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Valentino Astuti secures the 2022 Formula Ford Series title

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: October 30, 2022

The latest young gun to win the Formula Ford Australia Series title is Valentino Astuti after he wrapped up the championship with one race to spare at the season finale at Sydney Motorsport Park today.

On a sunny Sydney Sunday Astuti held a three point lead over Jimmy Piszcyk and a 31 point lead over Cameron McLeod ahead of the second race of the weekend.

Ryder Quinn and Zak Lobko flew away from the line and headed into turn 1 ahead of Astuti and Xavier Kokai with McLeod in fifth.

An incident between Kent drivers Dylan Fahey and Dan Holihan at turn 2 brought out the safety car on the first lap but not before McLeod was able to jump ahead of both Kokai and Astuti.

Quinn once again regained control at the restart to lead the field in to turn 1.

To maintain his lead Quinn had to fend off an aggressive McLeod, who had an overlap before the control line and was penalised for his indiscretion. 

After another safety car interruption, only two laps remained and Quinn held off a persistent McLeod to secure the race two win.

Lobko came home third and Astuti finished fourth, and with only 20 points on offer for the winner of race three, he did enough to take home the 2022 Formula Ford Australia Series.

The Formula Ford Australia Series flies out of the opening bend at SMP. Image: Supplied

Fuelled by his championship success earlier in the day, Astuti won a dramatic final race of the season after tight battle with Lobko, Smith and Quinn. 

In the Kent Class Mitch Gatenby and his 1600cc engine continued their domination to secure nine wins from as many starts wrapping up the 2022 Formula Ford Australia Kent Championship in fine style. 

Astuti finished on 274 points, 37 more than Piszcyk, while Gatenby had almost double the amount of points than his his nearest rival Jason Liddell in the Kent class.

Astuti was thrilled to emerge on top after a fierce battle for the title.

“It’s absolutely amazing, Formula Ford is such a great category and I have learnt most of my race craft driving a car here,” he said.

“Every round this year there has been someone else and pole and another person in front, it’s just such a great competition and I couldn’t be happier to be on top.”

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the latest issue of Auto Action.

AUTO ACTION, Australia’s independent voice of motorsport.

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