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New Second-Year Outlook For Alajajian In Fujitsu Series Return |
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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 |
BATTLE Hardened and race ready after a number of competitive outings in Australian F3 racing this year, Sydneysider Chris Alajajian will return to the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship Series at Wakefield Park Raceway, next weekend.
As always the 20-year-old North Shore resident has been the one to watch in F3 racing so far this season, but he will now turn his focus from Open Wheeler finesse to V8 Supercar rough and tumble at the tight 2.2km circuit outside of Canberra.
Alajajian was one of the most promising rookies from the 2006 Fujitsu
series, finishing 25th in the championship despite only making his
debut in the third of seven rounds.
He took his Protecnica Racing-supported VZ Commodore to a best finish
of 6th place at Mallala, qualifying inside the top ten three times
throughout his shortened season.
This year the successful combination will be reunited, with the
Sydney-based Protecnica squad once again taking over the race weekend
preparation and responsibility for Alajajian’s Jack Hillermans Smash
Commodore.
The Chris said that he was taking a new attitude into his second season behind the wheel of a V8 Supercar.
“It’s a new year and I’m going to take things with a new perspective,” Alajajian said.
“We have got a different attitude as a team and I have a different
attitude as a driver as far as how I’ll be approaching the weekend goes.
”I’ll be working on my mental focus and making sure that we put together a consistent weekend.
“It’s not going to be about showing our aggression, more about taming it and using it to my advantage.”
Alajajian has started six Formula 3 races so far this season, twice
finishing second in the opening championship round at Eastern Creek in
February and again showing his pace at the Grand Prix in Melbourne a
week ago.
Despite the different driving styles required for each car, race miles
already gained this season may yet give Chris an advantage at Wakefield
Park.
“Driving the F3 car has kept my reflexes and reactions sharp and kept me on top of my game,” he explained.
“The V8 Supercar requires a different driving style to the F3 car and
I’ll need to adapt myself to it, but it’s all miles in a car and the
more race experience you get the better.”
With one championship round – at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide - already
completed, Alajajian believes that he won’t have too much of a
disadvantage starting the Fujitsu year a round behind his main rivals
for the championship.
“With the approach I am taking this season I believe that we can still
finish inside the top four or five in the championship at the end of
the year,” he stated.
“It’s going to be about being consistent and scoring as many points as possible in every race we start.
”I think Wakefield is going to be a great place to start for us because it’s a circuit I know well,” Alajajian added.
”I have done plenty of miles around there in lots of different cars and
I’m looking forward to experiencing it in a V8 Supercar. It’s a narrow
circuit and hard to pass but I’m really looking forward to the round.
”I’m going in expecting the unexpected!” he said.
The second round of the Fujitsu V8 Supercar Championship series will
begin on Saturday, March 31, at Wakefield Park Raceway just outside of
Goulburn.
Chris Alajajian thanks the ongoing support of Jack Hillermans Smash, Nudie Juice, Elf Lubricants and Protecnica Racing.
For more information about Chris Alajajian, please visit his official website at www.thechris.com.au
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