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Nothing Slow About Winslow As He Takes A Perfect Pole Pair At The Island |
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Sunday, 06 May 2007 |
MAY have taken three rounds, but British driver James Winslow has finally put his Team Opes Prime Dallara in the place he feels it deserves to be after taking a pair of stunning pole positions at Phillip Island in preparation for Round 3 of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship today.
After struggling for outright pace and handling balance since he joined the Sydney based Opes Prime / Piccola Scuderia team earlier this year, the 2006 Asian Formula 3 champion showed his title-winning form today to score two pole positions and beat leading local Leanne Tander to the pole each time – finally reaching his high expectations for success in his 2007 Australian sojourn.
Winslow scored pole by a not insignificant four-tenths this morning in
qualifying one, and was also able to hold of the flying TanderSport
entry to take pole in the afternoon by just .0456s.
Suitably relieved, Winslow cited a pre-event change in suspension package for his newfound performance.
”It’s fantastic, I’m really happy and to be honest there was probably a bit more in it,” Winslow said.
”It was a good day. There was traffic that held us up in places but we
have found the problem that we had and it’s made a world of difference.
”We learnt a lot for the races tomorrow and I think that the car will
be good. It’s nice to be here and I think that our season starts now.”
He said.
Winslow scored two points for his efforts today in what was a day of
extremes – his race one qualifying margin to second place was the
biggest in Australian Formula 3 competition in 20 races, whilst his
race two margin was one of the very closest.
Leanne Tander continues to show her pace aboard the Fleetcare
TanderSport Dallara, scoring her second and third front-row starting
positions of the season today.
Tander left her run late in the second session after hovering around
the top three throughout the 20 minute qualifier, leaping to second by
the narrowest of margins with just a few moments to go.
”Unlike other rounds we haven’t gone too far backwards from where we were on Friday,” she explained.
”You never like to miss pole by such a small margin but I’m happy. I’m
looking forward to some close racing tomorrow because it’s going to be
extremely competitive. We have a good car.”
Italian Marco Mapelli utilised some support from Italian public
broadcaster today – the station was present at the circuit filming
footage of the teenage star for an upcoming show – to jump inside the
top three, qualifying third on both occasions today.
The Team BRM driver has been in his element this weekend at a circuit
that mirrors the fast and flowing characteristics of Europe’s best.
Mat Sofi (Total Developments / R-Tek F3 #2) showed that he is another
to continue to improve, leaping up the charts to finish the day in
fourth position in the second session.
Sofi lead a number of drivers scratching their heads after qualifying in unaccustomed positions today.
The two front men in the championship – leader Tim Macrow and second
place Charlie Hollings – qualified just inside the top six for both
races whilst third-placed Stuart Kostera could manage no better than a
pair of sevenths in his #29 Audi Centre Melbourne car.
Hollings’ Astuti Motorsport entry could have been higher had it not been for an unusual steering problem in the second session.
”To be honest I’m surprised that we are only three tenths off,” he said after qualifying two.
“We had a problem with the steering and the car wasn’t tracking right
at the end of the session so that was a bit of a setback. I think we’ll
be strong tomorrow.”
Chris Barry took a pair of pole positions in the National Class
competition today, qualifying inside the top ten on each occasion.
Lauren Gray and Daniel Schulz split the class minors, with Gray needing
to rebound from a broken Gear selector in the second session that left
her with just one lap in the books.
Graeme Holmes led Rod Anderson in the battle for the Kumho Trophy Class.
For more information please visit www.formula3.com.au
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