Photos: Mark Medlock – Unlabelled Photography
Clear skies and warm autumn conditions greeted competitors for Round 2 of the WA Sporting Car Club Circuit Racing Championship at CARCO.com.au Raceway. Following February’s season opener, the April meet delivered another thrilling showcase of local talent across a full programme of categories. Early morning track conditions proved slippery, but with the rain holding off and temperatures climbing, drivers found pace and grip as the day progressed. Spectators were treated to thrilling battles throughout the round, with multiple races decided by margins measured in mere tenths of a second.
Retravision Excel Cup
Carlos Ambrosio dominated Round 2 of the Retravision Excel Cup, claiming the overall victory with a commanding 70-point haul. Ambrosio stamped his authority on the weekend, securing pole position with an impressive 1:11.72 lap time in qualifying before converting his pace into wins in both Race 1 and Race 3.
Zane Rhodes proved to be Ambrosio’s closest challenger, taking a thrilling Race 2 victory by just 0.04 seconds over Ambrosio. Rhodes’ fastest lap of the weekend (1:12.02) came in Race 3, helping him secure second overall with 57 points.
Noah Byrne rounded out the podium, delivering consistently strong performances across all three races to finish with 53 points. Vagner de Souza made a late charge in Race 3, claiming an impressive second place to secure fourth in the standings with 50 points.
Formula Ford
Formula Ford fans were treated to an ongoing jostle for position between Jensen Marold and Brock Brewer, with all three races coming down to the wire.
Marold edged Brewer in qualifying by 0.13 seconds, but Brewer struck back in Race 1, taking the win by just 0.21 seconds. Xavier Henderson rounded out the first race podium.
Race 2 saw the championship picture shift. Marold took the win, while Brewer could only manage third behind Henderson. A spate of retirements – including Van Leeuwen, Begley and Jorgensen – reshuffled the field.
Marold sealed the round win with another narrow victory in Race 3, again holding off Brewer by less than two-tenths. Henderson’s third podium of the weekend gave him third overall for the round.
HomeChef Formula Vee
Paul Moltoni returned to the top of the Formula Vee 1600 class with an impressive overall victory, securing
68 points across three closely contested races. The Home Chef-sponsored driver set the pace early with pole position in qualifying, posting a swift 1:07.68 lap time.
After taking victory in Race 1, Moltoni had to settle for third in Race 2 before bouncing back with a determined win in the final race, crossing the line just over two seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
Callum Lamont kept Moltoni honest throughout the weekend, taking a well-deserved victory in Race 2 and securing second place in both Races 1 and 3 to finish just three points behind with 65 points overall. Mason Legg rounded out the podium with 56 points, delivering consistently strong performances across all three races.
In the 1200cc class, a thrilling championship battle emerged with Danny Cerro and Isaac Scarey both clinching 63 points for the round. Scarey claimed victory in Race 2, while Cerro won the decisive final race. Campbell Gow secured third overall in the class with 54 points.
3E Production Cars
Early drama hit the Production Car field when Race 1 winner Damien Croxon (BMW M3) retired with mechanical issues in Race 2. James Gellan (Mitsubishi Evo IX) seized the opportunity to claim back-to-back wins and secure the overall victory with 70 points.
Laurie Whittome (Mazda RX-8) demonstrated remarkable consistency to secure second overall with 57 points, while James Russo completed the podium with 51 points in his Renault Megane RS265 after a strong recovery in the final race of the round.
WA Hino Improved Production
Nik Mitic delivered a flawless performance in his BMW E36 M3, securing a perfect 75-point haul. Mitic
dominated proceedings from the outset, claiming pole position with a 1:02.48 qualifying lap before powering to victory in all three races with increasing dominance.
Joseph Carrucan maintained a consistent pace throughout the weekend in his Subaru WRX, finishing second in all three races to secure the runner-up position with 60 points. Craig Poole rounded out the podium placings in his Holden Torana, accumulating 54 points across the three races.
In the hotly contested Under 2L Championship, Neil Pollard piloted his Honda Civic to sweep all three class victories and secure maximum points, while Cameron Burns claimed a trio of second places in his Honda Civic. Robert Landsmeer (86 GTS) completed the Under 2L podium with 54 points.
PoolEdge Systems Australia Street Cars
Benjamin Peachey emerged as the class of the Street Car field, piloting his Nissan 180SX to overall victory with 70 points. After finishing second in Race 1, Peachey claimed impressive victories in both Race 2 and Race 3.
Peter Callo (Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R) secured second overall with 63 points after a win in Race 1, though a 5-second penalty in Race 2 proved costly. Christopher Pavey rounded out the podium in his Culture 247 BMW E36 325, accumulating 52 points across the three races with notable consistency.
Sports Sedans
Ryan Humfrey dominated the Sports Sedan category at Round 2, securing a perfect 75-point haul in his Ford Falcon XE. Humfrey showed impressive pace from the outset, claiming pole position with a lightning-quick 0:56.60 before taking a clean sweep of race victories across the weekend.
Grant Hill provided strong competition in his Ford Falcon BF, taking three second-place finishes to secure the runner-up position with 60 points. Hill maintained a consistent pace throughout the meeting, staying within striking distance of Humfrey in each race but unable to mount a serious challenge for victory. Paul Frost rounded out the Sports Sedan podium in his Holden Commodore, recording a trio of third-place finishes for a total of 54 points.
Sports Cars
Walter Epple proved untouchable in the Sports Car category, steering his Porsche 991.1 to a perfect 75-point result. After qualifying third overall, Epple showed strong race pace to finish third in Race 1 before taking the class victory in both Race 2 and Race 3.
Chris McKenzie finished second in the standings, accumulating 58 points in his Mazda RX-7. After a strong showing in Race 1 with a fourth-place finish, McKenzie had to settle for third in class in the final two races. Peter McKenzie completed the Sports Car podium with 56 points in his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, including an impressive second-place finish in Race 3.
WA Muscle Cars
Clinton Rayner bounced back from a Race 1 DNF to claim victories in Races 2 and 3, taking the WA Muscle Car round win with 50 points. Ron Moller (Ford Mustang) endured a tough weekend, unable to start the final two races.
Tarmac Sportz Time Challenge
Madison Galton emerged triumphant in the Tarmac Sportz Time Challenge, demonstrating exceptional consistency in her Ford Focus RS to secure overall victory with 62 points. Galton’s precision timing was particularly evident in Trial 3, where she successfully maintained lap times within fractions of a second of her 1:10.60 nominated time.
Peter Dyball (Ford Falcon AU) claimed second overall with 55 points, showing remarkable improvement across the three trials. After recording 421 points in Trial 1, Dyball reduced his penalty to 354 in Trial 2 before delivering his most consistent performance in Trial 3 with 237 points.
Peter Towie rounded out the podium in his VW Golf R Wagon MK7, accumulating 53 points across the three trials. After dominating Trial 1 with the lowest points penalty (254), Towie struggled in Trial 2 but bounced back with a strong second-place finish in the final trial.
The WA Sporting Car Club Championship continues with a two-day meet at CARCO.com.au Raceway on 28–29 June. For more information on spectating or starting your motorsport journey, visit www.wascc.com.au. Full results and stream replays are available at wasccchampionship.com.