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The formula 3
Australian Drives championship begins at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide
between March 19 – 22.
For more information head to the all-new www.formula3.com.au
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Continued from News
EPIC F3
QUALIFYING FIGHT ON THE STREETS OF ADELAIDE
JOEY
FOSTER and Tim Macrow
 have
waged a stunning war for the race one pole position as action in the
Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship got underway at the Clipsal
500 in Adelaide today.
In something akin to a western-style gunfight, the pair left their
charge for pole to after the session itself had finished to decide the
grid for Saturday’s opening 12-lap race that kicks off the new Gold Star
year, in front of a Thursday crowd of over 40,000.
After trading best sector times and shading Foster all session, Macrow
pumped out a 1m18.6450s lap after the flag had fallen on the session –
only for Foster to usurp him just seconds later.
Foster’s 1m18.3832s lap was the fastest ever around the Clipsal 500
circuit and promptly gave him his first F3ADC pole position, and a $200
bonus thanks to Pole award sponsor Yorkshire Investments.
“That was everything I was hoping for, but Tim didn’t make it easy,”
Foster said.
“That lap was right on the limit to the extent that I was basically
brushing the walls! We were pleased to be fastest in practice as it
gives you an indication of where you are in the field, but we didn’t
know how it would react on new tyres.
‘I knew that we would have to pull something special and that was
fantastic. I’m really pleased. This place is fantastic, it’s an amazing
feeling to let the car move and drift around here.”
Tim Macrow said he was pleased with the result given the lack of time to
prepare for this weekends’ race – he was only confirmed in the #25 Scud
Racing car this Monday.
“We’re still getting the car better,” he said. “It was a good session
overall. I didn’t have any lap timing on my dashboard so it was hard to
tell what I was doing but the car went pretty well.
“The team is working really well together and we’ll make some changes to
the car for tomorrow and go quicker.
“I’m stoked to be here, this track is amazing!”
Mathew Sofi took his new AmPro Tools sponsored Dallara to third place,
one ahead of Team BRM / HT Leads driver Mathew Radisich.
Chris Gilmour set the National Class pace and was also particularly
close to the outright cars, logging a personal and class-best 1m19.9411s
lap to finish three-tenths up on F3 rookie Tom Tweedie.
“The car is awesome, I’m really relaxed and it all seems to be going
very well,” Gilmour said. “Hopefully I can tack onto the back of the
’07s in the races. I know I can get them off the line so then I’ll be on
it as hard as I can!”
Tweedie was second in class, just half a second behind Gilmour. Local
driver Jesse Wakeman had a horrible day, electrical problems curtailing
his practice session after just one lap whilst a Gearbox drama slowed
his qualifying charge.
Earlier in practice Foster and Macrow again set the pace, though one
potential championship contender found the early Clipsal going not to
his liking.
TanderSport driver Ben Crighton, from New Zealand, gained the
unfortunate record of being the first driver to make contact with the
unforgiving Clipsal 500 walls, taking a front-right corner off his
Dallara F307 at turn 11, in practice one.
“I was just a matter of too hot on cold tyres and cold brakes,” Crighton
said. “There wasn’t much in it, and it wasn’t a hard hit but it was
enough to take a corner off and do some damage. It’s a shame because all
I really wanted was laps and experience. The goal for the rest of the
weekend is laps. It’s very disappointing.”
Tomorrow is a quiet day for the Formula 3 Australian Drivers
Championship, action getting underway early at 08.30am for qualifying
two – to set the grid for race two on Sunday.
 QUALIFYING
1 - Grid for race one
1.
Joey Foster (Team BRM)
2. Tim Macrow (Scud Racing)
3. Mat Sofi (AmPro Tools / Astuti Motorsport)
4. Mathew Radisich (Team BRM)
5. Chris Gilmour (Gilmour Racing)
6. Tom Tweedie (Team Tom / RALT Australia)
7. Ben Crighton (TanderSport)
8. Graeme Holmes (GKH Powdercoating)
9. Ray Chamberlain (Astuti Motorsport)
10. Jesse Wakeman (R-Tek F3)
Image: By
Dirk Klynsmith / F3A - Cl
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