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Thruxton Victory Bid For Hitech |
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Wednesday, 22 August 2007 |
Hitech Racing heads to the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire next weekend knowing that double victory would clinch the team the Lloyds TSB Insurance British Formula 3 International Series title. In fact just one point more than chief rivals Maro Engel and Sam Bird from the weekend would seal the crown, but team Principal David Hayle refuses to be drawn on the possibility, instead remaining determined to repeat the dominant performance last time out at Silverstone.
“Yes it would be easy to be distracted by thinking about the championship heading into the last six rounds with an 84 point lead, but there are still 126 points available and we all know anything can happen in motorsport. So, we’ll be concentrating the same as any other weekend, to get two pole positions and win both races.”
Estonian Marko Asmer, currently topping the tables after nine victories
from 16 rounds, is confident too heading into the final third of the
series battle and knows that another strong finish would give him the
title he narrowly missed out on with Hitech in 2005.
Thruxton has been good for the Silverstone-based team in the past,
securing two pole positions in 2003, a dominant double victory with
Lucas di Grassi in 2004 and a pair of second places with Marko in
2005.Asmer’s rookie team-mate Walter Grubmüller has never competed at
the ultra-fast circuit near Andover but he too looks forward to a good
result on the back of a fifth quickest lap in the second race at
Silverstone. The 18 year-old who now resides in Buckingham, was
disappointed not to finish the second race after a puncture sent him
into the pits and later into early retirement. He’ll be looking to
make amends this weekend.
But prior to the actual event, Marko and his Dallara F307 Mercedes HWA
will be dropping off into the nearby Dolphin Shopping Centre in Poole
to meet thousands of shoppers given the rare opportunity of rubbing
shoulders with the F1 hopeful. Marko will also challenge shoppers on
the Scalextric Roadshow, meet visitors and sign autographs from 11am
until 3pm before he heads to the track for Friday’s testing.
The weekend track action kicks off with two qualifying sessions at
11.25 and 15.15 on Saturday and the two races are scheduled to take
place on Sunday at 12.15 and 16.00.
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