Jessica Moulden created history last Saturday night when she became the first ever lady to win the Australian Formula 500 Championship when she won a gruelling and thrilling 35 lap A-Main at Laang Speedway.
After starting on the outside of the front row, Moulden assumed second place behind pole sitter Brock Hallett. With the front markers setting a cracking pace on a super fast slick surface Hallett was the first car to bring on the yellows after he spun the Q13 on the 4th turn of the first lap.
With cars swerving to avoid Hallett, Steven Ellement, Jye O’Keeffe and Thomas Davies came together with O’Keeffe flipping the V55. All 3 cars were unable to restart with Hallett sent to the rear.
At the restart Moulden jumped to the lead and would hold the position for 5 laps before Will Carroll passed Moulden and started to run away with an unassailable lead. After 7 laps in front and in heavy lap traffic Carroll spun bringing the yellows on once again. During these 7 laps Hallett was making his way through the pack to restart in 7th.
The restart saw James Aranyosi execute a pass for the lead coming out of turn 2 after Moulden drifted high. With clear track in front of him, Aranyosi set off to lead for a further 10 laps before being passed by Moulden in lapped traffic. Moulden would go onto lead the final 10 laps.
After a grilling 35 laps Moulden was crowned the new Australian Formula 500 Champion. Aranyosi was able to hold on for 2nd with Hallett racing his way into 3rd. Dale Sinclair provided the drive of the night after starting 13th in the B-Main.
Grant Stansfield capped off a good weekend finishing in 5th. He was followed by Simon Craven, Carroll, Matt Brown, Mitch Whiting who was challenging for a podium position in the earlier part of the race and Ben McLeod who rounded out the top 10.
Mark House was next in 11th with Western Australian Champ David Sinagra in 12th. AJ Blackstock was next followed by reserves Steven Horton and Phil Smith who rounded out the finishers. Jason Priolo, Charlie Brown and Mick Pronger finished on the infield and were joined by outgoing Australian Champion Liam Williams after he retired 2 laps in.
Whiting won the B-Main and was the first car to transfer to the back of the A-Main. Due to a tie on points, only 3 cars would transfer into the championship decider. McLeod finished 2nd with Sinclair coming from 13th to snatch the final transfer spot with laps to go.
In a wild C-Main which saw the first four cars transfer to the B-Main, Ryan Skennar was able to show a clean pair of heels to win the 20 lap race. He was followed by Mat Turner, Ryan O’Keefe and Shane Van Duynhoven.
Heat wins on the first night went to Dale Shilleto, Sinagra, Ellement, Aranyosi, Williams, Hallett, Leigh Van Ginneken and Charlie Brown. On 4 occasions rain would fall causing delays while the track was brought back to a standard good enough to race on. On the 4th occasion however the track was ready before a heavy shower of rain fell postponing the rest of the night’s event.
With the weather more favourable on Saturday, racing got underway at the earlier time of 5pm to complete the opening night heats before a further round of heats would be run. Blackstock would take the win in heat 9. Marcus Kelly took the next heat victory; Hallett won heat 11 with Pronger, O’Keeffe, Moulden and Jason Priolo taking heat victories. Matt Brown, Moulden, Williams, Aranyosi and Kristin Brown would win the final round of heat races.
The Victorian Formula 500 Association would like to congratulate Jess Moulden on her historic win and would like to thank the Volunteers, Officials, Laang Speedway and the Sponsors for their valued support of the 2012 Australian Formula 500 Championship. The 2013 Australian Formula 500 Title will be held at Carrick Speedway in Tasmania on March 29th, 30th and 31st 2013.
