Triple-winners at 2023 Victorian State Race Series Round 2

Winton Motor Raceway was the host of the Victorian State Race Series where five drivers were three-race winners in their respective categories.

Fresh from the national series a week earlier, Jake Santalucia started with a comfortable win over Zak Lobko and Joe Fawcett in race one of Formula Fords. Then after a brief loss of lead to Lobko, Santalucia and Fawcett passed him at the last corner. Santalucia won the last ahead of Fawcett and Brad Collins.

Francois Habib won the three Sports Sedan outings in his former Tasman Holden Commodore VZ Supercar. Ben McLeod (Commodore) was second ahead of Greg Lynch (Commodore) in the first race and then slipped off at turn 11 when second and handed that spot to Lynch. Rookie Nathan Baines set the fastest lap before a fuel vapour fire in his Nissan 180SX put him out. Lynch looked to have the measure of McLeod in race three until he spun at turn seven.

It was a Sabre domination of Formula Vee. Behind the dominant Reef McCarthy, Jake Rowe was second overall after second in races two and three, ahead of Andre Curin and Heath Collinson who was the runner-up in race one.

Cameron Beller had the pace over everyone in Porsche 944s where Ryan Woods was second on the three occasions. After Chris Lewis-Williams was a close fourth to Adam Brewer in race one, he beat his rival home in the next two.

In Circuit Excels, Cadel Ambrose had the wood on the field with three victories. James Lodge was second through race one and most of the next until he was overtaken by Charlie Nash. The race was curtailed with a safety car after William Sala spun on oil at turn five and was collected by Treian Kontjonis. Harry Tomkins had a great start to be second in the third, but would place third when passed by Lodge.

While Phil Chester (MGB GT) was the overall winner in MG & Invited British Sports Cars. It was not so simple. He won the first race ahead of Keith Ondarchie (Triumph Stag) but pitted and returned for sixth in the second. That gave the race to Ondarchie over Michael Trathan (MG Midget) before Chester scored the last ahead of Trevor Lindsay (Triumph GT6), Trathan and Ondarchie.

Keven Stoopman (Ford Falcon) did not cross the line first in race one of Saloon Cars, but was given the win. He lost the lead through a mistaken briefly displayed safety car board. Second was Kerran Pridmore (Holden Commodore) from Daniel Johnson (Falcon) and Adam Lowndes (Commodore). Lowndes was second to Stoopman in race two where Johnson snared third off Pridmore. Lowndes was able to pass Stoopman for the third race as Pridmore and Johnson were close behind.

Consistency gave Andrew Butcher (BMW M3) the top spot in Improved Production. Luke Grech-Cumbo (HSV Senator) won the initial encounter ahead of Lachlan McBrien (BMW E46 M3) with a broken gearbox. and Daniel Timewell (Holden Commodore).

Paul Cruse (Nissan S13) and Damien Milano (HSV) were casualties, but came through for first and fourth in race two with Grech-Cumbo and Butcher in between. Cruse took the last from Milano and Butcher after Grech-Cumbo speared off at Turn 1.