Hillyer wraps up 2023 Formula Ford title

Hillyer sonic 2023 Formula Ford champions

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: September 25, 2023

Matt Hillyer joined an illustrious list of young drivers to win the Australian Formula Ford Series after wrapping up the title emphatically at the Phillip Island Victorian State Race Series meeting last weekend.

A special three-peat at the sweeping Victorian circuit was the perfect way for Hillyer to clinch the championship with one round still to go at the Bend Motorsport Park with Zak Lobko an unassailable 92 points adrift.

The #2 driver was a dominant force all season, with Phillip Island taking his victory tally to 12 wins from 18 races.

Hillyer is the 14th driver to take the Formula Ford crown with Sonic Motor Racing Services, joining the likes of Supercars stars Will Davison, Jamie Whincup, David Reynolds, Nick Percat and Anton De Pasquale among others.

Hillyer said it was an “epic” feeling to have the Australian Formula Ford Series title on his resume.

Matt Hillyer dominated the 2023 Australian Formula Ford Series and secured the crown with a perfect weekend at Phillip Island.

“It was a great round at Phillip Island for the sixth round of the Australian Formula Ford Series,” Hillyer said.

“I was able to grab the 2023 series win, which is absolutely epic for me. It means a lot, all the team at Sonic do such a great job to give me such a reliable car and to make me the best I can possibly be.

“None of the hard work goes unnoticed, so a big thank you to every single person at Sonic for all that they do.

“A big thanks to my sponsors and also to my parents for giving me the best opportunities.”

Hillyer hit the ground running in qualifying by taking pole position with a 1:36.6848.

He was one tenth better than Harrison Sellars and Damon Woods, while teammate Jake Santalucia was in fourth and Lobko could only manage seventh.

The opening race proved to be a thriller as Sonic teammates Hillyer and Santalucia were embroiled in a back and forth fight for the lead.

Hillyer appeared to be in command, but he could not shake off the fast-starting Santalucia, who snatched the lead with one lap to go.

It all came down to the final straight with the pair taking the chequered flag side by side.

In the end Hillyer managed to creep his nose ahead and take the win by a slender 0.0673s with teammate Conor Somers also close by in their slipstream.

Matt Hillyer and Zak Lobko battle side by side for the lead in the run up to Siberia.

The shorter race two was another nail biter almost following the same script, with Santalucia leading the field at the commencement of the final lap, only to fall less than a second short.

This time Santalucia found himself wrestling with Somers at the chequered flag and managed to keep #71 driver at bay just as Sonic locked out the podium yet again.

Sonic’s dream of a special podium sweep for the entire weekend was denied by Lobko, who snuck ahead of Santalucia to snag third in the third and final race.

But Hillyer and Somers were in a league of their own up front with the #2 driver wrapping up his title in style with yet another win, this time by six tenths.

Although Lobko jumped on the podium in race three, Sonic still swept the round podium with Hillyer’s perfect 100 points followed by Somers (88) and Santalucia (85).

It was a two horse race in the Kent class with Richard Davison edging out Peter Fitzgerald by four points.

Although Hillyer has sealed the title, the fight for second best is still on.

Just three points split Lobko and Santalucia in a battle which could go down to the wire at The Bend Motorsport Park finale on October 13-15.

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