The CAMS Victorian State Circuit Racing Championship’s 2019 season has come to a close after an entertaining season finale saw a number of titles decided in thrilling contests.
Up to 180 entries took part in the Championship’s fifth and final round at the famous Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit with a number of categories not decided until the final race.
In the Saloon Cars, it was the 12th place Shawn Jamieson who managed to come away with the round victory after taking out two wins for the weekend, which in turn cost outright runner-up Anthony Beare a chance at the title after beating him in the final race by two tenths of a second.
Finishing third for the category over the weekend was Travis Lindorff who ends the year as the series winner thanks to Jamieson’s sensational win.
Formula Vee’s round winner Nicholas Jones went into the weekend in third place on the standings and did everything he could to give himself a sniff of the title, winning two out of three races.
However with outright leader Jake Rowe grabbing a top five finish and race one winner Heath Collinson scoring enough points to finish just two points above Jones, the round winner ended the year where he started in third.
During the round, there were four categories which saw their leaders solidify their positions at the top of the table, including Porsche 944 winner Cameron Beller.
Beller went into the round just three points ahead of Tony Westaway but secured the round clean sweep – effectively ending the title battle when his rival finished fifth in race one.
Another clean sweep for Darryl Hansen in the Historic Touring Cars saw him confirm the title early on the weekend, while two race wins to Holden HQ leader Andrew McLeod saw him take out both the round and the year.
In the Sports Sedans, nothing could separate the two round winners as series leader Dean Camm confirmed his title victory with two race wins, while race three winner Rick Newman enjoyed his maiden outing for the year, sharing the round’s top honours with Camm.
Newman wasn’t the only driver to take top spot in his first round for the year with Tim Hamilton in Formula 1600 and Adam Poole in Improved Production Cars all picking up a win in their first attempts.
Boasting the largest field of the weekend, Poole was too good for the 39 other drivers, claiming three wins from three races over eventual series winner Luke Grech-Cumbo.
It was a similar story in the Sports Cars as Wayne Mack won every race of the round in his Ferrari 458. Despite not finishing the final race, two second place finishes over the weekend to Joseph Ensabella saw him take out the title.
It wasn’t as smooth sailing for Tim Hamilton, who picked up two races wins in the Formula Ford 1600 class in his first outing for the year, while Zac Soutar won his first Formula Ford round for the year after coming close in the previous round.
The Hyundai Excels also had a big weekend with two races and it was Ben Grice who walked away as the round winner and title holder after picking up two race wins of his own.