Sinclair Snaps up Swan Hill Finale and F500 Stampede Series .

Championship leader Dale Sinclair had a lackluster penultimate round of the RTS Chassis Australia Stampede Series at Laang last weekend, but when the series hit Swan Hill for the final round Sinclair was almost unstoppable taking his third round win of the series and his first RTS Chassis Stampede Series Championship.
Sinclair took the round win and the series as he led home the young speedster James Arranyosi (who set the fastest lap of the night) with Jason Pearson, Jeremy Beddison and Steven Horton next.

Coming into the championship final it was technically a three horse race with Sinclair a mere one and a half points ahead of the ever consistent Turner with defending Champion Jessica Moulden a further 35 points adrift. With a tight points spread across the heat results and passing points it was going to a be a tight battle.
Turner, who has been the championship runner up the last couple of seasons knew what he had to do and that was finish in front of Sinclair.
In their first two heats Turner shadowed Sinclair across the line before beating him in their third encounter meaning that it would all come down to the feature event.

The opening heat saw Jack “The General” Lee leading nicely until his right front wheel overtook him on the penultimate lap leaving Liam Williams to take the win from Sinclair, Ian Smith and Turner. Moulden and A J Blackstock had been eliminated in a turn one skirmish and so to virtually, had been Moulden’s hopes of defending her crown.

Heat two saw the continued emergence of Arranyosi as a true talent as he took the win from Jason Pearson who’d led the first three laps, Beddison, Grant Fleming, Horton, New South Wale’s Colin Adam and Kevin Freeman.
Moulden rebounded from her heat one early exit by leading from go to whoa in heat three defeating Lee, Williams, Sinclair, Turner and Ian Smith.

Pearson and Arranyosi again started off the front row of heat four but this time Pearson wasn’t going to lose the lead and in fact Beddison even pushed the youngster back to third ahead of Fleming, Horton, Freeman and Adam.

Heat five saw Moulden again lead Lee from start to finish with Freeman grabbing third ahead of Horton, Adam and Smith.

The final heat saw Turner up the pressure on Sinclair by leading every lap. Sinclair was second from Pearson, Williams, Arranyosi, Beddison and Fleming.

A big fight could have been expected from the feature front row which saw Williams and Sinclair sharing it as these two have been the hottest two locals in recent months. However, Williams had nothing to lose and could go all out for the race win and the glory while Sinclair needed to be a little more cautious.

Williams got the jump and led Sinclair and the rest of the field away until Adam spun out for the races only caution. Williams then led away again but Sinclair took over the front spot after just six laps and was never headed. Unfortunately for Williams, the only other driver to win three rounds of the series this season, a steering issue was hampering his progress and he dropped back to as far as 9th.
Arranyosi was relishing the cold evening and after starting 5th he progressively moved up to the runner up position. Followed by Pearson, Beddison and Horton. Moulden worked hard to move her way up from her 12th place starting grid to finish 6th just ahead of Turner, Williams, Lee, Smith, Freeman, Adam, Fleming and Blackstock who’d been able to make it out for the final after his heat one dnf. Unfortunately his car still wasn’t quite right and he struggled for pace.

“It was a good tight series.” Said Mack Sinclair of his son’s victory. “The plan was to race hard and try to stay out of trouble and finish ahead of Matt (Turner) and Jess (Moulden). Winning the feature was a bonus.”

The Victorian Formula 500 association would like to take this opportunity to thank all competitors, fans, tracks, officials and series supporters, especially RTS Chassis Australia who took over sponsorship of the series at the last minute, for a great championship.

“It was a great series, with some brilliant racing, and the result was in doubt until the final chequered flag fell on the final race. What more could you ask for?” Enthused series Official and chief lap scorer Chris Olsen. “As well as that we saw some brilliant young talents really shine including Dale Sinclair, Liam Williams, Jack Lee and James Arranyosi. I’m really looking forward to next season already.”

Sinclair will receive his championship trophy at the Victorian Formula 500 associations presentation night which will be held at the Warrnambool Bowls Club on June 27th.