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TWEEDIE PASSES TOUGHEST TEST AT THE ISLAND 

TOM TWEEDIE has come though perhaps the sternest test of his career in the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship with enough new knowledge to take his racing to another level.

With the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit the most challenging test for Formula 3 drivers in Australia, Tweedie managed to extend his National Class points lead and again mix it with the leading cars - and a former championship contender - whilst all the time learning more about the cars and their setup.

Tom qualified his Battery World-supported Dallara F304-Renault less than half a second outside of former outright contender Leanne Tander's similar F304 Dallara after just one day of testing and one of practice at the 4.46km Victorian track.

In race one a gamble to utilise an older set of wet tyres - anticipating a drying race track - failed to pay off when more rain came causing Tom to slip off the circuit at turn four, on lap eight, out of the race.

The second race went substantially better with Tom finishing second in his class and fourth outright, substantially gapping the remainder of the field and keeping in touch with the race leaders.

The upshot was not only an additional 15 points to his National Class points' lead, but a wealth of new setup information and knowledge that he can use for multiple conditions in future championship rounds.

"I think if I can take what we learned this weekend from the different car setups and apply parts of that to Winton we should put up another strong performance," 20-year-old Tweedie said.

"This weekend at Phillip Island would have to be one of the biggest learning curves we've had all season. Ful credit has to go to the team as the Wednesday test day was very strong as we tried a lot of different setups while I was dialling myself into the track - that was a great help going into the weekend.

"Qualifying just 0.5 and 0.3 tenths off current lap record holder Leanne Tander in Q1 and Q2 was excellent.

"In race 1 we took a bit of a gamble and put a very old set of wet tyres on that were a bit worn and harder hoping the track would dry out but unfortunately the track was considerably wetter and with the lack of grip I came off at turn 4 and bogged the car," he explained of his race one incident.

"Finishing 4th overall in race 2 was a far more pleasing result, gained ground after a turn two, lap one crash and then I just had to keep my head down and try put up a challenge to the leading cars."

Tweedie now leads the National Class by 26 points as the series heads to Winton for the fourth rounds of the championship, to be held on June 26, 27 and 28.

Tom Tweedie would like to thank supporters including Battery World, Tizzana Vineyards, the Team Tom Membership base and everyone else who has provided support throughout the 2009 championship.  

TWEEDIE MIXES IT WITH THE BIG GUNS AT WAKEFIELD

ANOTHER commanding performance has seen Tom Tweedie mix it with the front runners of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at Wakefield Park, near Goulburn, at the weekend.

Not only did the 20-year-old from Hunters Hill (Sydney) dominate the F3 National Class ‘race within a race', but he put together a weekend-long performance that saw him mixing it with the more experienced drivers in later model cars that make up the outright Gold Star class.

The performance was a fitting tribute to the late Graham Watson; the Australian motorsport icon having served as Tweedie's team manager prior to his untimely passing just two weeks ago.

Tweedie won his class in both 20-lap races and finished fourth and fifth in the two races, respectively.

"It's been an excellent weekend," Tweedie said after race two.

"When the season began wanted to run with the '07s and that is what we doing and have done for most of this weekend. It is great fun being up there and running with those guys: They are all talented and are very fast so it's great to be up there with them.

"It's very competitive - but we have to keep up with the game to stay competitive and keep racing them but so far things are going very well for us.

"Obviously the team was set back last week with the passing of Graham but full credit to them, they have really pulled though and done a great job - everyone is really positive ahead of the next round."

Tom and his Dallara F304 Renault made a particularly strong start to race one - held in frigid conditions - after the leaders, Joey Foster and Mat Sofi, ran wide at turn two allowing the #19 'Red Kangaroo' car into second place - a position he held for the first lap.

He then raced closely with Ben Crighton and Mat Sofi for several laps before finishing fourth. Race two was more processional - Tweedie settling into fifth on the opening lap and finishing in the same position, though he remained well in touch with the leading group of cars.

Earlier in the weekend Tom had qualified fourth for race one, and fifth for the second race - on both occasions within a second of the pole time.

The positive performance at Wakefield will serve as a good lead-in to the next championship round, to be held at the dauntingly quick Phillip Island raceway in Victoria, in three weeks time.

Tweedie says that racing at the Island - and the prospect of more competition in the F3 National Class from the returning Chris Gilmour, and others - is something to look forward to.

"I've not driven an F3 car at Phillip island yet but we'll do some testing - and I know the track well from time there in Victorian state series Formula Ford," he said. "It's obviously a lot different from Wakefield Park - a lot quicker and more flowing.

"It will be excellent to have some more competition in the National Class. The harder you're dicing the more rewarding it is and I look forward to it. Chris (Gilmour) and I had a good dice at Clipsal so we hope to continue that."

The Phillip Island round of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship will be held between May 15 - 17.

The team would like to thank Battery World, Tizzana Vineyards and the Team Tom members for their continued support.