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Martin Puts Spectrum On The Map With Stunning Victory At Brands |
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Monday, 28 August 2006 |
John Martin, current Australian Formula Ford Championship leader, has stunned the Formula Ford world with a commanding victory at Brands Hatch, UK, over the weekend driving a purpose built Spectrum.
After raising eyebrows with a set of impressive times in testing last week, Martin left Brands Hatch, the birthplace of Formula Ford, with the paddock in awe of his stunning international debut.
"That was just an awesome weekend, I can't believe it, we wanted to be up in the top six and that would have been a success for us but to win at Brands Hatch in the Spectrum is unbelievable," John Martin said before boarding a flight to head home for round five of the Australian Formula Ford Championship this weekend at Sandown Raceway.
Equally impressive was the debut of the Australian Spectrum chassis, which Martin drove.
The purpose built Spectrum, by Borland Racing, has given Martin and the chassis the best possible chance of success overseas.
Different specifications for the British Formula Ford series compared to the Australian series also meant Martin had to learn a different car to his Australian championship leading Spectrum 011.
Martin was up to the challenge from the outset, setting the sixth fastest time with a 1:31.739 to qualify him in sixth position for race one.
The drivers second fastest qualifying time determined their race two starting position with Martin's consistency placing him fourth on the grid.
Race one saw Martin climb to third by the end of the race and set the second fastest lap, signalling his arrival on the international scene.
Starting from fourth in race two, Martin made an immediate impact and took the lead before setting the fastest lap on his way to a commanding victory by over three seconds.
With each race classed as an individual round in the British series, Martin claimed his first round victory on international soil for himself and Spectrum and also claimed the most points for the weekends combined races, the equivalent of a round victory in Australia.
Martin heads home to contest rounds five and six of the Australian Formula Ford Championship at Sandown Raceway (1-3 September) and Mallala (15-17 September) before heading back overseas to compete in more rounds of the British series, culminating in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival staged at Brands Hatch, a new favourite track for Martin.
Fellow Australian Formula Ford Championship drivers Nathan Caratti and Paul Laskazeski will also fly to the UK to compete in the Formula Ford Festival after the Mallala round.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 06 January 2007 )
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