Former champion Ben Clucas marked his return to the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship by taking the twelfth win of his career after an incident-filled second race at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide.
Whilst other contenders crashed around him, Clucas kept his cool to claim the victory ahead of race one winner Neil McFadyen and Opes Prime Team BRM team-mate James Winslow in front of a record 92,000 crowd. McFadyen's second position vaulted him to a clear nine-point championship advantage, whilst Winslow's consistency paid off to lift him to second in the race for the Gold Star. In just one round, however, Clucas has scored 36 points – enough to lift him to third in the championship.
The twelve-lap Sunday encounter started with Winslow making the best getaway to lead the field into turn two, ahead of McFadyen, Clucas and Earl Bamber. Clucas was immediately on the attack though, slipping past McFadyen on lap three and instantly beginning applying the pressure to countryman Winslow.
The status quo was maintained for several laps, however, as the safety car was called out to clear the wrecked car of Chris Reindler, who had rolled after a clash with fellow National Class runner Samantha Reid, completing a full 360-degree flip at the turn nine hairpin, but fortunately emerging sore but unscathed.
At the restart, Clucas attacked immediately, pressuring Winslow for two laps before making a well-executed move for the lead at the hairpin on lap six, getting a strong tow down the Brabham straight before ducking out at the last minute and, despite Winslow's strong defence, stealing the lead. All hell broke loose behind them, however, with three championship contending cars caught up in a massive crash.
![Ben Clucas - Opes Team BRM [Pic credit: Klynsmith/Race Torque]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/409069.jpg)
