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MACROW CRUSHES RIVALS IN FORMULA FORD OPENER  

Victorian rising star Adam Macrow has served notice to his championship rivals with two resounding victories in the opening round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship, at Sandown (Melbourne) today.  

Macrow, driving the latest Australian-made Spectrum chassis, was headed briefly in the first heat by Tweed Heads driver Craig Zerner before storming into the lead on lap two.  

The 19-year-old Melbourne racer then put the crush on his rivals, eventually winning by more than five seconds, an enormous margin in the usually tight Formula Ford class.  

Macrow then repeated the dose in the second race, rounding in Dugal McDougall's Mygale SJ98 on the second lap and then stretching the lead on every lap to win by just under four seconds.  

Relaxed after scoring his first two championship victories, Macrow strongly praised his Melsteel Spectrum 06B.  

"I had complete confidence in the car and that makes a lot of difference in the way you approach a race.  

"Everything seemed to go right for me today ... I'd have to say that it was the perfect start to the championship, but I'm not getting too overconfident. There are still seven rounds to go," Macrow says.  

Western Australian Van Diemen ace Aaron McNally finished second, with Victorian Dugal McDougall third.  

Ford Motorsport/Slick 50 Australian Formula Ford Championship: Round 1, Sandown (Melbourne)  

Race 1: 1. A. Macrow (Vic) Spectrum 06B, 10min 47.2382 secs; 2. D. McDougall (Vic) Mygale SJ98; 3. S. Owen (Vic) Spectrum 06; 4. A. McNally (WA) Van Diemen RF97; 5. G. Ritter (Vic) Van Diemen RF98; 6. C. Zerner (NSW) Spectrum 06B; 7. A. Seward (Vic) Spectrum 06B; 8. C. Jones (Qld) Spectrum 06B; 9. R. Miller (Tas) Van Diemen RF95; 10. D. Lindstrom (Vic) Van Diemen RF91.  

Race 2: 1. A. Macrow (Vic) 10min 52.9977 secs; 2. A. McNally (WA); 3. D. McDougall (Vic); 4. T. Leahey (NSW) Van Diemen RF98; 5. A. Seward (Vic); 6. C. Dell (NSW) Van Diemen RF 96B; 7. A. Davison (Vic) Van Diemen RF95; 8. R. Miller (Tas); 9. C. Jones (Qld); 10. J. Cotter (NSW) Mygale SJ95.  

Pointscore: 1. A. Macrow 40; 2. D. McDougall 30; 3. A. McNally 28; 4. A. Seward 16; 5. S. Owen 14; 6. T. Leahey 12; 7. G. Ritter 10; 8. C. Zerner 8; 9. C. Dell 8; 10. R. Miller 8.