Two Winners from Three Races to Wrap up Super Weekend in Tassie

A brilliant weekend of Australian Formula Ford Series racing on the national stage supporting the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint program has come to a close with Jack Bussey (#74 AG Equip Spectrum) clinching his first round win, and first race wins since Round 2 at Winton earlier this year.

Joining him in claiming round honours were Joe Fawcett (#23 KONSTRUCT Spectrum Spectrum), second for the round, and series leader Eddie Beswick (#30 Synergy Motorsport Spectrum) in third.

Podium placings were all the more special for Fawcett, who stood on the podium for the first time, and for Beswick, with this weekend's results extending his championship lead.

Race 3 

After winning Saturday's Race 2, Beswick started from pole position in today's Race 3, taking the lead off the line, leaving Bussey and Friday's Tyres & More Pole Award winner Kobi Williams (#94 ACMF Finance Spectrum) running side-by-side in second and third on the run into turn one and held on to the lead for the remainder of the opening lap. Beswick took the outside line through turn four and held on to the lead for the remainder of the opening lap.

In a repeat of Saturday's Race 2, Bussey and Beswick traded places before Bussey would make a pass for the lead stick, taking Williams along for the ride and shuffling Beswick back to third.

Daniel Frougas (#27 CHE Racing Team Mygale) rounded out the race podium, with his performance this weekend - including today’s drive from seventh to third - earning him the Focus Driver Performance Hard Charger Award for the round.

Contact between the #94 and #30 sent the latter spearing off the track at the hairpin while running in third place and rejoining at the back of the pack, where he would ultimately finish in 12th. Harrison Sellars (#13 ACL Race Series and Altatek Spectrum) was the first of the Tassie locals across the line in fourth, with teammate and fellow Tasmanian Matt Holmes (#41 Altatek Racing Spectrum) finishing just outside the top 10 in 11th.

Cody Maynes-Rutty started the race from pit lane due to a penalty from Race 2 and drove the #69 Allotrac & Synergy Motorsport Spectrum all the way to fifth place.

Rounding out the top 10 were: Lachlan Strickland (#47 Rightway Insurance Services Mygale - 6th), Logan Eveleigh (#91 Zero7 Motorsport Mygale - 7th), Imogen Radburn (#29 CHE Racing Team Mygale - 8th), Kyle Cotter (#17 Synergy Motorsport Spectrum - 9th), and Fraser Hie (#11 Fraser Hie Motorsport Spectrum - 10th).

It was a tough day at the office for Liam Loiacono (#43 BF Racing Mygale), with an unassisted spin at the hairpin sending him to the back of the field early in the race. Contact a few laps later with another racer at the same spot sent the #43 into the wall for the first of two Safety Car periods during the race and ending Loiacono’s race early. 

At the restart, Bussey and Williams were vying for position, with Williams taking the lead at the hairpin before an answering pass from Bussey at turn six, where he would remain for the remainder of the race. 

The second Safety Car was called with only a few minutes left in the race. Williams, who had been struggling with brakes all race, locked a wheel and made contact with another car, causing damage to the #94 and cutting his race a few laps short. Lachlan Evennett (#88 BF Racing/OTTOS Mygale) took advantage of the mid-race tussle between Beswick and Williams, finding himself as high as second for a time. However, he would be shuffled back to 13th after connecting with Williams in the final few laps of the race.

Race 3 results

Round 5 Focus Driver Performance Hard Charger Award winner - Daniel Frougas

Daniel delivered two solid drives in both of Saturday’s races after an incident in qualifying saw the #27 CHE Racing Mygale driver start Race 1 from the back of the field. Daniel started Sunday’s race seventh on the grid, before racing his way to third place in Race 3.

With five rounds now complete, the championship battle is starting to heat up. The Australian Formula Ford Series next heads to Sandown for Round 6, and the second half of back-to-back weekends, racing alongside the Victorian Formula Ford Championship across 23 - 25 August.

A full championship points update will soon be available on www.formulaford.org.au.

2024 Australian Formula Formula Ford Series Round 5 - NED Whiskey Tasmania SuperSprint Quoteboard

Round winner: Jack Bussey, #74 AG Equip Spectrum 

“It’s pretty good to get my first round win, especially here. A big thank you to the Spectrum team - John Martin, John Connelly, Mike and Wes for the satellite support, and of course, to my sponsors AG Equip, Linx Australia Group, William Adams, and Brown Property Group. Without them, this isn’t possible. And thank you to everyone for the great racing and weekend.”

Round second place-getter: Joe Fawcett, #23 KONSTRUCT Spectrum Spectrum

“I’d like to give a big thank you to Spectrum, Borland Racing, John Martin and Wes McDougal on the data, Dad, Andy, and all the boys for all the hard work they put in. And thanks to everyone for a good race.”

Round third place-getter: Eddie Beswick, #30 Synergy Motorsport Spectrum 

“It was a pretty up-and-down weekend, but to get third and extend my championship lead is always a positive. Thanks to all the drivers for some really hard racing and congrats to Jack on his first round win, it’s pretty cool to get it here. I’d like to thank Formula Ford for getting us on to this cool event, and my family who came out.”