley, Andrew Roberts and Doug Barry (Reynard 92D Formula Holden).

The three outright place getters were also the winners of the AFO1 F3 class.

The AF02 Invitational class was taken out by Paul DiBiase (Tatuus FT-50) over Nathan Beer and Matt Roesler, and Brodie Norris (Mygale F4) took out AF04 ahead of Kristian Janey and Mark Wilson.