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[Australian F3] Macrow Becomes A Scud Racer As Melbourne Formula 3 Teams Join Forces |
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Monday, 05 June 2006 |
MACROW BECOMES A SCUD RACER AS MELBOURNE FORMULA 3 TEAMS JOIN FORCES
| Attachment 16530 | |
| Tim Macrow currently sits 3rd in the championship and heads to Mallala looking for his elusive first race win. |
TWO Long-term supporters of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship have today announced that they will be joining forces for the remainder of the 2006 Gold Star season.
Trophy class winning team Scud Racing and privateer driver Tim Macrow today confirmed that they will merge their respective Victorian-based operations underneath the Scud Racing banner before the next round, giving the team a three-pronged attack on the championship for the remainder of the year and firming both parties future plans in the competitive series.
The move confirms Macrow’s participation in the remainder of the 2006 championship after funding difficulties placed doubts over the teams ability to complete the season.
Macrow - who this year is a main subject of a documentary being produced to detail the racing exploits of the Macrow family - currently sits 3rd in the race for the CAMS Gold Star, having posted three podium finishes in the six races held to date.
Scud Racing drivers Lauren Gray and Bill Maddocks currently sit first and third respectively in the Trophy Championship, for Formula 3 chassis made between 1996 and 1998.
“Bill (Maddocks) approached us last week with a view to joining forces for the remainder of the year,” 22-year-old Macrow said.
“It’s a great opportunity for us. Amalgamating our teams has not only enabled me to be able to afford to contest the remainder of the year, but gives Bill and the Scud Racing team a car in the championship class as well as the current trophy cars.”
Macrow, who in 18 Formula 3 starts has stood on the outright podium six times and scored three pole positions, now heads to Adelaide’s Mallala Raceway in late June confident that he can notch his first championship race victory behind the wheel of his Dallara F301.
“We were very competitive at Mallala last season and I think we can get that elusive first win there later this month,” he said.
“We are in a good position in the championship and I firmly believe that we can challenge for it throughout the remainder of the season.”
| Attachment 16531 | |
Scud Racing team Owner Bill Maddocks leads a pack at the Non-Champ GP Races in March.
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Team owner Bill Maddocks was just as enthusiastic; noting the team’s long tradition for success was now set to expand further up the ranks of Formula 3 competition thanks to the rapid elevation into the heat of a competitive battle for the 50th anniversary Gold Star.
“In essence we’ll be running a three car team,” said Maddocks.
“Tim has an opportunity to win the Gold Star but needed a hand. Joining forces will work well for both parties as Tim will be able to complete the season whilst the team will finally have the car in the Championship Class that they deserve.
“The team needs a front running car to go with out successful Trophy cars, so we’ll run Tim’s car and look after things like his Tyres and entries.” he said.
Maddocks, last year’s Trophy champion, also confirmed that he plans to step out of the driving seat following the Mallala round, potentially opening the second Trophy Class seat up to a young driver.
The Melbourne-based team has a tradition for bringing youngsters through the Australian Formula 3 class ranks, current championship contender Chris Gilmour a notable graduate of the Scud outfit.
“I decided at Phillip Island that it was probably time to step out of the seat,” he explained.
“After Mallala we’ll look at putting a young driver in my car to complete the final four rounds of the championship. If we can’t find anyone I’ll jump back in but this will be a good chance for a young driver to get into a Formula 3 car for a very reasonable budget before progressing through the ranks.
“The long term plan should see us upgrading Tim into a 304-car next season, whilst either Lauren or another driver could step up into National Class driving the 301.
“The most likely plan is to run a car in each class next season,” Maddocks said.
The next round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship will be contested at Mallala Raceway, an hour north of Adelaide, on June 24 – 25.
After three rounds British driver Ben Clucas leads Victorian Michael Trimble (120 – 92) in the race to win the 50th Gold Star award, the highest award attainable in Australian Motorsport.
The pair proved the intensity of the competition two weeks ago at Phillip Island, staging a thrilling race to the flag in the first race that was decided in the favor of Clucas by .0031 – the closest margin in F3 series history.
For more information about the championship and video replays of the exciting race at Phillip Island, visit www.formula3.com.au
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