Sport
28 March, 2023
Bell rings in title win
WARRNAMBOOL driver Jack Bell successfully defended his Victorian Formula 500 Championship at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway last Saturday night.
WARRNAMBOOLdriver Jack Bell successfully defended his Victorian Formula 500 Championship at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway last Saturday night.
From position two Bell led all 25 laps and took the chequered flag first from Simpson’s Tim Rankin and Warrnambool’s Dylan Willsher - with Angelo Karrousis and Lilydale teenager Tyler Maggs in fifth.
“It was awesome to win our third Victorian title at Simpson,” Bell said.
“A huge thank you to everyone that gets this car on the track especially my family.”
Over the course of the night the Formula 500 one lap record was broken 11 times.
Dylan Willsher’s previous record of 13.553 set nearly two years ago finally was officially broken by Maggsin 13.230 seconds.
The new 10-lap record is now held by Liam Russell with a time of 2:15.524, bettering James Aranyosi’s 2:16.876 set in April, 2016.
In the Junior Formula 500s Koby O’Shannassy won the 15 lap Junior Development Cup from Rusty Ponting and Dakota Luckett.
O’Shannassy had a win and two seconds in his qualifying heats and started the feature from pole position.
After a smooth drive, he led the entire race to a solid victory.
The New Stars final of 12 laps was won by Max Leersen from Tyson Heaphy and Steane Cosson.
In the Top Stars feature Miller Throckmorton got home first from Jayden Lock and Cruz Farrell.
Throckmorton’s pace saw him break the one lap time of 18.270 seconds and the 10-lap record was lowered by some six seconds by James Oliver in earlier heat racing.
Oliver set a new time of 3:06.043 that was previously held by B.Dignan with 3:12.60.
The next meeting at Heytesbury Stockfeeds Simpson Speedway will be on April 15.
This will feature the Merrett Family Trophy Race for wingless sprints.
Street stocks and VSC unlimited sedans are also on the program.