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TanderSport will next be in action
during round six of the 2008 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3
Championship at Eastern Creek Raceway – the scene of a Leanne Tander
pole position earlier this year – between July 11 – 13.
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TANDERSPORT TO THE FRONT AS LEANNE TANDER TAKES JOINT LEAD OF AUSTRALIAN
FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP
 LEANNE
TANDER has flown to the joint lead of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula
3 Championship after scoring more points than anyone else at Eastern
Creek Raceway at the weekend.
In a fantastic team effort, TanderSport drivers Ben Crighton and Mathew
Radisich also excelled in the F3 National Class and posted career-best
performances to continue their charge up the ladder in F3’s ‘race within
a race’.
In the #42 TanderSport Dallara F307 – Mercedes Benz, Tander twice
qualified third but made two of her best ever starts since joining
Formula 3 to leap into contention on race day.
In race one she flew to second before the race leader was penalised for
jumping the start, allowing Leanne to take an unchallenged five-second
victory, lapping underneath the existing lap record in the process. It
was her third win of the season, her first at Eastern Creek in Formula 3
and her fifth-career F3 triumph.
In race two she again made a stunning start and ran consistent laps to
ensure a solid haul of second-placed points; enough to put her into a
tie with Nathan Caratti for the lead of the Australian Drivers
Championship with two rounds to go.
It was the second time this season that Tander has scored more points
than anyone in a round of this year’s series.
New Zealand driver Ben Crighton posted the best result of his brief F3
career when he raced to second in the National Class, in race one.
Crighton raced ahead of both class championship leaders to score second
– only behind ‘ring in’ class driver Tim Macrow; the defending outright
F3 champion.
In race two a broken exhaust sapped power from Crighton’s car but a
solid points haul elevated him to fourth in the championship despite not
scoring at the previous round at Phillip Island.
TanderSport’s recent signing, Melbourne-based Kiwi Mat Radisich, also
posted one of his most impressive F3 performances yet with strong
results across the board at Eastern Creek.
He twice qualified second in class (only behind Macrow) only to find
himself caught up in an opening lap incident in race one – ending buried
in the turn eight sandtrap and several laps behind.
He recovered well from that incident to finish third in class in the
second race and consolidate his third position in the F3 National Class
series.
The Eastern Creek performance was one of the best overall in
TanderSport’s short history as a multi-car operation, the team now
looking forward to returning to Phillip Island, the scene of the
penultimate round of the 2008 Championship to be held between August 8 –
10.
More information about TanderSport can be found at
www.tandersport.com or
www.leannetander.com
Leanne Tander - #42 TanderSport Dallara F307 Mercedes – Benz
(145 Points, equal 1st)
“We started slowly but the team has done a fantastic job to get me up
here (the podium). It’s amazing what a bit of pressure can do to the
competition. We closed up 18 points today and we didn’t quite have the
pace but I’m confident that in the last two rounds we will. We’re going
to go away and work on it and come out strongly at Phillip Island.
Thanks to all the guys, they have been fantastic.”
 Mathew
Radisich - #32 TanderSport / HT Leads Dallara F304 Spiess Opel (76
Points, 3rd in National Class)
“In race one I was in the lead but had a bit of a collision at corporate
hill with another car and we went a few laps down, but we had the pace
in qualifying which was great.
To split Farrell and Gilmour in race was great, I’m pretty happy with
that. Overall it’s been a very positive weekend and I’m looking forward
to going back to Phillip Island where I think we can be right at the
front of the class.”
Ben Crighton - #52 TanderSport Dallara F304 Spiess Opel (50
Points, 4th in National Class)
“I’m very pleased. Qualifying was difficult but the first race was a
great result and really deserved for the team. We started strongly in
the second race but I think the car broke a header pipe and that was the
end of that, which was disappointing. We were one of the quickest
National Class cars at Phillip Island last time so going into the next
round I’m pretty confident that we can get a good result.”
Garth Tander – Team co-owner / Team Manager
”We’re pleased. Considering our lack of pace this weekend with Leanne’s
car we certainly got out of jail. We have a fair idea why we weren’t
there and we will rectify that for Phillip Island. We kept the pressure
on all weekend and Caratti made two critical mistakes and cost himself a
lot of points," Garth Tander said.
”We knew Mathew was capable of doing the job and the Island was
difficult, but we tested at Winton and worked on his driving and that
showed here when he was a few tenths off Macrow in qualifying one. I
think that was a fantastic effort and he’ll only continue to improve.
The team is very excited about his progress.
”Ben has had another up and down weekend but his speed is good. Mathew
and Ben are bouncing off each other and we can compare setups between
each other which works well. I think he’ll go well at Phillip Island –
he was fast in testing before the last round but didn't get the results
we hoped for, so we want to turn that around.
”We’ve got some exciting stuff coming for Leanne’s car for both Phillip
Island and Tasmania and we need to make sure we keep doing a good job.
We know that we have a good car at Phillip Island and we’re pretty
optimistic about the second half of the year. Really, the championship
starts now.
SPEEDY
TANDERSPORT
TRIO EXPERIENCE PHILLIP ISLANDS HIGHS AND LOWS
TanderSport may
have endured a frustrating weekend at the Phillip Island Grand Prix
Circuit when it came to results – but the team takes positive momentum
forward after a strong weekend overall in round five of the 2008 Kumho
Tyres Australian F3 Championship.
TanderSport ran three cars for the first time with all three drivers
performing exceptionally well throughout the event.
Leanne Tander continued her charge towards the Australian Drivers’
Championship after a strong podium finish in race one, and whilst
frustrated with a drive-through penalty in race two still managed to
break the five-year old F3 lap record at Phillip Island. Tander has now
jumped to second in the championship with 110 points – 18 points off the
lead with six races left this year.
TanderSport National Class drivers Mathew Radisich(left) and Ben
Crighton (right)
had mixed weekend but both set times that placed them at the very front
of the Formula 3 ‘race within a race’ at the weekend.
 Radisich
– in his first race with TanderSport – made a fantastic debut with the
team and twice finished third in the National class and jumped to third
in the class standings with three rounds remaining.
Kiwi Ben Crighton, in his second round, quickly adapted to the Phillip
Island circuit and was one of the fastest National Class cars all weekend,
before a pair of unfortunate events set him back on race day.
In race one an axle broke during the race, putting him out. In 49 race
starts (across two classes) it was TanderSports first ever mechanical
DNF.
Crighton was keen to bounce back in race two but was caught up with
another competitor on the opening lap, who spun on the inside of the #52
TanderSport car and made contact, damaging Ben’s car and putting him out
after only two corners.
Despite the highs and lows experienced by TanderSport across the
Phillip
Island weekend, team co-owner Garth Tander said that the expansion to a
three-car operation had proven to be a success.
”Everything went very smoothly and to plan,” Garth Tander said. ”We
made sure that we had all the right people in the right places and when
you’ve got a great team you know that they will go about their jobs with
no fuss and get it done.
”Expanding a team
is never easy, but we have three great mechanics and a great crew of
personnel that made it very easy in what was a trying and challenging
weekend for the team. I’m very happy.”
Leanne Tander –
TanderSport Dallara F307 – Mercedes Benz
”It was a frustrating weekend for us and I didn’t achieve what I wanted
to, which was to leave a lot closer to the series leader. I came into
the round 7 points behind and the gap is now 18 so that’s frustrating
given the speed we had.
”We couldn’t match Caratti for power down out of MG and turn 11 in race
one and he was able to slipstream me and get past – and I couldn’t when
I was behind. Second was a good result and the points were handy so in
the end it wasn’t bad.
”Race two was very frustrating. Once I had been given the drive through
penalty I just dealt with it and went about trying to recover as much
ground as possible. The lap record I set was a pretty good indication
that we had improved the car during the race and the extra point for the
fastest lap helped.
”The run home for us is very strong and If I had to pick the next three
track we go to, Eastern Creek, Phillip Island and Symmons would be it.
I’ll go into every race with the aim of winning them and if we can do
that then we will be a chance at the championship.”
Mathew Radisich – McDonalds NZ / HT Leads / DBA TanderSport Dallara
F304 – Spiess Opel
“My first weekend with TanderSport has been fantastic. The team has done
a great job and it’s been a fantastic experience working with them. It’s
been great to come back to the series and finish on the podium and race
competitively after having a tough start to the weekend. It’s been great
to work with TanderSport and I’m looking forward to building more
success with them.”
Ben Crighton – TanderSport Dallara F304 – Spiess Opel
“My first visit to Phillip Island in an F3 car was
a mixed one but very enjoyable. Phillip
Island is an awesome track and a great challenge but the team has been great
helping me get up to speed here.
The car was good in qualifying and I was always pretty confident that we
would have a good race package. We had a very fast car in the first race
up to the point where the axle broke, which was really unfortunate. I’m
certainly hoping to come back and do more with TanderSport in the future
because, aside from the bad luck this weekend, it’s been brilliant.”
Garth Tander – TanderSport co-owner / Team Manager
”It was certainly an up and down weekend for TanderSport at
Phillip
Island, but there’s no doubt we were quick enough.
”Leanne’s qualifying speed was good and obviously we were very pleased
with pole position for race one. We set the car up for the wet
conditions early in race one and that cost us in the race and didn’t
give us quite enough to hold of Caratti - but second was great for the
championship points.
”Race two was very frustrating, with some questionable tactics on the
restart, as there is no doubt Leanne had the fastest car on the track
shown by the fact she reset the lap record.
“Mathew and Ben endured a difficult weekend thanks to the changeable
weather conditions which is never ideal for young drivers and trying to
gain experience, but both ended up doing a great job.
”Mathew was great and gained speed all weekend to eventually come home
with two podiums in the National Class and positions inside the top ten
outright. We were very disappointed that Ben had an axle break in race
one as it’s the first mechanical non-finish in the history of
TanderSport.
”But he was one of the fastest National Class cars on the track and we
were really pleased with his performance.”
CAREER
BEST WEEKEND FOR LEANNE TANDER AT MALLALA AS
TANDERSPORT
WINS AGAIN
 TanderSport
has won for the second time in as many rounds as Leanne Tander pieced
together her best ever Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship
round, at Mallala Raceway near Adelaide.
Tander scored a pole position, a race win and more points than any other
driver at the weekend to fly back into championship contention after a
30-point turnaround in the last two rounds.
Leanne won her first race of the season at Oran Park three weeks ago and
yesterday backed up that performance with a light-to flag win from pole
position at Mallala.
Tander held of championship rival Nathan Caratti for most of the race
and eventually won by 1.2 seconds.
This came after she took pole for the race on Saturday in wet conditions
by over one second – her most dominating qualifying performances in F3
yet and her third pole position of the season.
After qualifying third for race two, in the dry, Tander charged from
fourth place at the end of lap one to second 14 laps later, setting the
races’ fastest lap and finishing one second behind the race leader.
She scored 37 points for the race weekend and flew to within 8 points of
the championship leader with half the season still remaining.
Now seven races (four rounds) into the 2008 Championship, Leanne is en
route towards her best ever F3 season – having already won two races,
scored three pole positions and a fastest lap; By comparison at the same
point last year she had only one of each and was still building towards
her eventual championship challenge.
The next round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship will
be held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit between June 13 – 15,
the circuit the scene of two wins for Tander last year.
TanderSport will make further announcements concerning their anticipated
multi-car driver line-up prior to the round.
Leanne Tander - #42 TanderSport Dallara F307 – Mercedes Benz.
”It was a great weekend, my best ever, and I’m very pleased with how the
season has been shaping up of late!
“(Race 1) was the perfect race for us. The car was excellent and it
allowed me to do what I needed to do to keep the win. I’ve said often
that I need to win races to win the championship and that’s what I’ve
done two rounds in a row.
"It’s pleasing that I’ve won here – I’ve now won at two tracks that I’ve
never won at before, which is great.
”In race two we had a car that was capable of winning but after starting
on the second row of the grid we had to make sure we scored as many
points as possible and aimed to move forward. The new AP Brakes on the
car helped us pass people and we got second place and the fastest lap,
which was a great result in the end.
“I had set a target of being within 10 points of the series’ leader
after this round, which we have achieved. With Phillip Island next
things are looking good for us.”
Garth Tander – TanderSport team co-owner / Team Manager
”I’m really pleased with the performance from the team and Leanne this
weekend; it’s been a great one for TanderSport and the best F3 weekend
for the team yet.
”We adapted very well to the different conditions throughout the weekend
and race one was as good as it gets for a win. We had the pace in race
two but because we didn’t qualify on the front row we got muscled wide
at turn one and had to come from fourth. We got the fastest lap and
proved that we have had the speed all weekend long.
”We entered the round 27 points off the lead and now we’re 8 points off,
but it’s also been good to win at a couple of tracks (Oran Park and now
Mallala) that we hadn’t won at before – it shows that Leanne’s not just
a Phillip Island specialist.
”Having said that it’s great to be heading to Phillip Island next as
Leanne has won two of the last four races there.”
TANDERSPORT
BACK ON THE WINNERS LIST AS LEANNE SCORES FIRST WIN
OF 2008
TanderSport #42 Dallara driver Leanne Tander
recorded her first win on 'home soil' at
Oran Park, boosting her championship position in the process.
Klynsmith Pic
Leanne Tander
has won her first race of the 2008 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3
Championship season at one of her favourite tracks, Oran Park Raceway,
in Sydney at the weekend.
TanderSport had to fight back from a massive rebuild effort on the #42
Dallara F307 after a crash on Friday – where Leanne and three others
made heavy contact with an unsighted car in practice – to come though
from third on the grid to win race one.
It was her first win for the season, the first at her home track and the
best result at a circuit where she has scored three pole positions and
multiple podium finishes in the last two seasons – but had not been able
to break though to record a win.
It was part of a convincing two-car performance from TanderSport, as
newcomer Ben Crighton scored two National Class podiums on his debut
with the team and in Formula 3 competition - completing a fantastic
return to the top for TanderSport after a tough Clipsal 500 in February.
Tander made a strong start from the second row of the grid in race one,
taking advantage of polesitter Neil McFadyen stalling to leap to the
race lead – one she held for the duration of what ended up being a
shortened race due to several incidents further down the field.
It was Leanne’s third Formula 3 race win and immediately vaulted her
from sixth to fourth in the championship.
In race two she started fourth but was shuffled down one position at the
start to finish a solid fifth, to leave the weekend with her best
points’ haul of the season.
Leanne has now scored 48 points – just 24 behind leader James Winslow
with five rounds remaining.
New Zealander Ben Crighton joined TanderSport for the first time on
Friday and immediately settled into the team and the Formula 3 car,
showing increasing pace and confidence throughout the weekend.
Crighton qualified sixth in class for both races but his proven race
craft came to the fore when the red light went off – avoiding many of
the dramas occurring around him to finish a strong second (in class) in
race one, and third in race two.
He scored 27 championship points and jumped to fifth in the National
Class standings.
TanderSport will look to build on their excellent Oran Park weekend when
the team heads to
South Australia’s
Mallala Raceway, between May 16 – 18.
Leanne Tander - #42 TanderSport
Dallara F307 Mercedes Benz
”It’s nice to win here. It’s a couple of years overdue. The last few
years I’ve been on pole and scored some podium finishes but I haven’t
been able to turn that into a win, so I’m very happy.
”It’s nice to bounce back (after the crashes). If I’m going to win this
championship I have to win races so this is a good start. Race two was a
bit more difficult but that’s what this track is like – a good start is
so important because if you’re behind someone you get stuck.
”We’re moving to Mallala and Phillip Island next; they are two tracks
where I have been very strong in the past. I’m confident there and both
have room to pass so I’m looking forward to building on the results we
scored this weekend.”
Ben Crighton - #52 TanderSport
Dallara F304 Spiess Opel
“It’s been tough, I didn’t have a lot of time on the track before
racing so it was a bit of a challenge – I’ve been here before but
nothing quite prepares you for these sorts of things (F3 cars).
”I ran with some of the guys who have been around for a while which was
good – I’m looking forward to perhaps coming back to do some more
rounds, so we’ll see what happens.
”The main problem I had was getting used to the Aero. The cars I’m used
to don’t have a lot of aero – it’s more for show – but with these cars
the aero is so important so it was all about adapting to that and
trusting it.
”TanderSport have been great to work with – the car ran like a dream all
weekend.”
Garth Tander – TanderSport
Co-Owner / Team Manager
“Race one was great and Leanne was nice and aggressive into turn one
and got us track position; we knew that track position here was
important because it’s so hard to pass. We had good car speed because we
set the fastest lap.
“Race two was going to be a bit more difficult because she was on the
outside of the second row so she got muscled wide and a couple got
though in turn one – and once you’re in the congo line it’s hard to get
to the front.
”It’s great to win the first race after the Clipsal crash and the Friday
crash here, so it’s not all bad.
”I couldn’t be happier for Ben. It was important for him to stay on the
track and get miles. It was difficult for him because the first time he
sat in the car was on Thursday Morning, so to come away with two podiums
is exactly what the plan was coming into the weekend.
”He got faster and faster in every session and we’re really happy with
his progress.”
More information about TanderSport can be found at
www.tandersport.com
mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk
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