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Alajajian Back To Further Heat Up Formula 3 Battle In Sydney |
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Monday, 03 July 2006 |
One of Sydney’s leading racing talents will return to the seat of an open wheeler when the fifth round of the 2006 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship for the CAMS Gold Star is contested at Eastern Creek Raceway next weekend.
19-Year-Old North Shore resident Chris Alajajian will return to the seat of his #22 Jack Hillermans Smash Dallara F304 – Renault after missing the last two championship rounds at Phillip Island and Mallala, respectively.
Alajajian, the current Eastern Creek lap record holder, will rejoin the
Gold Star series amidst a tight battle for overall honors expected to
be waged between Championship leader Ben Clucas, Michael Trimble and
Tim Macrow.
Despite missing the two most recent rounds Alajajian still holds sixth
in the championship and is just 12 points out of fourth place.
“You always look forward to jumping back into one of these cars,” Alajajian said today.
“It’s the world category to be in and the cars are great to drive. I’m really looking forward to getting back into it.
“Usually I am in and out of categories and always racing, but I’ve had
a bit of a break recently which has made me a bit impatient to get into
a car again.” He said.
Alajajian said that the fast and flowing Eastern Creek circuit was conducive to good racing.
“Eastern Creek is a very wide circuit, compared to other tracks around,
and you really need to use as much of the circuit as possible to get an
advantage.
“We can’t get too head over heels predicting results but I’d like to run in the top three at least,” he added.
And whilst Alajajian is set to throw added spice into the battle for
outright honors, the season long rivalry between Trimble (Astuti
Motorsport) and Clucas (Team BRM) is set to continue at the 3.9km
West-Sydney circuit – one of the fastest on the championship schedule.
Clucas leads by 44 championship points heading into the fifth
championship round next weekend, however Trimble heads to the western
Sydney circuit as the defending winner – he dominated the series’ final
round at the circuit last season with his Astuti Motorsport team.
The three are anticipated to be amongst the leading contenders of a
strong 18-car field at Eastern Creek as the championship gains further
strength in the second half of the season.
After having to adapt to both new tracks and new cars in the first half
of the season, Leanne Tander and Chris Gilmour will look to get closer
to the front in Sydney after both having prior experience at the
circuit in their respective 2006-rides.
Fleetcare Tandersport driver Tander finished on the podium at the
circuit late last year, whilst Chris Gilmour took the Cooltemp Racing
Dallara – the sister car to his current #17 StyroMax entry – to a
podium a round earlier last year.
Gilmour showed flashes of speed at Mallala, holding the lap record for
a number of laps in race one before it was bettered by a few tenths
towards the end of the event by Clucas.
The Kumho Tyres National Class – for the nominated 1999 – 2001 model
cars – will front in Sydney with its strongest field to date, six cars
and a number of new and returning competitors taking the circuit.
The battle at the front between Ricky Occhipinti and Tim Berryman is
expected to continue, whilst Andrew Mill will return to the field after
making a promising championship debut in November last season.
Mill, who will drive a Kevin Miller-owned Dallara F301, proved his
potential at the A1 Grand Prix meeting last season with a top ten
result in the second race and will be out to continue his improvement
in just his second Formula 3 race start.
Sydneysider Matt Sofi will also return to the championship after a strong rookie performance last season.
The former karting ace has had his Benchmark Motorsport team complete a
full rebuild of the teams F301 Dallara and will be looking to gain
further track miles in his 2006 racing return.
Victorian Lauren Gray will have Bill Maddocks and Graeme Holmes
snapping at her heels in the battle for Trophy Class, Gray having
consolidated her class points lead at Mallala recently driving her Scud
Racing Dallara F396.
The 18-car entry will complete two, 13-lap events this Sunday as part of the CAMS Nationals meeting.
For more information head to www.formula3.com.au
ENTRY LIST – KUMHO TYRES AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 5, EASTERN CREEK
| No. |
Driver
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Team
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Car |
| 2 |
Matt Sofi (N) |
Benchmark Motorsport |
Dallara F301 – Fiat |
| 6 |
Chris Barry (N) |
PRB Australia |
Dallara F301 – Spiess |
| 7 |
Stephen Borness |
Adnet Technology |
Dallara F301 – Fiat |
| 10 |
Michael Trimble |
Astuti Motorsport |
Dallara F304 – Renault |
| 12 |
John Boothman (N) |
JB Motorsport |
Dallara F301 – Fiat |
| 17 |
Chris Gilmour |
Gilmour Racing |
Dallara F304 – Spiess |
| 21 |
Graeme Holmes (T) |
GKH Powdecoating |
Dallara F398 – Toyota |
| 22 |
Chris Alajajian |
Jack Hillermans |
Dallara F304 – Renault |
| 24 |
Maher Algadri |
PHR Scuderia |
Dallara F304 – Renault |
| 25 |
Tim Macrow |
Scud Racing |
Dallara F301 – Spiess |
| 27 |
Stuart Kostera |
PHR Scuderia |
Dallara F304 – Renault |
| 32 |
Ricky Occhipinti (N) |
Formula Uno Racing |
Dallara F301 – Spiess |
| 33 |
Tim Berryman (N) |
Berryman Racing |
Dallara F301 – Spiess |
| 42 |
Leanne Tander |
Fleetcare Tandersport |
Dallara F304 – Spiess |
| 58 |
Andrew Mill (N) |
Property Solutions Group |
Dallara F301 |
| 84 |
Ben Clucas |
Team BRM |
Dallara F304 – Spiess |
| 87 |
Lauren Gray (T) |
Scud Racing |
Dallara F396 – Toyota |
| 88 |
Bill Maddocks (T) |
Scud Racing |
Dallara F396 – Toyota |
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 January 2007 )
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