Round 2, Lakeside (Brisbane) Sunday, 29 March 1998  

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MCDOUGALL SIZZLES AS RIVALS WILT  

Experienced Formula Ford campaigner Dugal McDougall has stormed back into contention in the 1998 Ford Motorsport/Slick 50 Australian Formula Ford Championship with a pair of hard fought wins today at Lakeside Raceway (Brisbane).  

McDougall, 25, driving the latest-spec Mygale Chassis, held off gallant charges from series leader Adam Macrow (Spectrum) in two close, exciting races to win each heat by less than a car length.  

Other series rivals, including local racer Craig Zerner and pre-season championship favourite Greg Ritter, saw their challenges end prematurely in the 30+ degree heat, the former sliding off while attempting to take the lead and the latter with a mechanical failure mid-way through the second race.  

Pleased with the result, and the performance of his car, McDougall hinted that the Mygale was the chassis to beat for the remainder of the championship.  

"Yeah, the Mygales kicked their buts out there today ... I'm pretty happy about our prospects for the rest of the title, that's for sure," McDougall said.  

"Seriously though, the racing was fantastic ... close, clean and exciting ... that's really what motorsport is all about.  

"I thought we'd give it a shake today. The cars were quick here all week, and we have an outstanding engine-chassis package ... when the racing is that close every little bit makes a difference."  

New South Wales racer Tim Leahey drove a mature and controlled race in race two to pick up third on the day, from Queenslander Christian Jones. Newcomer Will Power (Qld) also impressed.  

Other highly-rated drivers, including Justin Cotter and Western Australian teenager endured frustrating weekends with several accidents over the course of the round.  

Ford Motorsport/Slick 50 Australian Formula Ford Championship: Round 2, Lakeside (Brisbane)  

Race 1: 1. D. McDougall (Vic) Mygale SJ98, 11min 10.7868 secs; 2. A. Macrow (Vic) Spectrum 06; 3. C. Zerner (NSW) Spectrum 06; 4. T. Leahey (NSW) Van Diemen RF98; 5. G. Ritter (Vic) Van Diemen RF98; 6. C. Jones (Qld) Spectrum 06B; 7. R. Jones (Vic) Van Diemen RF94; 8. W. Power (Qld) Swift SC92F; 9. M. Simpson (Qld) Van Diemen RF96; 10. A. McNally (WA) Van Diemen RF97.  

Race 2: 1. D. McDougall (Vic) 11min 12.1808 secs; 2. A. Macrow (Vic); 3. T. Leahey (NSW); 4. C. Jones (Qld) Spectrum 06; 5. W. Power (Qld); 6. R. Jones (Vic); 7. A. McNally (WA); 8. M. Simpson (Qld); 9. T. Hanger (NSW) Swift SC93; 10. A. Davison (Vic) Van Diemen RF95.  

Pointscore: 1. A. Macrow 72; 2. D. McDougall 70; 3. T. Leahey 38; 4. A. McNally 35; 5. C. Jones 26; 6. C. Zerner 22; 7. G. Ritter 20; 8. A. Seward 16; =9. W. Power 14; =9. R. Jones 14; =9. S. Owen 14.