 An eager
Tobia Kipper looked forward to the seventh, and second last round of
the 2007 Formula Ford Championship last weekend. Yet again he was faced
with the tough young guns and track conditions. Currently ninth in the
Formula Ford Championship, Kipper managed to win some vital points to
close the gap to the eighth campaigner Taz Douglas.
Practice
Driving on the track for the first time, Symmons Plains Raceway was an
eye-opener for the young rookie. Kipper was left astounded by the every
turn and ripple strip the track had to offer.
“You really can’t imagine what this place
looks like driving compared to on the television, the track is a little
bull fight, It was lots of fun!,” commented Kipper.
The second practice session was
disappointing for the Makotrac team as they were only able to complete
five laps. Kipper was attacking the track, pushing hard to improve his
time when he broke the right front upper arm. The team lost fifteen
laps which were vital for the them to learn the characteristics of the
challenging Tasmanian circuit.
“I was a bit surprised when it broke. I
barely brushed the curb on the inside and it folded up. There may have
been some weakness as we’ve done hard racing and testing on that arm
all year,” said a disappointed Kipper.
Qualifying
Kipper qualified twelfth only seventh tenths off pole position, CAMS Rising Star driver Joshua Scott.
“We actually found some brake issues late last night while we were
studying the data, so we were left to resolve the complications early
this morning. I’m pleased with the position as we improved our time
exceedingly because of it,” said a positive Kipper.
Race 1
As
soon as the race commenced, Kipper managed to fight his way into ninth,
sitting directly behind Sewell, Douglas and Wood. The four continued to
defend and attack on every turn.
“It was in the early laps and the guys were going hard, I knew something was going to happen,” Said Kipper.
Wood and Douglas came together at the
hairpin which moved Kipper up through the field. Unfortunately, the
young rookie was making a pass on Sewell when he had a similar accident.
“I had a great run on him (Sewell). We
were both out braking each other and I was put in an awkward position
on the outside. I slightly clipped the outside of his back tyre with my
back tyre and got moved to the dirt which doesn’t have much grip.”
Commented a frustrated Kipper. As a result it slipped Kipper back to
tenth place.
Race 2
The second
race of the round was held on Sunday morning with Kipper starting tenth
on the grid. He fought hard and made a good progression to seventh
position. Kipper began losing time due to gearbox woes and had to
change his driving style as a result.
“I was catching Ashley Walsh but lost time as the fourth gear was
starting to give me a lot of trouble. I lost a couple of car lengths
down the back straight. I then had to up shift slower and use the
clutch with my left foot, which I normally use for braking. It was no
issue.”
Race 3
Kipper started
the last race with the Makotrac Spectrum on the seventh grid spot. He
was then battling with Walsh, Sewell and Douglas
“I made a slight mistake coming out of
turn two and got swamped by the boys, but I was still really happy with
the race. We made a suspension adjustment which made a huge
difference,” remarked Kipper.
The Makotrac International Racetrack
sponsored team will be competing in the last round of the Formula Ford
Championship at Phillip Island. They’re extremely familiar with the
track, having tested there numerous times. Kipper and the team are
hoping for a turn of luck and a positive finish to their rookie year.
|
