Henri Karjalainen live on Finnish TV - July 17 07
Henri Karjalainen, who was second in the AF3 Pacific Series, was interviewed live on the Finnish Urheilukanava TV station to recount his exploits in the Asian Series this year. "My sponsors were delighted with the coverage and it demonstrates that AF3 really can help a driver's career" reported Karjalainen.
This was not the first time Karjalainen has been on National TV in his home Country and it reflects the opportunities an International F3 Series can provide for drivers and sponsors alike. AF3 returns in October this year in a winter series format and live local TV coverage is expected at most events.
Henri Karjalainen, who was second in the AF3 Pacific Series, was interviewed live on the Finnish Urheilukanava TV station to recount his exploits in the Asian Series this year. "My sponsors were delighted with the coverage and it demonstrates that AF3 really can help a driver's career" reported Karjalainen.
This was not the first time Karjalainen has been on National TV in his home Country and it reflects the opportunities an International F3 Series can provide for drivers and sponsors alike. AF3 returns in October this year in a winter series format and live local TV coverage is expected at most events.
Mitchell 4th promoted to 2nd after Meritus drivers disqualified - Jul 22 07
Kyle Mitchell again took maximum rookie points after a controlled drive to fourth on the road. This became second when Jazeman and Grunwell were disqualified for a technical infringement found during post race scrutineering.
Mitchell was fourth for the entire race but had to soak up some pressure from David Zhu and Dennis Vollmar for the final laps. "I slowed a little to save the tyres and just drove quick enough to make sure they didn't get too close" reported Kyle. The reward for a mature drive was another first in the Rookie Class and despite the first race non-finish he is now only 11 points behind the class leader, Ross Jamison. "Both Kyle and Akhil drove well this weekend and they are proving to be the best of the rookie's" remarked Eurasia's Mark Goddard. "I am sure they will be able to compete on a regular basis with the three more experienced drivers at the front, particularly as we should now be on a more level playing field from now on."
Kyle Mitchell again took maximum rookie points after a controlled drive to fourth on the road. This became second when Jazeman and Grunwell were disqualified for a technical infringement found during post race scrutineering.
Mitchell was fourth for the entire race but had to soak up some pressure from David Zhu and Dennis Vollmar for the final laps. "I slowed a little to save the tyres and just drove quick enough to make sure they didn't get too close" reported Kyle. The reward for a mature drive was another first in the Rookie Class and despite the first race non-finish he is now only 11 points behind the class leader, Ross Jamison. "Both Kyle and Akhil drove well this weekend and they are proving to be the best of the rookie's" remarked Eurasia's Mark Goddard. "I am sure they will be able to compete on a regular basis with the three more experienced drivers at the front, particularly as we should now be on a more level playing field from now on."
Zahir Ali confirms AF3 for 2007-8 Series - July 26 07
Indonesian Formula BMW star, Zahir Ali, has confirmed he will be competing the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series. Ali has won four F.BMW Asia races so far this year and he will undoubtedly be competitive in AF3. Interest from drivers World Wide is currently very high and announcements from several competitive drivers are expected soon.
Zahir Ali has been one of Asia's karting stars for several years and he graduated to cars in the Formula BMW Asia series in 2006. This year he has been extremely competitive, winning four of the twelve races held to date. Asian F3 was seen as a natural progression for the Indonesian rising star. He follows in the footsteps of young Asian drivers such as Tyson Sy and Dado Pena. Sy, who finished second in the 2006 AF3 Series, is currently racing competitively in the Star Mazda Series in the USA. Other AF3 graduates include James Winslow and Charlie Hollings who have been winning races in Australian F3 whilst Ali Jackson has been competitive in the National Class of the British F3 Series. Another ex-AF3 racer, Christian Jones, recently won a round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
Asian F3 is quickly becoming the best career choice for young drivers from all parts of the World.
Indonesian Formula BMW star, Zahir Ali, has confirmed he will be competing the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series. Ali has won four F.BMW Asia races so far this year and he will undoubtedly be competitive in AF3. Interest from drivers World Wide is currently very high and announcements from several competitive drivers are expected soon.
Zahir Ali has been one of Asia's karting stars for several years and he graduated to cars in the Formula BMW Asia series in 2006. This year he has been extremely competitive, winning four of the twelve races held to date. Asian F3 was seen as a natural progression for the Indonesian rising star. He follows in the footsteps of young Asian drivers such as Tyson Sy and Dado Pena. Sy, who finished second in the 2006 AF3 Series, is currently racing competitively in the Star Mazda Series in the USA. Other AF3 graduates include James Winslow and Charlie Hollings who have been winning races in Australian F3 whilst Ali Jackson has been competitive in the National Class of the British F3 Series. Another ex-AF3 racer, Christian Jones, recently won a round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia.
Asian F3 is quickly becoming the best career choice for young drivers from all parts of the World.
Introduction of 2005-7 model cars postponed - Aug 10 07
The Asian Formula Three Corporation have decided to delay the introduction of the 2005-7 model car, therefore the latest model allowed in the upcoming Asian F3 2007-8 Series will be 2004 cars, such as the Dallara 304.
AF3 had initially announced that 305-7 cars would be allowed for the 2007-8 series however it soon became apparent that very few cars would be available for the first event in November, due to the cars still being in use in various European and the Japanese championships. Add in the fact that the few cars available were being offered at grossly inflated prices it was felt that in the interests of cost it was best to postpone the introduction of the current model cars.
"Our series aims to give drivers cost effective Formula Three experience and the 304 car certainly still offers a fantastic opportunity to learn the art of racing and setting up an F3 car" remarked an AF3 spokesman.
The Asian Formula Three Corporation have decided to delay the introduction of the 2005-7 model car, therefore the latest model allowed in the upcoming Asian F3 2007-8 Series will be 2004 cars, such as the Dallara 304.
AF3 had initially announced that 305-7 cars would be allowed for the 2007-8 series however it soon became apparent that very few cars would be available for the first event in November, due to the cars still being in use in various European and the Japanese championships. Add in the fact that the few cars available were being offered at grossly inflated prices it was felt that in the interests of cost it was best to postpone the introduction of the current model cars.
"Our series aims to give drivers cost effective Formula Three experience and the 304 car certainly still offers a fantastic opportunity to learn the art of racing and setting up an F3 car" remarked an AF3 spokesman.
2006 Eurasia driver to test for Australian A1GP - Aug 10 07
Daniel Ricciardo, a race winner in the 2006 F.BMW Asia Series with Eurasia Motorsport, will test the Australian A1GP car at the official Silverstone Circuit test on August 28th. The Australian A1GP team have given Ricciardo the opportunity as part of their rookie development program. F.BMW Asia and Eurasia really can make a difference to a driver's career.
Other F.BMW Eurasia Motorsport graduates include Aaron Lim who recently won on his debut in V6 Asia at Sentul Circuit and Dado Pena and Tyson Sy, both race winners in Asian Formula Three. The latter is now starring in the Star Mazda Series. Moreno Soeprapto who raced for the team in 2004 has gone on to duplicate Tyson Sy's feat of winning the Asian F3 Promotions Class and take overall race wins in the same Formula. Along with Lim he has also been a rookie driver in A1GP.
Dominic Storey made a big impression with Double R Racing in his recent F.BMW UK debut whilst another Eurasia graduate has been starring in the Asian Formula Renault Series.
Daniel Ricciardo, a race winner in the 2006 F.BMW Asia Series with Eurasia Motorsport, will test the Australian A1GP car at the official Silverstone Circuit test on August 28th. The Australian A1GP team have given Ricciardo the opportunity as part of their rookie development program. F.BMW Asia and Eurasia really can make a difference to a driver's career.
Other F.BMW Eurasia Motorsport graduates include Aaron Lim who recently won on his debut in V6 Asia at Sentul Circuit and Dado Pena and Tyson Sy, both race winners in Asian Formula Three. The latter is now starring in the Star Mazda Series. Moreno Soeprapto who raced for the team in 2004 has gone on to duplicate Tyson Sy's feat of winning the Asian F3 Promotions Class and take overall race wins in the same Formula. Along with Lim he has also been a rookie driver in A1GP.
Dominic Storey made a big impression with Double R Racing in his recent F.BMW UK debut whilst another Eurasia graduate has been starring in the Asian Formula Renault Series.
Karjalainen's Turkish delight - Aug 21 07
Asian F3 driver, Henri Karjalainen, will race in this weekend's Turkish GP2 event supporting the F1 Grand Prix. He replaces Markus Niemela, who dislocated his shoulder in the Hungarian GP race, at BCN competition. Niemela is expected to make a return in Monza. Karjalainen's results in this years AF3 Pacific Series were instrumental in his been given this opportunity.
Karjalainen won five races on his way to second in the Asian F3 Pacific Series and this led to his name being at the top of the list to replace his injured Countryman, fellow Finn Markus Niemela. He will be jumping in at the deep end, having never sat in a GP2 car nor seen the Turkish track. Asian F3 has once again demonstrated it is one of the most cost effective steps on the way to the higher echelons of the sport.
Asian F3 driver, Henri Karjalainen, will race in this weekend's Turkish GP2 event supporting the F1 Grand Prix. He replaces Markus Niemela, who dislocated his shoulder in the Hungarian GP race, at BCN competition. Niemela is expected to make a return in Monza. Karjalainen's results in this years AF3 Pacific Series were instrumental in his been given this opportunity.
Karjalainen won five races on his way to second in the Asian F3 Pacific Series and this led to his name being at the top of the list to replace his injured Countryman, fellow Finn Markus Niemela. He will be jumping in at the deep end, having never sat in a GP2 car nor seen the Turkish track. Asian F3 has once again demonstrated it is one of the most cost effective steps on the way to the higher echelons of the sport.
Kyle Mitchell wins rookie class in Chengdu race one Sept 15 07
Eurasia Motorsport's Kyle Mitchell took an accomplished rookie class win and fourth overall in the first race at the new circuit in Chengdu, China. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race. Team mate, Akhil Khushlani, finished 4th in class, 8th overall after starting 13th on the grid.
Mitchell qualified seventh with Khushlani 13th after a troubled session in which both drivers struggled to get the best out their new tyres on the new Chinese circuit. However they proved once again that they can race better than they qualify. Neither driver made a particularly good start and finished the first lap in the same position as they started. However Mitchell was soon on the move, up to sixth place on lap three and fifth a lap later. By lap eight Mitchell was in fourth place leading his rookie championship rival, Ross Jamison, and glued to the tail of newcomer, Jack Lemvard. Mitchell and Jamison found a way past Lemvard, who was driving a wide car, but on lap 14 Mitchell ran wide out of the final turn and handed fourth place to Jamison. Lemvard was all over Jamison and this allowed Kyle back on their tail. In the process he recorded the race's fastest lap and once back with them he wasted no time in slicing past Jamison and Lemvard to take an accomplished race win.
Akhil was caught behind slower cars for the first three laps but he then made steady progress, picking off his rivals one by one. Tenth on lap 5 became ninth on lap 10 and he overtook Imran Shaharom to take eighth place on the following lap.
"We were very happy with the performance of both drivers" remarked Martin Quick of Eurasia "and as they start fourth and eighth on the grid for the second race of the day we hope to achieve a podium finish this afternoon".
Mitchell reported "I think I have worked out how to drive the car on the limit and I hope to be able to go even better in the next race". Team Mate, Khushlani, remarked that "I am really looking forward to the second race. I know I can move up into the top six"
Eurasia Motorsport's Kyle Mitchell took an accomplished rookie class win and fourth overall in the first race at the new circuit in Chengdu, China. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race. Team mate, Akhil Khushlani, finished 4th in class, 8th overall after starting 13th on the grid.
Mitchell qualified seventh with Khushlani 13th after a troubled session in which both drivers struggled to get the best out their new tyres on the new Chinese circuit. However they proved once again that they can race better than they qualify. Neither driver made a particularly good start and finished the first lap in the same position as they started. However Mitchell was soon on the move, up to sixth place on lap three and fifth a lap later. By lap eight Mitchell was in fourth place leading his rookie championship rival, Ross Jamison, and glued to the tail of newcomer, Jack Lemvard. Mitchell and Jamison found a way past Lemvard, who was driving a wide car, but on lap 14 Mitchell ran wide out of the final turn and handed fourth place to Jamison. Lemvard was all over Jamison and this allowed Kyle back on their tail. In the process he recorded the race's fastest lap and once back with them he wasted no time in slicing past Jamison and Lemvard to take an accomplished race win.
Akhil was caught behind slower cars for the first three laps but he then made steady progress, picking off his rivals one by one. Tenth on lap 5 became ninth on lap 10 and he overtook Imran Shaharom to take eighth place on the following lap.
"We were very happy with the performance of both drivers" remarked Martin Quick of Eurasia "and as they start fourth and eighth on the grid for the second race of the day we hope to achieve a podium finish this afternoon".
Mitchell reported "I think I have worked out how to drive the car on the limit and I hope to be able to go even better in the next race". Team Mate, Khushlani, remarked that "I am really looking forward to the second race. I know I can move up into the top six"
Mitchell second overall, first in Rookie race two Sept 15 07
Kyle Mitchell took a brilliant second place in the second race of the day at the Chengdu circuit in China whilst his team mate, Akhil Khushlani, finished in sixth place after running as high as fourth. Mitchell again recorded the race's fastest lap.
Pole man, Zahir Ali, stalled at the start causing some confusion behind. Jazman stormed into the lead from Grunwell, Mitchell and Lemvard. Akhil came by in sixth place from eight on the grid. Lap three saw Mitchell slipstream past Grunwell into second before turn one only to lose the place again under braking for turn three. The following lap the two protagonists repeated the place changes in exactly the same corners. Lap five saw the safety car out whilst a car was retrieved from the gravel. The re-start on lap eight saw the battle between Grunwell and Mitchell resumed with Akhil now up to fifth place. Kyle finally found his way past Grunwell again on lap ten and this time made it stick whilst Akhil dropped sixth after contact with Lemvard which slightly bent his rear suspension.
Mitchell was now on a real charge, setting the races fastest lap as he chased down Jazman. Mitchell took the lead into turn one with five laps to go but Jazman fought back and re-took the lead at turn two. This allowed Grunwell to catch up and the three went into turn three side by side. Jazman emerged in the lead but Grunwell half spun and lost a lot of ground. This allowed the leaders to battle by themselves and Jazman was forced to defend heavily. Kyle planned to draft past into turn one on the last lap only for the chequered flag to come out a lap early. Akhil finished sixth which was a good result considering the damage to his car.
"I know I can lead races so tomorrow I can win!" said a delighted Mitchell. "The car was brilliant and it gave me so much confidence."
Akhil was disappointed "Lemvard hit me at turn one and it really spoilt my race. I should have finished fourth but the car was oversteering really badly due to the bent suspension"
Many noted that for the first time in many races the Meritus cars were no quicker in a straight line and seemed to have lost any power advantage they allegedly had after the disqualification of Jazman and Grunwell in the last event at Sentul for an engine technical infringement. The general consensus seems to be that is good for the series that any cheating is being stamped out and that all teams are now back on a level playing field.
Rounds 15 and 16 will take place on Sunday.
Kyle Mitchell took a brilliant second place in the second race of the day at the Chengdu circuit in China whilst his team mate, Akhil Khushlani, finished in sixth place after running as high as fourth. Mitchell again recorded the race's fastest lap.
Pole man, Zahir Ali, stalled at the start causing some confusion behind. Jazman stormed into the lead from Grunwell, Mitchell and Lemvard. Akhil came by in sixth place from eight on the grid. Lap three saw Mitchell slipstream past Grunwell into second before turn one only to lose the place again under braking for turn three. The following lap the two protagonists repeated the place changes in exactly the same corners. Lap five saw the safety car out whilst a car was retrieved from the gravel. The re-start on lap eight saw the battle between Grunwell and Mitchell resumed with Akhil now up to fifth place. Kyle finally found his way past Grunwell again on lap ten and this time made it stick whilst Akhil dropped sixth after contact with Lemvard which slightly bent his rear suspension.
Mitchell was now on a real charge, setting the races fastest lap as he chased down Jazman. Mitchell took the lead into turn one with five laps to go but Jazman fought back and re-took the lead at turn two. This allowed Grunwell to catch up and the three went into turn three side by side. Jazman emerged in the lead but Grunwell half spun and lost a lot of ground. This allowed the leaders to battle by themselves and Jazman was forced to defend heavily. Kyle planned to draft past into turn one on the last lap only for the chequered flag to come out a lap early. Akhil finished sixth which was a good result considering the damage to his car.
"I know I can lead races so tomorrow I can win!" said a delighted Mitchell. "The car was brilliant and it gave me so much confidence."
Akhil was disappointed "Lemvard hit me at turn one and it really spoilt my race. I should have finished fourth but the car was oversteering really badly due to the bent suspension"
Many noted that for the first time in many races the Meritus cars were no quicker in a straight line and seemed to have lost any power advantage they allegedly had after the disqualification of Jazman and Grunwell in the last event at Sentul for an engine technical infringement. The general consensus seems to be that is good for the series that any cheating is being stamped out and that all teams are now back on a level playing field.
Rounds 15 and 16 will take place on Sunday.
Mitchell first in rookie class, Shanghai race two Oct 7 07
Kyle Mitchell finished fourth overall, first in rookie class, after an eventful race at the Shanghai F1 GP F.BMW Asia support event. Team mate, Akhil Kushlani was forced to pit to repair damage to his Sidepod after contact on the fourth lap and returned to finish 14th posting the second fastest lap of the race in the process.
A damp track saw all cars starting on wet weather tyres and Kushlani made a fantastic start from 9th on the grid to run as high as second place by the second turn. Mitchell made a more pedestrian start but was soon on the move. A group which included Jack Lemvard, Zahir Ali, James Grunwell and the two Eurasia cars were soon disputing third place. Lemvard made a break whilst the rest of the group fell over themselves. In the confusion Khushlani was hit and lost the rear of his sidepod. He was forced to pit to have the remains taped and set off half a lap behind.
Mitchell meanwhile was soon into fourth and chasing after Lemvard, closing the gap from six seconds to nothing over four laps. On the penultimate lap he out braked Lemvard into the final hairpin taking third place in the process. However all the good work was undone when he went into turn one too hot on the final lap and ran out of road handing the place back to Lemvard. He was quickly back on the tail of his adversary and they ran side by side into the final hairpin. However Lemvard had the inside line for the final turn and despite going through the corner side by side Mitchell just lost out by one tenth of a second.
"Both Akhil and Kyle had the pace to win today so it makes us very optimistic for the final event of the year at Zhuhai in three weeks time" reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard. Mitchell is still second in the rookie championship, just 37 points behind Ross Jamison who has 514 points.. Zhuhai will have four races so it is still possible that the South African can become Rookie Champion. Akhil lies third in the championship with 418 points.
Kyle Mitchell finished fourth overall, first in rookie class, after an eventful race at the Shanghai F1 GP F.BMW Asia support event. Team mate, Akhil Kushlani was forced to pit to repair damage to his Sidepod after contact on the fourth lap and returned to finish 14th posting the second fastest lap of the race in the process.
A damp track saw all cars starting on wet weather tyres and Kushlani made a fantastic start from 9th on the grid to run as high as second place by the second turn. Mitchell made a more pedestrian start but was soon on the move. A group which included Jack Lemvard, Zahir Ali, James Grunwell and the two Eurasia cars were soon disputing third place. Lemvard made a break whilst the rest of the group fell over themselves. In the confusion Khushlani was hit and lost the rear of his sidepod. He was forced to pit to have the remains taped and set off half a lap behind.
Mitchell meanwhile was soon into fourth and chasing after Lemvard, closing the gap from six seconds to nothing over four laps. On the penultimate lap he out braked Lemvard into the final hairpin taking third place in the process. However all the good work was undone when he went into turn one too hot on the final lap and ran out of road handing the place back to Lemvard. He was quickly back on the tail of his adversary and they ran side by side into the final hairpin. However Lemvard had the inside line for the final turn and despite going through the corner side by side Mitchell just lost out by one tenth of a second.
"Both Akhil and Kyle had the pace to win today so it makes us very optimistic for the final event of the year at Zhuhai in three weeks time" reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard. Mitchell is still second in the rookie championship, just 37 points behind Ross Jamison who has 514 points.. Zhuhai will have four races so it is still possible that the South African can become Rookie Champion. Akhil lies third in the championship with 418 points.
Test F.BMW in Zhuhai or Sepang Oct 17 07
Eurasia Motorsport has F.BMW Asia cars available for testing at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia and the built for F1 circuit at Zhuhai in China. Book your practice days now!
Zhuhai Circuit is only one hour ferry ride from Hong Kong or a short walk from Macau. The circuit was built for F1 and has hosted FIA GT races and A1GP will race there this December. The final F.BMW Asia event of 2007 will take place at Zhuhai on November 4th. The 4.7km track boasts 14 turns and is a safe testing circuit. Zhuhai has many hotels, from 5 star to 2 star all at very reasonable rates and is easy to get to.
Sepang F1 circuit near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hosts the F1 GP each year and like Zhuhai will be part of the 2008 F.BMW Asia Series. It is a challenging yet safe circuit and is very popular as a testing venue. Eurasia Motorsport will take care of your hotel bookings at both venues and we will get you to the track and back. All you have to do is arrive and drive!
Zhuhai Dates
November 5, 7-8,14,26,28-29.
December 6, 10, 12, 13, 17
January 5-7, 9, 14, 16-18, 21, 23-28,30-31
February 1-4, 6,11,13-18, 20-22, 25, 27,28
March 8-10, 11-13, 17, 19, 26-27, 31
Sepang Dates
November 9-11, 28-29
December 1, 4-6, 9-12, 14
January 1-3, 7-9, 19-20,31
February 1-2, 13-14
Contact Mark Goddard at markgoddard@asianf3.netor Martin Quick at martin@eurasiamotorsport.comto reserv
Eurasia Motorsport has F.BMW Asia cars available for testing at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia and the built for F1 circuit at Zhuhai in China. Book your practice days now!
Zhuhai Circuit is only one hour ferry ride from Hong Kong or a short walk from Macau. The circuit was built for F1 and has hosted FIA GT races and A1GP will race there this December. The final F.BMW Asia event of 2007 will take place at Zhuhai on November 4th. The 4.7km track boasts 14 turns and is a safe testing circuit. Zhuhai has many hotels, from 5 star to 2 star all at very reasonable rates and is easy to get to.
Sepang F1 circuit near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia hosts the F1 GP each year and like Zhuhai will be part of the 2008 F.BMW Asia Series. It is a challenging yet safe circuit and is very popular as a testing venue. Eurasia Motorsport will take care of your hotel bookings at both venues and we will get you to the track and back. All you have to do is arrive and drive!
Zhuhai Dates
November 5, 7-8,14,26,28-29.
December 6, 10, 12, 13, 17
January 5-7, 9, 14, 16-18, 21, 23-28,30-31
February 1-4, 6,11,13-18, 20-22, 25, 27,28
March 8-10, 11-13, 17, 19, 26-27, 31
Sepang Dates
November 9-11, 28-29
December 1, 4-6, 9-12, 14
January 1-3, 7-9, 19-20,31
February 1-2, 13-14
Contact Mark Goddard at markgoddard@asianf3.netor Martin Quick at martin@eurasiamotorsport.comto reserv
AF3 Champion to receive test in Force India F1 Car Oct 23 07
The 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Champion will receive a test drive in a
Force India Formula 1 Racing Team car courtesy of the official AF3 partner ,TOM'S. The Asian F3 Series, which has adopted the winter series format, will begin on November 25th at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia and end in China next April after also visiting the Philippines and India. Eurasia Motorsport partner team, Team Goddard, is entering cars in the series.
The Chennai, formerly Madras, Circuit will see the return of International racing to India with the AF3 event on February 10th next year. "The Force India F1 Racing Team is really contributing to the development of motor sport in Asia with this prize. AF3 offers cost effective International F3 racing and Force India's support is giving drivers a realistic opportunity to experience a modern F1 car. It is now possible to drive an F1 car by winning a series that costs no more than a season of Formula Ford in Europe" remarked an AF3 spokesperson. Asian F3 is powered by FIA specification TOM'S engines.
The 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Champion will receive a test drive in a
Force India Formula 1 Racing Team car courtesy of the official AF3 partner ,TOM'S. The Asian F3 Series, which has adopted the winter series format, will begin on November 25th at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia and end in China next April after also visiting the Philippines and India. Eurasia Motorsport partner team, Team Goddard, is entering cars in the series.
The Chennai, formerly Madras, Circuit will see the return of International racing to India with the AF3 event on February 10th next year. "The Force India F1 Racing Team is really contributing to the development of motor sport in Asia with this prize. AF3 offers cost effective International F3 racing and Force India's support is giving drivers a realistic opportunity to experience a modern F1 car. It is now possible to drive an F1 car by winning a series that costs no more than a season of Formula Ford in Europe" remarked an AF3 spokesperson. Asian F3 is powered by FIA specification TOM'S engines.
AF3 Champion to receive test in Force India F1 Car Oct 24 07
The 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Champion will receive a test drive in a Force India Formula 1 Racing Team car courtesy of the official AF3 partner ,TOM'S. The Asian F3 Series, which has adopted the winter series format, will begin on November 25th at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia and end in China next April after also visiting the Philippines and India.
The Chennai, formerly Madras, Circuit will see the return of International racing to India with the AF3 event on February 10th next year. "The Force India F1 Racing Team is really contributing to the development of motor sport in Asia with this prize. AF3 offers cost effective International F3 racing and Force India's support is giving drivers a realistic opportunity to experience a modern F1 car. It is now possible to drive an F1 car by winning a series that costs no more than a season of Formula Ford in Europe" remarked an AF3 spokesperson. Asian F3 is powered by FIA specification TOM'S engines.
The 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Champion will receive a test drive in a Force India Formula 1 Racing Team car courtesy of the official AF3 partner ,TOM'S. The Asian F3 Series, which has adopted the winter series format, will begin on November 25th at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia and end in China next April after also visiting the Philippines and India.
The Chennai, formerly Madras, Circuit will see the return of International racing to India with the AF3 event on February 10th next year. "The Force India F1 Racing Team is really contributing to the development of motor sport in Asia with this prize. AF3 offers cost effective International F3 racing and Force India's support is giving drivers a realistic opportunity to experience a modern F1 car. It is now possible to drive an F1 car by winning a series that costs no more than a season of Formula Ford in Europe" remarked an AF3 spokesperson. Asian F3 is powered by FIA specification TOM'S engines.
Mitchell second Zhuhai race one Nov 3 2007
Kyle Mitchell finished second overall, top rookie in the first race of the final F.BMW Asia event held at the Zhuhai Circuit in China. Team mate, Akhil Khushlani, ended his race in a gravel trap after contact with another competitor.
An exciting qualifying session saw Mitchell just .149 of a second slower than pole position man, Ross Jamison, but only sixth on the grid! F.BMW Asia is nothing if not competitive. Khushlani was a disappointed 12th fastest feeling he had not got the best out of his new tyres.
The start saw Columbian ,Saavedra, take the lead from Jamison with Mitchell in sixth and Khushlani up to 8th after a brilliant start. Championship leader, Jazeman, found a way past Kyle on lap two and the Malaysian then proceeded to push Zahir Ali for fifth place with Kyle in tow. Jazeman passed Ali into turn nine and Mitchell followed him through at the next turn.
The dueling threesome then closed in on James Grunwell which was when the firworks really started. Jazeman dived up the inside of Grunwell at turn ten, the pair banged wheels spinning the Malaysian into retirement. Mitchell was now through to fifth place with Ali in hot pursuit. Lemvard who was in third place attempted a pass on Ross Jamison at turn 11 which went wrong with Lemvard spinning and in the confusion both Kyle and Ali slipped past. This was how they finished with Saavedra in first, Jamison second and Mitchell third.
However Jamison had been way out of his box at the start and was given a 30 second penalty for jumping the start, demoting him to 8th place.
Akhil had settled into a good eighth and he held onto the place until lap 7 when Harun found a way past. However they made contact into turn four and Akhil was off into the gravel.
The second race of the weekend is later today and more fireworks are expected. The Rookie championship is now quite close between Kyle and Ross Jamison and Mitchell has high hopes as he will start from second on the grid. Akhil will be at the back so he is hoping for another good start.
Kyle Mitchell finished second overall, top rookie in the first race of the final F.BMW Asia event held at the Zhuhai Circuit in China. Team mate, Akhil Khushlani, ended his race in a gravel trap after contact with another competitor.
An exciting qualifying session saw Mitchell just .149 of a second slower than pole position man, Ross Jamison, but only sixth on the grid! F.BMW Asia is nothing if not competitive. Khushlani was a disappointed 12th fastest feeling he had not got the best out of his new tyres.
The start saw Columbian ,Saavedra, take the lead from Jamison with Mitchell in sixth and Khushlani up to 8th after a brilliant start. Championship leader, Jazeman, found a way past Kyle on lap two and the Malaysian then proceeded to push Zahir Ali for fifth place with Kyle in tow. Jazeman passed Ali into turn nine and Mitchell followed him through at the next turn.
The dueling threesome then closed in on James Grunwell which was when the firworks really started. Jazeman dived up the inside of Grunwell at turn ten, the pair banged wheels spinning the Malaysian into retirement. Mitchell was now through to fifth place with Ali in hot pursuit. Lemvard who was in third place attempted a pass on Ross Jamison at turn 11 which went wrong with Lemvard spinning and in the confusion both Kyle and Ali slipped past. This was how they finished with Saavedra in first, Jamison second and Mitchell third.
However Jamison had been way out of his box at the start and was given a 30 second penalty for jumping the start, demoting him to 8th place.
Akhil had settled into a good eighth and he held onto the place until lap 7 when Harun found a way past. However they made contact into turn four and Akhil was off into the gravel.
The second race of the weekend is later today and more fireworks are expected. The Rookie championship is now quite close between Kyle and Ross Jamison and Mitchell has high hopes as he will start from second on the grid. Akhil will be at the back so he is hoping for another good start.
Mitchell second again in Zhuhai race two - Nov 3 07
Kyle Mitchell finished second under a safety car finish due a multi-car crash. Akhil Kushlani was one of six drivers involved in the accident, his car destroyed in the 200kph shunt. Fortunately the driver is only bruised but otherwise uninjured.
Mitchell was second at the end of the first lap slotting in behind race winner Saavedra. Khushlani completed the lap in 12th from last on the grid. Saavedra, Mitchell and Zahir Ali pulled away from Ross Jamison and a huge squabbling group which included Jazeman, Grunwell, Zhu, Gladdis, Lemvard, Harun and Kushlani. It looked like it would end in tears and it certainly did in a big way when two cars collided on the pit straight and in the ensuing confusion Zhu went flying, cart-wheeling at over 200 kph and Gladdis and Akhil were forced into the wall whilst trying to take avoiding action.
Lemvard and Harun were also out whilst Grunwell struggled back to rejoin the race after some repairs. Khushlani and Gladdis were sent to the medical centre and from there to hospital. Akhil was battered and bruised but otherwise unhurt. Initial reports is that Tom Gladdis is also okay.
Racing continues tomorrow with the final two rounds of the series but it will be without Khushlani whose chassis was too damaged to be repaired.
Kyle Mitchell finished second under a safety car finish due a multi-car crash. Akhil Kushlani was one of six drivers involved in the accident, his car destroyed in the 200kph shunt. Fortunately the driver is only bruised but otherwise uninjured.
Mitchell was second at the end of the first lap slotting in behind race winner Saavedra. Khushlani completed the lap in 12th from last on the grid. Saavedra, Mitchell and Zahir Ali pulled away from Ross Jamison and a huge squabbling group which included Jazeman, Grunwell, Zhu, Gladdis, Lemvard, Harun and Kushlani. It looked like it would end in tears and it certainly did in a big way when two cars collided on the pit straight and in the ensuing confusion Zhu went flying, cart-wheeling at over 200 kph and Gladdis and Akhil were forced into the wall whilst trying to take avoiding action.
Lemvard and Harun were also out whilst Grunwell struggled back to rejoin the race after some repairs. Khushlani and Gladdis were sent to the medical centre and from there to hospital. Akhil was battered and bruised but otherwise unhurt. Initial reports is that Tom Gladdis is also okay.
Racing continues tomorrow with the final two rounds of the series but it will be without Khushlani whose chassis was too damaged to be repaired.
Mitchell and Ali relegated to 10th and 11th in race one - Nov 3 07
In a bizarre piece of offialdom Kyle Mitchell and Zahir Ali were both penalized 30 seconds for overtaking under yellows in race one, the drivers being dragged from their cars as they were about to leave the pit lane to join the grid for race two to report to the stewards.
This was the first time both drivers and teams were aware of any protest having being made and apart from losing points in race one it resulted in them being demoted from second and third on the grid. The finishing positions of the first race determine the starting positions of race two. The driver's teams immediately gave notice of appeal and the race start was delayed whilst the officials decided what to do. It was eventually agreed that both drivers would start in their original grid positions and race under appeal.
Post race the negotiations went on for several hours and it was decided that the original penalty for race one would stand as would the results of race two. The incident took place when Lemvard spun at turn 11 whilst the corner was under "yellows" due to it is believed Jazeman's car being towed on the track. Grunwell, Kyle and Zahir arrived at the corner and Grunwell dived to the left of Lemvard whilst Kyle and Zahir took the right hand route. In the process Grunwell ran wide and was forced to slow more then his two rivals who emerged in front. "We were amazed, due to the mitigating circumstances, that neither driver was called to explain their actions and that we were only informed just as the next race was about to start. In the fact Stewards decision is timed ten minutes after the original race two start time!" stated a Eurasia spokesperson. "We feel very hard done by and we hope in future natural justice prevails and that all parties should be allowed to defend themselves."
In a bizarre piece of offialdom Kyle Mitchell and Zahir Ali were both penalized 30 seconds for overtaking under yellows in race one, the drivers being dragged from their cars as they were about to leave the pit lane to join the grid for race two to report to the stewards.
This was the first time both drivers and teams were aware of any protest having being made and apart from losing points in race one it resulted in them being demoted from second and third on the grid. The finishing positions of the first race determine the starting positions of race two. The driver's teams immediately gave notice of appeal and the race start was delayed whilst the officials decided what to do. It was eventually agreed that both drivers would start in their original grid positions and race under appeal.
Post race the negotiations went on for several hours and it was decided that the original penalty for race one would stand as would the results of race two. The incident took place when Lemvard spun at turn 11 whilst the corner was under "yellows" due to it is believed Jazeman's car being towed on the track. Grunwell, Kyle and Zahir arrived at the corner and Grunwell dived to the left of Lemvard whilst Kyle and Zahir took the right hand route. In the process Grunwell ran wide and was forced to slow more then his two rivals who emerged in front. "We were amazed, due to the mitigating circumstances, that neither driver was called to explain their actions and that we were only informed just as the next race was about to start. In the fact Stewards decision is timed ten minutes after the original race two start time!" stated a Eurasia spokesperson. "We feel very hard done by and we hope in future natural justice prevails and that all parties should be allowed to defend themselves."
Mitchell takes rookie championship lead Nov 04 07
Kyle Mitchell finished third overall, first rookie in race three of the F.BMW Asia Series at the Zhuhai Circuit this morning taking the championship lead in the process. Championship rival, Ross Jamison, ended his race in the gravel trap.
Mitchell started the race in fourth place but was soon past Jamison into third chasing Grunwell and Ali. Mitchell out braked Ali into turn 7 to take second place on lap two and was soon joined by Jazeman who was also quickly past Zahir. Jazeman was soon into second place and both drivers chased down leader Grunwell.
On lap 7 Jazman forced his way into the lead at T10 and Mitchell was also past Grunwell at the following turn. Saavedra was now on the tail of Ali and once past closed in on Mitchell and took second place on the final lap. "Saavedra is not registered and does not score points so I didn't fight with him" reported Kyle.
Mitchell is now five points ahead in the Rookie Championship with the final round this afternoon. Jamison starts at the back due to his non-finish, he went off at turn one on lap three, and now Mitchell just has to finish in front of Jamison to be crowned champion. However anything can happen this afternoon!
Kyle Mitchell finished third overall, first rookie in race three of the F.BMW Asia Series at the Zhuhai Circuit this morning taking the championship lead in the process. Championship rival, Ross Jamison, ended his race in the gravel trap.
Mitchell started the race in fourth place but was soon past Jamison into third chasing Grunwell and Ali. Mitchell out braked Ali into turn 7 to take second place on lap two and was soon joined by Jazeman who was also quickly past Zahir. Jazeman was soon into second place and both drivers chased down leader Grunwell.
On lap 7 Jazman forced his way into the lead at T10 and Mitchell was also past Grunwell at the following turn. Saavedra was now on the tail of Ali and once past closed in on Mitchell and took second place on the final lap. "Saavedra is not registered and does not score points so I didn't fight with him" reported Kyle.
Mitchell is now five points ahead in the Rookie Championship with the final round this afternoon. Jamison starts at the back due to his non-finish, he went off at turn one on lap three, and now Mitchell just has to finish in front of Jamison to be crowned champion. However anything can happen this afternoon!
Mitchell 2007 Rookie champion Nov 5 07
Kyle Mitchell clinched the Rookie Championship in the final race of the year at Zhuhai by finishing fourth overall, first in class after a nail biting race with rival, Ross Jamison
The start saw the race immediately suspended after James Grunwell flipped at turn one, ending up upside down in the gravel trap. Race leader, Saavedra, obviously had not read the rules and returned to the pit lane rather than line up at the red flag line on the pit straight consigning himself to a drive through penalty at the re-start. This left Jazeman leading from Lemvard, Kyle and Ali. Kyle grabbed second at Turn one but later that lap he was down to fourth after Lemvard forced his way past and Ali followed him through.
Jazeman drove away from the field to win and Lemvard was soon in a safe second leaving Ali and Kyle to squabble over third. All the time Jamison was closing as the dueling duo held themselves up and by lap 8 Ross and Kyle were side by side into turn 7. Mitchell was aware the championship was his if he finished in front of Jamison and their private race allowed Ali to draw away. Over the final four laps they were inches apart and more than once wheel to wheel but try what he may Jamison was unable to find a way past.
Mitchell took an accomplished first in class after a brilliant drive under tremendous pressure it is a well deserved championship win. "I couldn't race too hard with Jack and Zahir as I knew I had to finish" remarked an elated Mitchell. "I am so happy for my family who have supported me so much and for the team who have given me such a great car".
Kyle Mitchell clinched the Rookie Championship in the final race of the year at Zhuhai by finishing fourth overall, first in class after a nail biting race with rival, Ross Jamison
The start saw the race immediately suspended after James Grunwell flipped at turn one, ending up upside down in the gravel trap. Race leader, Saavedra, obviously had not read the rules and returned to the pit lane rather than line up at the red flag line on the pit straight consigning himself to a drive through penalty at the re-start. This left Jazeman leading from Lemvard, Kyle and Ali. Kyle grabbed second at Turn one but later that lap he was down to fourth after Lemvard forced his way past and Ali followed him through.
Jazeman drove away from the field to win and Lemvard was soon in a safe second leaving Ali and Kyle to squabble over third. All the time Jamison was closing as the dueling duo held themselves up and by lap 8 Ross and Kyle were side by side into turn 7. Mitchell was aware the championship was his if he finished in front of Jamison and their private race allowed Ali to draw away. Over the final four laps they were inches apart and more than once wheel to wheel but try what he may Jamison was unable to find a way past.
Mitchell took an accomplished first in class after a brilliant drive under tremendous pressure it is a well deserved championship win. "I couldn't race too hard with Jack and Zahir as I knew I had to finish" remarked an elated Mitchell. "I am so happy for my family who have supported me so much and for the team who have given me such a great car".
Hamad Al Fardan to race for Team GFH Bahrain Nov 8 07
Hamad Al Fardan, fresh from his British F3 National Class campaign, will race in the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series in a Team GFH Bahrain Dallara 304 TOM'S car. He will start as one of the favorites to win the series and the prize test in the Force India F1 car.
Hamad is no stranger to the Asian circuits having successfully raced in the Formula BMW Asia Series. Team GFH Bahrain is new to the Series but they are confident they will be on the pace at the first event in Sepang on November 24-25th. The A1GP support race is eagerly awaited with a competitive season looking likely with several "name" drivers joining the field.
Hamad Al Fardan, fresh from his British F3 National Class campaign, will race in the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series in a Team GFH Bahrain Dallara 304 TOM'S car. He will start as one of the favorites to win the series and the prize test in the Force India F1 car.
Hamad is no stranger to the Asian circuits having successfully raced in the Formula BMW Asia Series. Team GFH Bahrain is new to the Series but they are confident they will be on the pace at the first event in Sepang on November 24-25th. The A1GP support race is eagerly awaited with a competitive season looking likely with several "name" drivers joining the field.
Matt Howson and Jim Kato to race for PTRS - Nov 9 07
Former F.BMW UK front runner, Matt Howson, and Formula Renault China hotshoe, Jim Kato, are slated to join the PTRS Team for the 2007-8 AF3 season. They will make an extremely competitive pairing and both will be aiming for the Force India F1 prize drive.
PTRS is another new team to the series and they are hoping their strong driver line up will bring them instant success. The team will run a third car and they hope to announce the driver very soon.
Former F.BMW UK front runner, Matt Howson, and Formula Renault China hotshoe, Jim Kato, are slated to join the PTRS Team for the 2007-8 AF3 season. They will make an extremely competitive pairing and both will be aiming for the Force India F1 prize drive.
PTRS is another new team to the series and they are hoping their strong driver line up will bring them instant success. The team will run a third car and they hope to announce the driver very soon.
Rafael Suzuki to race for Team Goddard Nov 10 07
Brazilian karting star, Rafael Suzuki, will race for Team Goddard at the season opener in Sepang on November 24-25th. Suzuki has already raced in the South American F3 Championship and he will be another extremely competitive driver hoping to win the Force India F1 prize test drive.
Team Goddard are the current AF3 Pacific Series Team Champions and with Henri Karjalainen and Moreno Soeprapto won 7 of the 13 rounds. "We are confident with a driver of the caliber of Rafael that we can continue our winning ways" reported Mark Goddard.
Brazilian karting star, Rafael Suzuki, will race for Team Goddard at the season opener in Sepang on November 24-25th. Suzuki has already raced in the South American F3 Championship and he will be another extremely competitive driver hoping to win the Force India F1 prize test drive.
Team Goddard are the current AF3 Pacific Series Team Champions and with Henri Karjalainen and Moreno Soeprapto won 7 of the 13 rounds. "We are confident with a driver of the caliber of Rafael that we can continue our winning ways" reported Mark Goddard.
Frederic Vervisch and David Julian join Team Goddard - Nov 16 07
Frederic Vervisch, runner up in this year's German F3 championship joins Brazilian, Rafael Suzuki, in a Team Goddard Dallara 304 TOM'S makinng for a strong pairing at the first round of the series to be held at Sepang on November 24-25. David Julian will race the team's Promotion Class Dallara 398.
Frédéric Vervisch reportrd "We want to be well-prepared at the start of the new season. That's why we chose to go to Asia this winter, in order to compete in the Formula 3 Championship over there. That way, we can get a lot of valuable mileage at a cheap price."
"Of course, I've never been to Asia. So I don't know the circuits. I will have to rely on the experience of the team. On the other hand, I'm convinced that I will be at the front of the field, considering the knowledge I gained in this years' German Formula 3 Championship. The Sepang track is very beautiful and presents an interesting challenge for all drivers. We will already be testing this Sunday to get a feeling for the car and the track. In doing so, we know exactly where we are at the moment."
"During my Asian adventure, I will be encouraged by the prize the champion receives at the end of the season; a test with the new Force India Formula 1 team."
Frederic Vervisch, runner up in this year's German F3 championship joins Brazilian, Rafael Suzuki, in a Team Goddard Dallara 304 TOM'S makinng for a strong pairing at the first round of the series to be held at Sepang on November 24-25. David Julian will race the team's Promotion Class Dallara 398.
Frédéric Vervisch reportrd "We want to be well-prepared at the start of the new season. That's why we chose to go to Asia this winter, in order to compete in the Formula 3 Championship over there. That way, we can get a lot of valuable mileage at a cheap price."
"Of course, I've never been to Asia. So I don't know the circuits. I will have to rely on the experience of the team. On the other hand, I'm convinced that I will be at the front of the field, considering the knowledge I gained in this years' German Formula 3 Championship. The Sepang track is very beautiful and presents an interesting challenge for all drivers. We will already be testing this Sunday to get a feeling for the car and the track. In doing so, we know exactly where we are at the moment."
"During my Asian adventure, I will be encouraged by the prize the champion receives at the end of the season; a test with the new Force India Formula 1 team."
Arturo Gonzales to drive for Aran Racing - Nov 19 07
Arturo Gonzales will drive for Aran Racing in the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which gets underway this weekend in Sepang, Malaysia as support to A1GP. The 19 year old Mexican will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars.
Gonzales, who this year finished third in Latin American Formula Renault, has already tested from the team in Zhuhai, China earlier this month.
Aran Racing team principal, Noel Thompson said "We are delighted to have Arturo on board and we expect him to be challenging for wins when the season starts in Sepang".
Arturo Gonzales will drive for Aran Racing in the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which gets underway this weekend in Sepang, Malaysia as support to A1GP. The 19 year old Mexican will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars.
Gonzales, who this year finished third in Latin American Formula Renault, has already tested from the team in Zhuhai, China earlier this month.
Aran Racing team principal, Noel Thompson said "We are delighted to have Arturo on board and we expect him to be challenging for wins when the season starts in Sepang".
Frederic Vervisch qualifies on pole for Sepang race one - Nov 23 07
Frederic Vervicsh qualified first for the first round of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series which will be held on Saturday 23rd at the Sepang A1GP event. He was followed by his team mate, Rafael Suzuki, Hamad Al Fardan and Matt Howson. Arturo Gonzales will start in fifth place.
Vervisch and Suzuki made it a Team Goddard one two with new to AF3 Team GFH Bahrain in third coutesy of Al Fardan. Former F.BMW UK star, Matt Howson, gave PTRS a good debut run in the series with Gonzales likely to improve in his Aran Racing car as today was his first taste of Sepang and the car.
John O'Hara, Wei-Liang Chen, Paul Ip, David Julian and Don Tacos were next up.
Top Qualifying Times
Frederic Vervisch 2.02.484
Rafael Suzuki 2.02.919
Hamad Al Fardan 2.03.397
Matthew Howson 2.03.850
Arturo Gonzales 2.05.524
Frederic Vervicsh qualified first for the first round of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series which will be held on Saturday 23rd at the Sepang A1GP event. He was followed by his team mate, Rafael Suzuki, Hamad Al Fardan and Matt Howson. Arturo Gonzales will start in fifth place.
Vervisch and Suzuki made it a Team Goddard one two with new to AF3 Team GFH Bahrain in third coutesy of Al Fardan. Former F.BMW UK star, Matt Howson, gave PTRS a good debut run in the series with Gonzales likely to improve in his Aran Racing car as today was his first taste of Sepang and the car.
John O'Hara, Wei-Liang Chen, Paul Ip, David Julian and Don Tacos were next up.
Top Qualifying Times
Frederic Vervisch 2.02.484
Rafael Suzuki 2.02.919
Hamad Al Fardan 2.03.397
Matthew Howson 2.03.850
Arturo Gonzales 2.05.524
Hamad Al Fardan wins Sepang race one - Nov 24 07
Hamad Al Fardan took an accomplished first race win in round one of the Asian Formula Three Series held at the A1GP Sepang event. It was also a first race win for Team GFH Bahrain. Frederic Vervisch was second after contact with Al Fardan on the first lap saw him spin to the tail of the field whilst fellow Team Goddard driver, Rafael Suzuki was third. Matt Howson was third on the road in his PTRS car but was given a 30 second penalty for a false start.
Hamad made a fantastic start and burst through front row starters, Vervisch and Suzuki, to take the lead. Vervisch and Hamad went wheel to wheel through the first three corners before they made contact in turn four, the Belgian spinning down to the tail of the field. Hamad was never headed again whilst behind Howson, Arturo Gonzales of Aran Racing and Rafael Suzuki disputed second place. It all came to a head on lap three when Howson and Gonzales made contact under braking for turn nine. Howson continued unabated whilst Gonzales spin backwards across the grass and came to halt in the track causing Suzuki to also come to a standstill. A fast recovering Vervisch took the opportunity to blast by into third place.
Gonzales got up to speed before Suzuki but lost out to the Brazilian under braking for the final turn. Vervisch was soon on the tail of Howson and swept past into turn one. He then proceeded to hunt down Hamad, taking fastest lap in the process, finishing just over a second behind at the flag. Once free of Gonzales, Suzuki then closed on Howson and despite getting alongside at the last turn on the final lap he just failed to grab third place. However Howson was given a thirty second penalty for a false start, he was outside his starting box, dropping him to fifth behind Gonzales.
David Julian and Paul Ip had a spirited race with Julian taking Promotion Class honours. Race two will be held on Sunday morning.
Hamad Al Fardan took an accomplished first race win in round one of the Asian Formula Three Series held at the A1GP Sepang event. It was also a first race win for Team GFH Bahrain. Frederic Vervisch was second after contact with Al Fardan on the first lap saw him spin to the tail of the field whilst fellow Team Goddard driver, Rafael Suzuki was third. Matt Howson was third on the road in his PTRS car but was given a 30 second penalty for a false start.
Hamad made a fantastic start and burst through front row starters, Vervisch and Suzuki, to take the lead. Vervisch and Hamad went wheel to wheel through the first three corners before they made contact in turn four, the Belgian spinning down to the tail of the field. Hamad was never headed again whilst behind Howson, Arturo Gonzales of Aran Racing and Rafael Suzuki disputed second place. It all came to a head on lap three when Howson and Gonzales made contact under braking for turn nine. Howson continued unabated whilst Gonzales spin backwards across the grass and came to halt in the track causing Suzuki to also come to a standstill. A fast recovering Vervisch took the opportunity to blast by into third place.
Gonzales got up to speed before Suzuki but lost out to the Brazilian under braking for the final turn. Vervisch was soon on the tail of Howson and swept past into turn one. He then proceeded to hunt down Hamad, taking fastest lap in the process, finishing just over a second behind at the flag. Once free of Gonzales, Suzuki then closed on Howson and despite getting alongside at the last turn on the final lap he just failed to grab third place. However Howson was given a thirty second penalty for a false start, he was outside his starting box, dropping him to fifth behind Gonzales.
David Julian and Paul Ip had a spirited race with Julian taking Promotion Class honours. Race two will be held on Sunday morning.
Hamad Al Fardan wins again Nov 25 07
Hamad Al Fardan took another win in round two of the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series held at the A1GP event at Sepang Circuit. He just took the flag in front of Frederic Vervisch after a thrilling race long dice. Matt Howson was third from Rafael Suzuki and Arturo Gonzales.
Hamad, of GFH Bahrain, again made a flying start to hold off Team Goddard's Vervisch into turn one whilst his team mate, Rafael Suzuki, was hung out to dry and fell from third to fifth. Aran Racing's Gonzales was third from Howson of PTRS and they went through the ultra fast turn six side by side before Howson took third place in turn seven. Meanwhile Hamad and Vervisch had already opened up a gap and were to spend the rest of the race only metres apart. Suzuki forced his way past Gonzales into fourth place at turn one on the third lap and spent the rest of the race trying to chase down Matt Howson, failing to catch him by less than one second at the flag.
Lap five saw Hamad and Vervisch side by side on the run up to turn one but the driver from Bahrain was just able to hold off his Belgian rival. Vervisch almost made it past on lap seven at turn 14 but fell back in the process. However he was soon back on the tail of Hamad and try as he might he could not find a way past. It was another accomplished win for Al Fardan who drove an almost faultless race under great pressure.
Howson was happy to finish third in the results this time whilst Suzuki felt he was too cautious on the first lap. Team Goddard's David Julian was the Promotions Class winner.
Hamad Al Fardan took another win in round two of the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series held at the A1GP event at Sepang Circuit. He just took the flag in front of Frederic Vervisch after a thrilling race long dice. Matt Howson was third from Rafael Suzuki and Arturo Gonzales.
Hamad, of GFH Bahrain, again made a flying start to hold off Team Goddard's Vervisch into turn one whilst his team mate, Rafael Suzuki, was hung out to dry and fell from third to fifth. Aran Racing's Gonzales was third from Howson of PTRS and they went through the ultra fast turn six side by side before Howson took third place in turn seven. Meanwhile Hamad and Vervisch had already opened up a gap and were to spend the rest of the race only metres apart. Suzuki forced his way past Gonzales into fourth place at turn one on the third lap and spent the rest of the race trying to chase down Matt Howson, failing to catch him by less than one second at the flag.
Lap five saw Hamad and Vervisch side by side on the run up to turn one but the driver from Bahrain was just able to hold off his Belgian rival. Vervisch almost made it past on lap seven at turn 14 but fell back in the process. However he was soon back on the tail of Hamad and try as he might he could not find a way past. It was another accomplished win for Al Fardan who drove an almost faultless race under great pressure.
Howson was happy to finish third in the results this time whilst Suzuki felt he was too cautious on the first lap. Team Goddard's David Julian was the Promotions Class winner.
Dillon Battistini moves to Champ Car - Nov 30 07
Asian Pacific Formula 3 Champion Dillon Battistini will test a Champ Car for Minardi Team USA at the famed Sebring International Raceway next week.
Dillon Battistini is the 2007 Asian Pacific F3 Champion, winning the series in fine style with races in China, Australia and Indonesia.
It will be the Briton's first test of a Champ Car after being invited to drive for the experienced team by owners Keith Wiggins and Paul Stoddart.
Minardi Team USA based in Indianapolis, Indiana competed in the 2007 Champ Car World Series with Robert Doornbos and Dan Clarke and clocked up several impressive results. The team has earned 6 wins, 2 pole positions and an additional 16 podiums in its 7 years of competition in the Champ Car World Series. In 2007, its first year under the Minardi Team USA banner, the team finished 3rd in Championship standings and driver Robert Doornbos was named Rookie of the Year.
Dillon Battistini has won five times in the Asian Pacific F3 Championship this year, scoring wins at the prestigious F1 support races in Melbourne and Zhuhai in China. Despite enduring misfortune in Sentul, Indonesia he managed to wrap up the Championship at the last race in Zhuhai China.
Dillon has been supported by a number of private backers for the duration of the 2006 and 2007 seasons and after several years of competition in Formula 3 the time has come to look towards a big step up in category for the new racing year.
"After a few years in F3, I am looking to progress to something different for next season so I am excited about the potential that this test has for my career," he enthused.
"This is a very exciting opportunity for me. Champ Car is obviously a step up from what I have been doing for the last couple of seasons but, despite my successes in F3, I didn't expect to be given the chance to test a DP01 Champ Car quite so soon.
"I am very grateful to my backers and Asian Formula 3 for giving me the chance to run at Sebring and I hope to do a good job for them in return for their faith in me."
"Minardi Team USA is a front runner in Champ Car, Keith Wiggins and Paul Stoddart run a great team with two wins and five other podiums in 2007 showing just what the team can achieve. I'm looking forward to and honoured to be joining them at Sebring," Battistini said.
"I know Sebring is famous for its bumps and for being fast," he added. "But I have proved I'm a fast learner and I hope to show that next week."
The two day test will be run over the 3rd and 4th December at the circuit in Florida.
Asian Pacific Formula 3 Champion Dillon Battistini will test a Champ Car for Minardi Team USA at the famed Sebring International Raceway next week.
Dillon Battistini is the 2007 Asian Pacific F3 Champion, winning the series in fine style with races in China, Australia and Indonesia.
It will be the Briton's first test of a Champ Car after being invited to drive for the experienced team by owners Keith Wiggins and Paul Stoddart.
Minardi Team USA based in Indianapolis, Indiana competed in the 2007 Champ Car World Series with Robert Doornbos and Dan Clarke and clocked up several impressive results. The team has earned 6 wins, 2 pole positions and an additional 16 podiums in its 7 years of competition in the Champ Car World Series. In 2007, its first year under the Minardi Team USA banner, the team finished 3rd in Championship standings and driver Robert Doornbos was named Rookie of the Year.
Dillon Battistini has won five times in the Asian Pacific F3 Championship this year, scoring wins at the prestigious F1 support races in Melbourne and Zhuhai in China. Despite enduring misfortune in Sentul, Indonesia he managed to wrap up the Championship at the last race in Zhuhai China.
Dillon has been supported by a number of private backers for the duration of the 2006 and 2007 seasons and after several years of competition in Formula 3 the time has come to look towards a big step up in category for the new racing year.
"After a few years in F3, I am looking to progress to something different for next season so I am excited about the potential that this test has for my career," he enthused.
"This is a very exciting opportunity for me. Champ Car is obviously a step up from what I have been doing for the last couple of seasons but, despite my successes in F3, I didn't expect to be given the chance to test a DP01 Champ Car quite so soon.
"I am very grateful to my backers and Asian Formula 3 for giving me the chance to run at Sebring and I hope to do a good job for them in return for their faith in me."
"Minardi Team USA is a front runner in Champ Car, Keith Wiggins and Paul Stoddart run a great team with two wins and five other podiums in 2007 showing just what the team can achieve. I'm looking forward to and honoured to be joining them at Sebring," Battistini said.
"I know Sebring is famous for its bumps and for being fast," he added. "But I have proved I'm a fast learner and I hope to show that next week."
The two day test will be run over the 3rd and 4th December at the circuit in Florida.
Battistini Minardi Champ car test a success - Dec 8 07
Asian F3 Pacific Champion, Dillon Battistini, had a successful two day test for the Minardi Champ Car Team at Sebring. The team were impressed with his speed and feedback and once again an AF3 graduate is demonstrating the value of Asian F3 to a driver's career.
Dillon had two days in the car, sharing with GP2 driver, Ernesto Viso, and was soon up to speed after completing over 300 miles.
Keith Wiggins of Minardi reported "I was also impressed with Dillon with his professional approach and feedback. It was more of a jump for him from F3 but he definitely proved that with enough time in the car he'll be a good addition to the Champ Car World Series."
Battistini, who won the Asia Pacific Formula Three championship this year said: "It was fantastic. I went 1.5 seconds quicker today than I did yesterday, and I think that was only 0.5 seconds off what Robert Doornbos and Dan Clarke [Minardi's 2007 race drivers] did on their last test here.
"I think the brakes, the power and the downforce are fantastic, but I think the improvement was down to being able to visualise which way the track went and also just knowing better what to expect from the car.
"Physically I didn't find it too hard. There was a track we raced at in Asia Pacific F3 at Batangas in the Philippines which is incredibly physical, both in terms of layout and because of the humidity and heat. The conditions here in Sebring were much better.
"Yesterday my arms were tired because this Sebring layout doesn't give you any real straights. They're long curves, and with the downforce these cars produce, you're turning gently, but flat out!
"But I think I did 70 laps yesterday and 65 laps today, so I was okay. I was working with Michael Cannon [Doornbos' engineer this season] which was brilliant. He said my feedback was good, so overall I think I made a good impression."
For more news check out the following sites:
http://www.minarditeamusa.com/press041207.html
http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=12425
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64269
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/41937/
http://www.formula3.cc/content/view/21738/491/
http://www.champcarworld.net/pages/news.php?id=4806&lg=nl&r
http://www.champcarworld.net/pages/news.php?id=4817
http://www.racegarage.it/notizia.php?id_news=5502
http://www.superlicenca.com.br/0,0,6,46049,00.html
Asian F3 Pacific Champion, Dillon Battistini, had a successful two day test for the Minardi Champ Car Team at Sebring. The team were impressed with his speed and feedback and once again an AF3 graduate is demonstrating the value of Asian F3 to a driver's career.
Dillon had two days in the car, sharing with GP2 driver, Ernesto Viso, and was soon up to speed after completing over 300 miles.
Keith Wiggins of Minardi reported "I was also impressed with Dillon with his professional approach and feedback. It was more of a jump for him from F3 but he definitely proved that with enough time in the car he'll be a good addition to the Champ Car World Series."
Battistini, who won the Asia Pacific Formula Three championship this year said: "It was fantastic. I went 1.5 seconds quicker today than I did yesterday, and I think that was only 0.5 seconds off what Robert Doornbos and Dan Clarke [Minardi's 2007 race drivers] did on their last test here.
"I think the brakes, the power and the downforce are fantastic, but I think the improvement was down to being able to visualise which way the track went and also just knowing better what to expect from the car.
"Physically I didn't find it too hard. There was a track we raced at in Asia Pacific F3 at Batangas in the Philippines which is incredibly physical, both in terms of layout and because of the humidity and heat. The conditions here in Sebring were much better.
"Yesterday my arms were tired because this Sebring layout doesn't give you any real straights. They're long curves, and with the downforce these cars produce, you're turning gently, but flat out!
"But I think I did 70 laps yesterday and 65 laps today, so I was okay. I was working with Michael Cannon [Doornbos' engineer this season] which was brilliant. He said my feedback was good, so overall I think I made a good impression."
For more news check out the following sites:
http://www.minarditeamusa.com/press041207.html
http://www.champcarworldseries.com/News/Article.asp?ID=12425
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64269
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/champcar/41937/
http://www.formula3.cc/content/view/21738/491/
http://www.champcarworld.net/pages/news.php?id=4806&lg=nl&r
http://www.champcarworld.net/pages/news.php?id=4817
http://www.racegarage.it/notizia.php?id_news=5502
http://www.superlicenca.com.br/0,0,6,46049,00.html
Rafael Suzuki qualifies on pole for Zhuhai race one - Dec 14 07
Brazilian Rafael Suzuki grabbed pole position on the last lap of qualifying from his Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch. Matt Howson of PTRS was third with Hamad Al Fardan of Team GFH fourth and Arturo Gonzales of Aran Racing next up.
Another exciting qualfying session for round three of the Asian F3 Series 2007-8 was held in sunny conditions at the Zhuhai circuit in China. Plenty of rubber had been laid by the A1GP cars and it resulted in a fast and furious session. Vervisch led the time sheets for most of the session with Matt Howson close behind. Suzuki however put in a fantastic last lap of the day to take pole position.
Arturo Gonzales was lucky to get away with a high speed spin at the final turn at the end of the session, just avoiding the wall. David Julian heads the Promotion Class.
The first race of the weekend is at lunch time tomorrow, Saturday, and it should be a hard fought, close race.
Brazilian Rafael Suzuki grabbed pole position on the last lap of qualifying from his Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch. Matt Howson of PTRS was third with Hamad Al Fardan of Team GFH fourth and Arturo Gonzales of Aran Racing next up.
Another exciting qualfying session for round three of the Asian F3 Series 2007-8 was held in sunny conditions at the Zhuhai circuit in China. Plenty of rubber had been laid by the A1GP cars and it resulted in a fast and furious session. Vervisch led the time sheets for most of the session with Matt Howson close behind. Suzuki however put in a fantastic last lap of the day to take pole position.
Arturo Gonzales was lucky to get away with a high speed spin at the final turn at the end of the session, just avoiding the wall. David Julian heads the Promotion Class.
The first race of the weekend is at lunch time tomorrow, Saturday, and it should be a hard fought, close race.
Vervisch victorious in Zhuhai race one Dec 15 07
Frederic Vervisch won round three of the Asian F3 2007-8 Series at the A1GP Zhuhai, China event today. Matt Howson was second with Rafael Suzuki third.
Pole sitter, Rafael Suzuki, had too much wheel spin at the start and was down in fourth place after the first turn. His Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch, made a better start from second on the grid and took the lead from PTRS Racing's Matt Howson and Hamad Al Fardan of Team GFH. Vervisch put in a stunning first lap and pulled out a good lead whilst Howson and Hamad squabbled over second place. The latter attempted to pass around the outside of turn one on the second lap and dropped to sixth place after a grassy excursion. This left Howson to fend off Suzuki, the pair rarely more than a few car lengths apart for the remainder of the race. Several times the Brazilian was very close but was unable to find a way past. Suzuki entertained the crowd with a high speed spin at the final turn on the last lap, losing only a couple of seconds in the process!
Meanwhile Al Fardan had got his head down and was on the tail of Aran Racing's Arturo Gonzales by the penultimate lap. They were side by side through turn nine and into turn eleven Hamad lunged at Gonzales, spinning the Mexican. Al Fardan finished fourth on the road but was given a time penalty for the move and dropped back to fifth behind Gonzales. David Julian was Promotion Class champion, finishing behind Paul Ip.
Vervisch goes into the second Zhuhai round tomorrow full of confidence but with Howson, Suzuki, Gonzales and Al Fardan next up on the grid an exciting race is expected.
Frederic Vervisch won round three of the Asian F3 2007-8 Series at the A1GP Zhuhai, China event today. Matt Howson was second with Rafael Suzuki third.
Pole sitter, Rafael Suzuki, had too much wheel spin at the start and was down in fourth place after the first turn. His Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch, made a better start from second on the grid and took the lead from PTRS Racing's Matt Howson and Hamad Al Fardan of Team GFH. Vervisch put in a stunning first lap and pulled out a good lead whilst Howson and Hamad squabbled over second place. The latter attempted to pass around the outside of turn one on the second lap and dropped to sixth place after a grassy excursion. This left Howson to fend off Suzuki, the pair rarely more than a few car lengths apart for the remainder of the race. Several times the Brazilian was very close but was unable to find a way past. Suzuki entertained the crowd with a high speed spin at the final turn on the last lap, losing only a couple of seconds in the process!
Meanwhile Al Fardan had got his head down and was on the tail of Aran Racing's Arturo Gonzales by the penultimate lap. They were side by side through turn nine and into turn eleven Hamad lunged at Gonzales, spinning the Mexican. Al Fardan finished fourth on the road but was given a time penalty for the move and dropped back to fifth behind Gonzales. David Julian was Promotion Class champion, finishing behind Paul Ip.
Vervisch goes into the second Zhuhai round tomorrow full of confidence but with Howson, Suzuki, Gonzales and Al Fardan next up on the grid an exciting race is expected.
Vervisch victorious in Zhuhai race one Dec 15 07
Frederic Vervisch, of Eurasia associate team, Team Goddard, won round three of the Asian F3 2007-8 Series at the A1GP Zhuhai, China event today. His team mate, Rafael Suzuki, finished third with Team Goddard's David Julian taking the Promotion Class spoils.
Pole sitter, Rafael Suzuki, had too much wheel spin at the start and was down in fourth place after the first turn. His Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch, made a better start from second on the grid and took the lead from Matt Howson and Hamad Al Fardan. Vervisch put in a stunning first lap and pulled out a good lead whilst Howson and Hamad squabbled over second place. The latter attempted to pass around the outside of turn one on the second lap and dropped to sixth place after a grassy excursion. This left Howson to fend off Suzuki, the pair rarely more than a few car lengths apart for the remainder of the race. Several times the Brazilian was very close but was unable to find a way past. Suzuki entertained the crowd with a high speed spin at the final turn on the last lap, losing only a couple of seconds in the process!
Meanwhile Al Fardan had got his head down and was on the tail of Arturo Gonzales by the penultimate lap. They were side by side through turn nine and into turn eleven Hamad lunged at Gonzales, spinning the Mexican. Al Fardan finished fourth on the road but was given a time penalty for the move and dropped back to fifth behind Gonzales. David Julian was Promotion Class champion, finishing behind Paul Ip.
Vervisch goes into the second Zhuhai round tomorrow full of confidence but with Howson, Suzuki, Gonzales and Al Fardan next up on the grid an exciting race is expected.
Frederic Vervisch, of Eurasia associate team, Team Goddard, won round three of the Asian F3 2007-8 Series at the A1GP Zhuhai, China event today. His team mate, Rafael Suzuki, finished third with Team Goddard's David Julian taking the Promotion Class spoils.
Pole sitter, Rafael Suzuki, had too much wheel spin at the start and was down in fourth place after the first turn. His Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch, made a better start from second on the grid and took the lead from Matt Howson and Hamad Al Fardan. Vervisch put in a stunning first lap and pulled out a good lead whilst Howson and Hamad squabbled over second place. The latter attempted to pass around the outside of turn one on the second lap and dropped to sixth place after a grassy excursion. This left Howson to fend off Suzuki, the pair rarely more than a few car lengths apart for the remainder of the race. Several times the Brazilian was very close but was unable to find a way past. Suzuki entertained the crowd with a high speed spin at the final turn on the last lap, losing only a couple of seconds in the process!
Meanwhile Al Fardan had got his head down and was on the tail of Arturo Gonzales by the penultimate lap. They were side by side through turn nine and into turn eleven Hamad lunged at Gonzales, spinning the Mexican. Al Fardan finished fourth on the road but was given a time penalty for the move and dropped back to fifth behind Gonzales. David Julian was Promotion Class champion, finishing behind Paul Ip.
Vervisch goes into the second Zhuhai round tomorrow full of confidence but with Howson, Suzuki, Gonzales and Al Fardan next up on the grid an exciting race is expected.
Vervisch makes it two in a row Dec 16 2007
Frederic Vervisch took his second win of the A1GP weekend at Zhuhai in China from Hamad Al Fardan. Rafael Suzuki was third after a thrilling race with Matt Howson.
At the start Howson was off the line quickest and led into turn one with Vervisch right on his tail. The pair ran side by side for most of the lap before Vervisch swept around the outside at the fast turn ten and that was the last the field saw of him. Al. Fardan had out braked Rafael Suzuki into turn seven on the first lap and was soon on the tail of Howson. Once past Howson at turn one he tried all he could to close the gap on Vervisch, running out of road on the exit of T14 on occasion so hard was he pushing, but to no avail as the Belgian was able to control the three second gap he had opened up on the first two laps.
All the excitement was behind the leading pair with Howson defending hard but fairly to keep Suzuki at bay. On the third lap the pair ran through turn one side by side but without a place change and they tried the same again on lap six at turn nine. Again Howson stayed in front and the delayed Suzuki was forced to defend against Arturo Gonzales who had caught the battling duo.
Lap seven saw Suzuki again attack Howson into turn one, he was unsuccessful and it allowed Gonzales to get alongside and they ran side by side through turn three with Gonzales having to give way at turn four. However Gonzales was again alongside at turn seven, the Mexican just failing to find a way past. This had given Howson some breathing space but a mistake at turn 11 resulted him running wide and this allowed Suzuki and Gonzales to catch up again. The three were side by side down the pit straight and this time Suzuki was finally able to force his way past. Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales and whilst they fought Suzuki was able to pull away over the final two laps and finish a comfortable third whilst Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales at the line. It was a great race between the three young drivers and kept the large crowd entertained.
David Julian was again the Promotions Class victor. Vervisch now has a 13 point over Hamad Al Fardan but there are still 14 races to go over the final four events of the season so the championship is wide open. The next round will be held at Batangas Circuit in the Philippines on January 12-13th.
Frederic Vervisch took his second win of the A1GP weekend at Zhuhai in China from Hamad Al Fardan. Rafael Suzuki was third after a thrilling race with Matt Howson.
At the start Howson was off the line quickest and led into turn one with Vervisch right on his tail. The pair ran side by side for most of the lap before Vervisch swept around the outside at the fast turn ten and that was the last the field saw of him. Al. Fardan had out braked Rafael Suzuki into turn seven on the first lap and was soon on the tail of Howson. Once past Howson at turn one he tried all he could to close the gap on Vervisch, running out of road on the exit of T14 on occasion so hard was he pushing, but to no avail as the Belgian was able to control the three second gap he had opened up on the first two laps.
All the excitement was behind the leading pair with Howson defending hard but fairly to keep Suzuki at bay. On the third lap the pair ran through turn one side by side but without a place change and they tried the same again on lap six at turn nine. Again Howson stayed in front and the delayed Suzuki was forced to defend against Arturo Gonzales who had caught the battling duo.
Lap seven saw Suzuki again attack Howson into turn one, he was unsuccessful and it allowed Gonzales to get alongside and they ran side by side through turn three with Gonzales having to give way at turn four. However Gonzales was again alongside at turn seven, the Mexican just failing to find a way past. This had given Howson some breathing space but a mistake at turn 11 resulted him running wide and this allowed Suzuki and Gonzales to catch up again. The three were side by side down the pit straight and this time Suzuki was finally able to force his way past. Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales and whilst they fought Suzuki was able to pull away over the final two laps and finish a comfortable third whilst Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales at the line. It was a great race between the three young drivers and kept the large crowd entertained.
David Julian was again the Promotions Class victor. Vervisch now has a 13 point over Hamad Al Fardan but there are still 14 races to go over the final four events of the season so the championship is wide open. The next round will be held at Batangas Circuit in the Philippines on January 12-13th.
Vervisch makes it two in a row Dec 16 2007
Frederic Vervisch of Eurasia associate team, Team Goddard, took his second win of the A1GP weekend at Zhuhai in China from Hamad Al Fardan. Rafael Suzuki of Team Goddard was third after a thrilling race with Matt Howson.
At the start Howson was off the line quickest and led into turn one with Vervisch right on his tail. The pair ran side by side for most of the lap before Vervisch swept around the outside at the fast turn ten and that was the last the field saw of him. Al. Fardan had out braked Rafael Suzuki into turn seven on the first lap and was soon on the tail of Howson. Once past Howson at turn one he tried all he could to close the gap on Vervisch, running out of road on the exit of T14 on occasion so hard was he pushing, but to no avail as the Belgian was able to control the three second gap he had opened up on the first two laps.
All the excitement was behind the leading pair with Howson defending hard but fairly to keep Suzuki at bay. On the third lap the pair ran through turn one side by side but without a place change and they tried the same again on lap six at turn nine. Again Howson stayed in front and the delayed Suzuki was forced to defend against Arturo Gonzales who had caught the battling duo.
Lap seven saw Suzuki again attack Howson into turn one, he was unsuccessful and it allowed Gonzales to get alongside and they ran side by side through turn three with Gonzales having to give way at turn four. However Gonzales was again alongside at turn seven, the Mexican just failing to find a way past. This had given Howson some breathing space but a mistake at turn 11 resulted him running wide and this allowed Suzuki and Gonzales to catch up again. The three were side by side down the pit straight and this time Suzuki was finally able to force his way past. Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales and whilst they fought Suzuki was able to pull away over the final two laps and finish a comfortable third whilst Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales at the line. It was a great race between the three young drivers and kept the large crowd entertained.
David Julian, of Team Goddard, was again the Promotions Class victor. Vervisch now has a 13 point over Hamad Al Fardan but there are still 14 races to go over the final four events of the season so the championship is wide open. The next round will be held at Batangas Circuit in the Philippines on January 12-13th.
Frederic Vervisch of Eurasia associate team, Team Goddard, took his second win of the A1GP weekend at Zhuhai in China from Hamad Al Fardan. Rafael Suzuki of Team Goddard was third after a thrilling race with Matt Howson.
At the start Howson was off the line quickest and led into turn one with Vervisch right on his tail. The pair ran side by side for most of the lap before Vervisch swept around the outside at the fast turn ten and that was the last the field saw of him. Al. Fardan had out braked Rafael Suzuki into turn seven on the first lap and was soon on the tail of Howson. Once past Howson at turn one he tried all he could to close the gap on Vervisch, running out of road on the exit of T14 on occasion so hard was he pushing, but to no avail as the Belgian was able to control the three second gap he had opened up on the first two laps.
All the excitement was behind the leading pair with Howson defending hard but fairly to keep Suzuki at bay. On the third lap the pair ran through turn one side by side but without a place change and they tried the same again on lap six at turn nine. Again Howson stayed in front and the delayed Suzuki was forced to defend against Arturo Gonzales who had caught the battling duo.
Lap seven saw Suzuki again attack Howson into turn one, he was unsuccessful and it allowed Gonzales to get alongside and they ran side by side through turn three with Gonzales having to give way at turn four. However Gonzales was again alongside at turn seven, the Mexican just failing to find a way past. This had given Howson some breathing space but a mistake at turn 11 resulted him running wide and this allowed Suzuki and Gonzales to catch up again. The three were side by side down the pit straight and this time Suzuki was finally able to force his way past. Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales and whilst they fought Suzuki was able to pull away over the final two laps and finish a comfortable third whilst Howson was just able to hold off Gonzales at the line. It was a great race between the three young drivers and kept the large crowd entertained.
David Julian, of Team Goddard, was again the Promotions Class victor. Vervisch now has a 13 point over Hamad Al Fardan but there are still 14 races to go over the final four events of the season so the championship is wide open. The next round will be held at Batangas Circuit in the Philippines on January 12-13th.
Quinn Graduates to Formula 3 with Aran Racing - Jan 08 2008
Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Niall Quinn gets his 2008 campaign under way next weekend when he races in the latest event in the Asian Formula 3 Championship at Batangas, Philippines.
The 19-year-old from Dunboyne will graduate to Formula 3 with the Irish/Filipino owned Aran Racing squad run by former Young Driver of the Year runner up John O'Hara in rounds six to nine of the Asian F3 series on January 12th and 13th.
Quinn will test his Dallara-TOMs-Toyota F304 for a single day before qualifying for the first of four races on the intensive weekend schedule. With little let up throughout the weekend and the emphasis of the series on maximising track time, Quinn believes that it will be ideal preparation for forthcoming challenges.
Following his F3 debut weekend, Quinn heads to Sydney, Australia after Batangas to meet up with the A1 Team Ireland squad for whom he will be rookie test driver in the next round of the A1 World Cup of Motorsport on 19th/20th January.
"It will be a hectic weekend, that's for sure, but the amount of track time in the Asian F3 series is unrivalled and it's the best way to get 2008 under way," says Niall.
"My training is going very well but there's nothing like seat time and I hope the challenge of learning a new car, track and circuit will help tune me up nicely for Sydney and my first acquaintance with the A1 team Ireland car.
"I'd like to think I can do a reasonable job in Batangas but it won't be easy because the current series leader was runner up in the German F3 Championship last year and he's setting a good standard.
"I've missed a couple of rounds of the series which means I can't challenge for the top prize of a full Formula One test with Force India but I'm looking forward to testing myself in faster, higher downforce machinery."
"I know John (O'Hara) well and I'm excited about making my Formula 3 debut with his team because I know what a professional job he does. I can't wait to get going!"
After fulfilling his duties for the A1 team Ireland team in Australia, Quinn has a short sojourn in Dublin before heading back to Asia for the next four races in the AF3 series over a single weekend at Chennai, India on February 9th/10th.
Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year Niall Quinn gets his 2008 campaign under way next weekend when he races in the latest event in the Asian Formula 3 Championship at Batangas, Philippines.
The 19-year-old from Dunboyne will graduate to Formula 3 with the Irish/Filipino owned Aran Racing squad run by former Young Driver of the Year runner up John O'Hara in rounds six to nine of the Asian F3 series on January 12th and 13th.
Quinn will test his Dallara-TOMs-Toyota F304 for a single day before qualifying for the first of four races on the intensive weekend schedule. With little let up throughout the weekend and the emphasis of the series on maximising track time, Quinn believes that it will be ideal preparation for forthcoming challenges.
Following his F3 debut weekend, Quinn heads to Sydney, Australia after Batangas to meet up with the A1 Team Ireland squad for whom he will be rookie test driver in the next round of the A1 World Cup of Motorsport on 19th/20th January.
"It will be a hectic weekend, that's for sure, but the amount of track time in the Asian F3 series is unrivalled and it's the best way to get 2008 under way," says Niall.
"My training is going very well but there's nothing like seat time and I hope the challenge of learning a new car, track and circuit will help tune me up nicely for Sydney and my first acquaintance with the A1 team Ireland car.
"I'd like to think I can do a reasonable job in Batangas but it won't be easy because the current series leader was runner up in the German F3 Championship last year and he's setting a good standard.
"I've missed a couple of rounds of the series which means I can't challenge for the top prize of a full Formula One test with Force India but I'm looking forward to testing myself in faster, higher downforce machinery."
"I know John (O'Hara) well and I'm excited about making my Formula 3 debut with his team because I know what a professional job he does. I can't wait to get going!"
After fulfilling his duties for the A1 team Ireland team in Australia, Quinn has a short sojourn in Dublin before heading back to Asia for the next four races in the AF3 series over a single weekend at Chennai, India on February 9th/10th.
Castrol naming partner of the Batangas Asian F3 event - Jan 09 2008
Castrol Philippines will be the naming partner of the Castrol Philippine Asian F3 Grand Prix this weekend at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. The race is also supported by Pagcoor, Lima City Hotel, Stoplight TV and Aeroeye Asia.
This will not be first time Castrol has been involved with Asian Formula Three, having supported Team Goddard since the inception of the Series in 2001. Castrol has been involved in motor sport for over one Century and their great heritage in the sport is refelected by the quality of their lubricants.
Pacgoor, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Association, are also long term supporters of Asian F3, having supported the inaugral Championship winner, JoJo Silverio, back in 2001.
Lima City has been the Official Hotel for the Batangas events for several years. Located just over 30 minutes from the race track it is popular with the teams and drivers due to its first rate facilities.
Spotlight TV will broadcast the race on its Studio 23 show in the Philippines. It is scheduled to be aired a couple of weeks after the event. Aeroeye will provide cameras in the sky to bring an exciting new dimension to the coverage.
First AF3 race is at 11.30 am on Saturday followd by race two at 14.30 and Sunday will see two races at 11.00 and 14.00. Support races are Philippine GT, Classic Cars and for three motorbike classes, 115cc, 125cc and 150cc. Its a packed program with plenty of action. First race of the day on Sunday is at 9.25am.
Castrol Philippines will be the naming partner of the Castrol Philippine Asian F3 Grand Prix this weekend at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. The race is also supported by Pagcoor, Lima City Hotel, Stoplight TV and Aeroeye Asia.
This will not be first time Castrol has been involved with Asian Formula Three, having supported Team Goddard since the inception of the Series in 2001. Castrol has been involved in motor sport for over one Century and their great heritage in the sport is refelected by the quality of their lubricants.
Pacgoor, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Association, are also long term supporters of Asian F3, having supported the inaugral Championship winner, JoJo Silverio, back in 2001.
Lima City has been the Official Hotel for the Batangas events for several years. Located just over 30 minutes from the race track it is popular with the teams and drivers due to its first rate facilities.
Spotlight TV will broadcast the race on its Studio 23 show in the Philippines. It is scheduled to be aired a couple of weeks after the event. Aeroeye will provide cameras in the sky to bring an exciting new dimension to the coverage.
First AF3 race is at 11.30 am on Saturday followd by race two at 14.30 and Sunday will see two races at 11.00 and 14.00. Support races are Philippine GT, Classic Cars and for three motorbike classes, 115cc, 125cc and 150cc. Its a packed program with plenty of action. First race of the day on Sunday is at 9.25am.
Rafael Suzuki takes pole position for Batangas Race One - Jan 11 08
Rafael Suzuki just beat Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch to take his second pole of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Circuit in the Philippines. Aran Racing's Niall Quinn was an impressive thrid on his F3 debut.
In an extremley exciting session the driver at the top of the time sheets changed many times in the last fifteen minutes of the session. Hamad Al Fardan of Team GFH Bahrain, Quinn, Vervisch and Suzuki all had the fastest time at some stage. Suzuki put in a tremendous final lap to record 1m 26. 902, the fastest lap ever recorded on the current Batangas Circuit.
Matt Howson of PTRS Racing had been right on the pace during practice but suffered a spectacular accident in the 200kph turn six early in the qualifiying. The team are confident they will have the car repaired for the first of four races to be held this weekend.
Don Tacos, Roland Hermoso and John O'Hara were next up.
Rafael Suzuki just beat Team Goddard team mate, Frederic Vervisch to take his second pole of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Circuit in the Philippines. Aran Racing's Niall Quinn was an impressive thrid on his F3 debut.
In an extremley exciting session the driver at the top of the time sheets changed many times in the last fifteen minutes of the session. Hamad Al Fardan of Team GFH Bahrain, Quinn, Vervisch and Suzuki all had the fastest time at some stage. Suzuki put in a tremendous final lap to record 1m 26. 902, the fastest lap ever recorded on the current Batangas Circuit.
Matt Howson of PTRS Racing had been right on the pace during practice but suffered a spectacular accident in the 200kph turn six early in the qualifiying. The team are confident they will have the car repaired for the first of four races to be held this weekend.
Don Tacos, Roland Hermoso and John O'Hara were next up.
Hamad Al Fardan wins Batangas race one Jan 12 08
Al Fardan conquered the treacherous wet conditions to take an accomplished win in round 5 of the Asian F3 Series from Matt Howson and early leader Frederic Vervisch.
Pole sitter, Team Goddard's Rafael Suzuki, was quick off the line but a sideways moment on the run up to the first turn handed the lead to team mate Frederic Vervisch. Hamad Al Fardan, of Team GFH Bahrai, muscled his way past the Brazilian at turn one and Aran Racing's Niall Quinn took the opportunity to drop the pole man to fourth place on the run up to turn two. The conditions were extremely difficult, the spray making visibility almost non-existent for the majority of the field.
At the end of the first lap the order was Vervisch, Hamad, Quinn, PTRS Racing's Matt Howson and Suzuki. The pattern of the race changed at the tight turn three hairpin when Hamad dived up the inside of Vervisch. Contact was made, spinning Vervisch whilst leaving Hamad in the lead. He then got his head down and was never headed in an accomplished display of wet weather driving. The incident promoted Niall Quinn to second place, the young Irishman impressing on his F3 debut especially taking into account the terrible conditions. However a lap later he was in the gravel at turn six and out of the race.
Vervisch was soon chasing after Howson but a trip through the turn five gravel narrowly missing the stranded car of Quinn left him just ahead of Suzuki who impressing with his drive in his first taste of an F3 car in the wet.. That was how they finished with Howson setting the race's fastest lap on the final tour.
Hamad's win puts him just four points behind Vervisch in the championship and a close race is expected in round six this afternoon.
Al Fardan conquered the treacherous wet conditions to take an accomplished win in round 5 of the Asian F3 Series from Matt Howson and early leader Frederic Vervisch.
Pole sitter, Team Goddard's Rafael Suzuki, was quick off the line but a sideways moment on the run up to the first turn handed the lead to team mate Frederic Vervisch. Hamad Al Fardan, of Team GFH Bahrai, muscled his way past the Brazilian at turn one and Aran Racing's Niall Quinn took the opportunity to drop the pole man to fourth place on the run up to turn two. The conditions were extremely difficult, the spray making visibility almost non-existent for the majority of the field.
At the end of the first lap the order was Vervisch, Hamad, Quinn, PTRS Racing's Matt Howson and Suzuki. The pattern of the race changed at the tight turn three hairpin when Hamad dived up the inside of Vervisch. Contact was made, spinning Vervisch whilst leaving Hamad in the lead. He then got his head down and was never headed in an accomplished display of wet weather driving. The incident promoted Niall Quinn to second place, the young Irishman impressing on his F3 debut especially taking into account the terrible conditions. However a lap later he was in the gravel at turn six and out of the race.
Vervisch was soon chasing after Howson but a trip through the turn five gravel narrowly missing the stranded car of Quinn left him just ahead of Suzuki who impressing with his drive in his first taste of an F3 car in the wet.. That was how they finished with Howson setting the race's fastest lap on the final tour.
Hamad's win puts him just four points behind Vervisch in the championship and a close race is expected in round six this afternoon.
Hamad inherits Batangas race three win Jan 13 08
Frederic Vervisch won on the road from Hamad Al Fardan and Niall Quinn but was disqualified for reversing on the grid. Matt Howson was promoted to third place although the results are now under appeal.
Hamad led the first dry race of the weekend after the first lap from Vervisch, Howson, Rafael Suzuki and Niall Quinn. Next lap saw Vervisch dive past Hamad at turn one to take the lead which he extended over the balance of the race. Turn one was the site of all the action as Quinn had a quick spin under braking avoiding Howson. This left Howson and Suzuki in a close race which came to a head on lap five when Suzuki out-braked Howson into turn one only for the two to collide allowing Quinn back into third place. Suzuki was forced to retire with suspension damage whilst Howson finished in fourth place. The attention was now on the impressive Quinn who was on a charge and rapidly catching Hamad in second place. Whilst he failed to take the place by a mere four hundreds of a second he did have the consolation of fastest race lap.
After the race Vervisch was protested for reversing on the grid, due to overshooting his grid position, and disqualified. Vervisch has appealed the decision.
Frederic Vervisch won on the road from Hamad Al Fardan and Niall Quinn but was disqualified for reversing on the grid. Matt Howson was promoted to third place although the results are now under appeal.
Hamad led the first dry race of the weekend after the first lap from Vervisch, Howson, Rafael Suzuki and Niall Quinn. Next lap saw Vervisch dive past Hamad at turn one to take the lead which he extended over the balance of the race. Turn one was the site of all the action as Quinn had a quick spin under braking avoiding Howson. This left Howson and Suzuki in a close race which came to a head on lap five when Suzuki out-braked Howson into turn one only for the two to collide allowing Quinn back into third place. Suzuki was forced to retire with suspension damage whilst Howson finished in fourth place. The attention was now on the impressive Quinn who was on a charge and rapidly catching Hamad in second place. Whilst he failed to take the place by a mere four hundreds of a second he did have the consolation of fastest race lap.
After the race Vervisch was protested for reversing on the grid, due to overshooting his grid position, and disqualified. Vervisch has appealed the decision.
Vervisch wins final Batangas race - Jan 13 08
Frederic Vervisch charged up the field after starting at the rear and took an exciting race win from Niall Quinn with Matt Howson in third place who just beat Rafael Suzuki. Vervisch leads the championship and the race for the Force India F1 prize drive by a mere three points from Al Fardan.
Hamad jumped into the lead from Niall Quinn with third place disputed by Suzuki, Howson and Vervisch. The latter sold them all a dummy at turn one and swept into third place. It took four laps to catch and pass Quinn and he was then able to home in on leader Al Fardan. He was right on his tail with two laps to go when Al Fardan's engine started to misfire and he rapidly fell backwards, ending a disappointed fifth. This left Vervisch to take an easy win from Quinn whilst behind Matt Howson was just able to hold off Rafael Suzuki on the line.
Frederic Vervisch charged up the field after starting at the rear and took an exciting race win from Niall Quinn with Matt Howson in third place who just beat Rafael Suzuki. Vervisch leads the championship and the race for the Force India F1 prize drive by a mere three points from Al Fardan.
Hamad jumped into the lead from Niall Quinn with third place disputed by Suzuki, Howson and Vervisch. The latter sold them all a dummy at turn one and swept into third place. It took four laps to catch and pass Quinn and he was then able to home in on leader Al Fardan. He was right on his tail with two laps to go when Al Fardan's engine started to misfire and he rapidly fell backwards, ending a disappointed fifth. This left Vervisch to take an easy win from Quinn whilst behind Matt Howson was just able to hold off Rafael Suzuki on the line.
Eurasia Motorsport embark on eight day Sepang F.BMW test Jan 22 08
2007 Team and Rookie Championship winning team, Eurasia Motorsport, begin an eight day test with its Formula BMW Team at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia on January 26th.
"We have two drivers signed for the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific season and we hope to sign a third driver very shortly" reported a team spokesman. "We are testing several drivers and we will make our decision on who will fill the remaining seats once the testing ban comes into play on February 18th."
Formula BMW Pacific will support three Grand Prix this season and it looks like it will the most competitive season to date. Graduates of the Eurasia Formula BMW Team have gone on to win races in Formula Three, become Rookie A1GP drivers and race competitively in Europe. The drivers we will be testing in Sepang will be out to demonstrate they are the stars of tomorrow.
2007 Team and Rookie Championship winning team, Eurasia Motorsport, begin an eight day test with its Formula BMW Team at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia on January 26th.
"We have two drivers signed for the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific season and we hope to sign a third driver very shortly" reported a team spokesman. "We are testing several drivers and we will make our decision on who will fill the remaining seats once the testing ban comes into play on February 18th."
Formula BMW Pacific will support three Grand Prix this season and it looks like it will the most competitive season to date. Graduates of the Eurasia Formula BMW Team have gone on to win races in Formula Three, become Rookie A1GP drivers and race competitively in Europe. The drivers we will be testing in Sepang will be out to demonstrate they are the stars of tomorrow.
Marlon Stockinger joins Eurasia - Feb 5 08
Sixteen year old Marlon Stockinger has joined Eurasia Motorsport for the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series. The BMW Scholarship awardee has just completed four days testing at the Sepang F1 circuit impressing the team with his speed and consistency. The first round of the series will support the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 22-23.
"Marlon will definitely be in contention for the Rookie Championship this year and from what we have seen so far in testing he could easily quickly develop into an overall race winner" reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard. "He just gets quicker every time he gets in the car and his feedback has been extremely useful to the team".
This will be Stockinger's first experience of racing cars, his previous experience being gained in karts where he won championships in Philippine Rotax Max and 125 Open. He was also Asian Rotax and 125 Open Champion in 2006.
"The team is delighted to have Marlon on board and we look forward to a competitive year with a talented young driver." Said Team Manager, Martin Quick.
Sixteen year old Marlon Stockinger has joined Eurasia Motorsport for the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series. The BMW Scholarship awardee has just completed four days testing at the Sepang F1 circuit impressing the team with his speed and consistency. The first round of the series will support the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 22-23.
"Marlon will definitely be in contention for the Rookie Championship this year and from what we have seen so far in testing he could easily quickly develop into an overall race winner" reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard. "He just gets quicker every time he gets in the car and his feedback has been extremely useful to the team".
This will be Stockinger's first experience of racing cars, his previous experience being gained in karts where he won championships in Philippine Rotax Max and 125 Open. He was also Asian Rotax and 125 Open Champion in 2006.
"The team is delighted to have Marlon on board and we look forward to a competitive year with a talented young driver." Said Team Manager, Martin Quick.
Aditya Patel signs for Eurasia - Feb 6 08
Aditya Patel, the 2007 Indian Formula Rolon Champion, has joined the Eurasia Motorsport Formula BMW Pacific team for the 2009 championship. Patel tested for the team last week at the Sepang F1 Circuit and posted competitive times demonstrating that he will be competitive at the first round of the championship which will support the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 22-23.
"Aditya was quickly on the pace and he impressed us with his ability to learn fast and convert that into competitive lap times" remarked Mark Goddard of Eurasia. "Patel is a protégé of Narain Karthikeyan and he demonstrated similar speed and application to that we saw in Narain way back in 1995."
"I am here to win" reported an upbeat Patel. Martin Quick, team manager of Eurasia Motorsport, is happy that Aditya has joined the team. "I am sure he will competitive and we are really looking forward to the season".
Aditya Patel, the 2007 Indian Formula Rolon Champion, has joined the Eurasia Motorsport Formula BMW Pacific team for the 2009 championship. Patel tested for the team last week at the Sepang F1 Circuit and posted competitive times demonstrating that he will be competitive at the first round of the championship which will support the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 22-23.
"Aditya was quickly on the pace and he impressed us with his ability to learn fast and convert that into competitive lap times" remarked Mark Goddard of Eurasia. "Patel is a protégé of Narain Karthikeyan and he demonstrated similar speed and application to that we saw in Narain way back in 1995."
"I am here to win" reported an upbeat Patel. Martin Quick, team manager of Eurasia Motorsport, is happy that Aditya has joined the team. "I am sure he will competitive and we are really looking forward to the season".
Vervisch qualifies on pole - Feb 15 08
Frederic Vervisch took the top slot for round nine of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. Team mate, Rafael Suzuki, will start alongside him with Matt Howson on the third spot.
Hamad Al Fardan failed to qualify, more of that later. Tomorrow, Saturday, will see the first of four races. Rounds nine and ten will be followed by rounds eleven and twelve on Sunday 17th.
Top Six Positions
Frederic Vervisch
Rafael Suzuki
Matt Howson
Don Tacos
John O'Hara
Roland Hermoso.
Frederic Vervisch took the top slot for round nine of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. Team mate, Rafael Suzuki, will start alongside him with Matt Howson on the third spot.
Hamad Al Fardan failed to qualify, more of that later. Tomorrow, Saturday, will see the first of four races. Rounds nine and ten will be followed by rounds eleven and twelve on Sunday 17th.
Top Six Positions
Frederic Vervisch
Rafael Suzuki
Matt Howson
Don Tacos
John O'Hara
Roland Hermoso.
Batangas race one victory for Vervisch - Feb 16 08
Frederic Vervisch took a controlled first place in round nine of the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series held at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. His team mate Rafael Suzuki was second with Matt Howson third.
Vervisch made a good start from pole position giving no chance to his Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki, at turn one to find a way past. Matt Howson of PTRS slotted into third with Aran Racing's John O'Hara in fourth. Suzuki was pushing hard and giving Vervisch a hard time at the front until a mistake at the Bus Stop Chicane resulted in a trip across the grass and allowing Vervisch to pull away. Suzuki finally finished three seconds in front of Howson.
Round ten takes place this afternoon and Howson and Suzuki are determined to give Vervisch a harder time.
Frederic Vervisch took a controlled first place in round nine of the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series held at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. His team mate Rafael Suzuki was second with Matt Howson third.
Vervisch made a good start from pole position giving no chance to his Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki, at turn one to find a way past. Matt Howson of PTRS slotted into third with Aran Racing's John O'Hara in fourth. Suzuki was pushing hard and giving Vervisch a hard time at the front until a mistake at the Bus Stop Chicane resulted in a trip across the grass and allowing Vervisch to pull away. Suzuki finally finished three seconds in front of Howson.
Round ten takes place this afternoon and Howson and Suzuki are determined to give Vervisch a harder time.
Round ten won by Vervisch Feb 16 08
Frederic Vervisch made it two race wins in a row by winning round ten of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Race Circuit. Matt Howson was second and Rafael Suzuki third.
Vervisch and Suzuki both made good starts and Vervisch took a tight line into turn one to ensure Suzuki was unable to find a way past. This allowed Matt Howson to take a run around the outside and emerge in second place. A fired up Suzuki was pushing hard to find a way past Howson but tried just a little too hard at turn two on the second lap and spun. A closely following John O'Hara also spun and cars became interlocked. Suzuki was able to continue but O'Hara had a punctured tyre and was forced to retire.
All this drama allowed Vervisch to take another accomplished victory whilst Howson drove a good race to take second spot on the podium. Suzuki got his head down and was able to finish in third place from Don Tacos and Roland Hermoso.
Rounds eleven and twelve will take place tomorrow, Sunday 17th, and Suzuki is determined to take his first race win as is Matt Howson who is creeping ever closer to the pace and should be a big threat to his rivals.
Frederic Vervisch made it two race wins in a row by winning round ten of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Race Circuit. Matt Howson was second and Rafael Suzuki third.
Vervisch and Suzuki both made good starts and Vervisch took a tight line into turn one to ensure Suzuki was unable to find a way past. This allowed Matt Howson to take a run around the outside and emerge in second place. A fired up Suzuki was pushing hard to find a way past Howson but tried just a little too hard at turn two on the second lap and spun. A closely following John O'Hara also spun and cars became interlocked. Suzuki was able to continue but O'Hara had a punctured tyre and was forced to retire.
All this drama allowed Vervisch to take another accomplished victory whilst Howson drove a good race to take second spot on the podium. Suzuki got his head down and was able to finish in third place from Don Tacos and Roland Hermoso.
Rounds eleven and twelve will take place tomorrow, Sunday 17th, and Suzuki is determined to take his first race win as is Matt Howson who is creeping ever closer to the pace and should be a big threat to his rivals.
Round eleven is won by Vervisch Feb 17 08
Frederic Vervisch made it three wins in a row at Batangas Race Circuit, fending off an early challenge from Rafael Suzuki. Matt Howson was third.
Vervisch again made a good start to take the lead from Suzuki who has having to defend from a charging Howson. Suzuki was putting some pressure on Vervisch until a mistake at turn one handed a three second lead to his Team Goddard team mate and allowed Howson to close right in. The pair was battling for the second spot when Howson's gearbox played up and he dropped back, finally finishing stuck in fourth gear.
The top three were well ahead of the rest of the field. The final race of the weekend will take place this afternoon and both Howson and Suzuki are determined to put an end to Vervisch's run of victories.
Frederic Vervisch made it three wins in a row at Batangas Race Circuit, fending off an early challenge from Rafael Suzuki. Matt Howson was third.
Vervisch again made a good start to take the lead from Suzuki who has having to defend from a charging Howson. Suzuki was putting some pressure on Vervisch until a mistake at turn one handed a three second lead to his Team Goddard team mate and allowed Howson to close right in. The pair was battling for the second spot when Howson's gearbox played up and he dropped back, finally finishing stuck in fourth gear.
The top three were well ahead of the rest of the field. The final race of the weekend will take place this afternoon and both Howson and Suzuki are determined to put an end to Vervisch's run of victories.
Matt Howson takes first Asian F3 win Feb 17 08
Matt Howson of PTRS took an accomplished race win in a wet round twelve of the Asian Formula Three Series held at the Batangas Race Circuit today. Frederic Vervisch was second with Rafael Suzuki third.
The cars arrived at the grid on slick tyres only for the heavens to open resulting in a scramble to fit wet tyres. Both Vervisch and Suzuki had too much wheel spin at the start and this allowed Howson to take a brave run around the outside at turn one to take the lead. Howson then went on to take a dominant win drawing away to take a thirty-nine second lead by the flag. It was a great display of wet weather driving and it was also the first Asian F3 victory for the PTRS team.
Meanwhile in his wake Frederic Vervisch was pushing hard to try and keep Howson within reach but fell off at turn one on the third lap handing second place to Rafael Suzuki. The Brazilian looked like he was going to take the second spot but he also went grass cutting at turn six on the seventh lap handing the place back to Vervisch. Despite going off two more times Vervisch was able to retain second place until the chequered flag.
Vervisch now has a 51 point lead over Howson in the Championship but with 127 still left to be won the title is no by means won.
Matt Howson of PTRS took an accomplished race win in a wet round twelve of the Asian Formula Three Series held at the Batangas Race Circuit today. Frederic Vervisch was second with Rafael Suzuki third.
The cars arrived at the grid on slick tyres only for the heavens to open resulting in a scramble to fit wet tyres. Both Vervisch and Suzuki had too much wheel spin at the start and this allowed Howson to take a brave run around the outside at turn one to take the lead. Howson then went on to take a dominant win drawing away to take a thirty-nine second lead by the flag. It was a great display of wet weather driving and it was also the first Asian F3 victory for the PTRS team.
Meanwhile in his wake Frederic Vervisch was pushing hard to try and keep Howson within reach but fell off at turn one on the third lap handing second place to Rafael Suzuki. The Brazilian looked like he was going to take the second spot but he also went grass cutting at turn six on the seventh lap handing the place back to Vervisch. Despite going off two more times Vervisch was able to retain second place until the chequered flag.
Vervisch now has a 51 point lead over Howson in the Championship but with 127 still left to be won the title is no by means won.
"Team Goddard take three out four race wins - Feb 17 08
Frederic Vervisch of Eurasia Motorsport's associate team, Team Goddard, won rounds nine to eleven of the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series held at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines on February 16-17th. His dominent performance came to an end in round twelve when Matt Howson beat him to the flag. Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki, scored two second and two third places from the weekend.
Vervisch qualified on pole position with Suzuki alongside him and he was able to pull away in all of the first three races to take accomplished wins. Suzuki meanwhile had a more evenful weekend having to fend off Matt Howson for the second spot. The rookie driver continues to impress with his performance and that elusive first win will not be far away.
The cars joined the grid for the fourth race with slick tyres mounted but the heavens opened and there was mad rush to fit wet tyres. Both drivers struggled in the race, having several off track excursions. "The set up that makes us so quick in the dry is not good in the wet and we were unable to change the cars in the time available on the grid" reported Team Engineer, Roberto Bautista.
Vervisch now leads Matt Howson in the points table with Rafael Suzuki in third place"
Frederic Vervisch of Eurasia Motorsport's associate team, Team Goddard, won rounds nine to eleven of the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series held at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines on February 16-17th. His dominent performance came to an end in round twelve when Matt Howson beat him to the flag. Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki, scored two second and two third places from the weekend.
Vervisch qualified on pole position with Suzuki alongside him and he was able to pull away in all of the first three races to take accomplished wins. Suzuki meanwhile had a more evenful weekend having to fend off Matt Howson for the second spot. The rookie driver continues to impress with his performance and that elusive first win will not be far away.
The cars joined the grid for the fourth race with slick tyres mounted but the heavens opened and there was mad rush to fit wet tyres. Both drivers struggled in the race, having several off track excursions. "The set up that makes us so quick in the dry is not good in the wet and we were unable to change the cars in the time available on the grid" reported Team Engineer, Roberto Bautista.
Vervisch now leads Matt Howson in the points table with Rafael Suzuki in third place"
Asian Formula Three Super Racing Festival Feb 23 08
Asian F3 will now end the 2007-8 season with a bang, the Super Racing Festival at the challenging Batangas Race Circuit will take place over five days from March 26th to March 30th. Two days of practice will be followed by two races per day from Friday to Sunday.
The event will also feature the first round of Philippine GT, Classis Cars and Superbike Series and will be a real festival of motorsport. The 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series Champion will be crowned and he will then be able to look forward to receiving his prize, a test in a Force India F1 car.
The six rounds of the Super Racing Festival will count towards the Asian Formula Three Trophy, the drive scoring the most points over the Super Racing Festival will receive the trophy and the title of "AF3 Trophy Champion Driver". A great addition to any young drivers CV.
This season has seen some of the most competitive races in the series. Current championship leader, Frederic Vervisch, who was second in the 2007 German F3 Championship states " Thanks to AF3 I am now a better driver than I was when I raced in Germany and the challenge of the Batangas Race Circuit in particular has contributed to this. I was a little nervous before coming to Asia but it has been a great experience and the teams really look after the drivers here."
Interested drivers should contact Aran Racing ( joh@aranracing.com), PTRS Racing ( paul@ptrs.com.hk), Speedtech Asia ( edgendy-liacco@asianf3.net) or Team Goddard ( mark@teamgoddard.com) who have cars available for the event.
Asian F3 will now end the 2007-8 season with a bang, the Super Racing Festival at the challenging Batangas Race Circuit will take place over five days from March 26th to March 30th. Two days of practice will be followed by two races per day from Friday to Sunday.
The event will also feature the first round of Philippine GT, Classis Cars and Superbike Series and will be a real festival of motorsport. The 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series Champion will be crowned and he will then be able to look forward to receiving his prize, a test in a Force India F1 car.
The six rounds of the Super Racing Festival will count towards the Asian Formula Three Trophy, the drive scoring the most points over the Super Racing Festival will receive the trophy and the title of "AF3 Trophy Champion Driver". A great addition to any young drivers CV.
This season has seen some of the most competitive races in the series. Current championship leader, Frederic Vervisch, who was second in the 2007 German F3 Championship states " Thanks to AF3 I am now a better driver than I was when I raced in Germany and the challenge of the Batangas Race Circuit in particular has contributed to this. I was a little nervous before coming to Asia but it has been a great experience and the teams really look after the drivers here."
Interested drivers should contact Aran Racing ( joh@aranracing.com), PTRS Racing ( paul@ptrs.com.hk), Speedtech Asia ( edgendy-liacco@asianf3.net) or Team Goddard ( mark@teamgoddard.com) who have cars available for the event.
Ed Pead to drive for Aran Racing - Mar 03 08
Ed Pead will drive for Aran Racing in the final event of the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which takes place at Batangas Racing Circuit, Philippines from Mar 28th 30th. The British saloon car ace will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars.
For Pead, who last year was a race winner in the highly competitive Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup, it will be his first race in F3 machinery.
Aran Racing team principal, Noel Thompson said "We are delighted to have Ed on board and we expect him to be very competitive in Batangas. It will be a fantastic weekend of racing with 6 races and 2 days testing".
Ed Pead will drive for Aran Racing in the final event of the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which takes place at Batangas Racing Circuit, Philippines from Mar 28th 30th. The British saloon car ace will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars.
For Pead, who last year was a race winner in the highly competitive Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup, it will be his first race in F3 machinery.
Aran Racing team principal, Noel Thompson said "We are delighted to have Ed on board and we expect him to be very competitive in Batangas. It will be a fantastic weekend of racing with 6 races and 2 days testing".
Peter Kalpakiotis to race Dallara 398 at Batangas - Mar 13 08
Club F3 racer, Peter Kalpakiotis, will drive Team Goddard's Promotions Class Dallara TOM'S 398 in the final 2007-8 AF3 Series event at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines on March 26-30th.
A team spokesman reported "We are happy to have a driver of Peter's experience join us for the final event which features six races so we are sure he will have plenty of miles in which to get to grips with the car and the circuit". Kalpakiotis has raced in Club F3 in the UK for the past four years so he is no stranger to an F3 car. "I am sure he will go well at Batangas which is similar to tracks like Oulton Park in the UK. Every driver who has raced for us at the Philippine circuit has really loved the challenging track".
The first race will be held on Friday March 26th whilst the final of the six races will be on Sunday 30th March.
Peter Kalpakiotis to race Dallara 398 at Batangas - Mar 13 08
Club F3 racer, Peter Kalpakiotis, will drive Team Goddard's Promotions Class Dallara TOM'S 398 in the final 2007-8 AF3 Series event at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines on March 26-30th.
A team spokesman reported "We are happy to have a driver of Peter's experience join us for the final event which features six races so we are sure he will have plenty of miles in which to get to grips with the car and the circuit". Kalpakiotis has raced in Club F3 in the UK for the past four years so he is no stranger to an F3 car. "I am sure he will go well at Batangas which is similar to tracks like Oulton Park in the UK. Every driver who has raced for us at the Philippine circuit has really loved the challenging track".
The first race will be held on Friday March 26th whilst the final of the six races will be on Sunday 30th March.
Club F3 racer, Peter Kalpakiotis, will drive Team Goddard's Promotions Class Dallara TOM'S 398 in the final 2007-8 AF3 Series event at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines on March 26-30th.
A team spokesman reported "We are happy to have a driver of Peter's experience join us for the final event which features six races so we are sure he will have plenty of miles in which to get to grips with the car and the circuit". Kalpakiotis has raced in Club F3 in the UK for the past four years so he is no stranger to an F3 car. "I am sure he will go well at Batangas which is similar to tracks like Oulton Park in the UK. Every driver who has raced for us at the Philippine circuit has really loved the challenging track".
The first race will be held on Friday March 26th whilst the final of the six races will be on Sunday 30th March.
Peter Kalpakiotis to race Dallara 398 at Batangas - Mar 13 08
Club F3 racer, Peter Kalpakiotis, will drive Team Goddard's Promotions Class Dallara TOM'S 398 in the final 2007-8 AF3 Series event at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines on March 26-30th.
A team spokesman reported "We are happy to have a driver of Peter's experience join us for the final event which features six races so we are sure he will have plenty of miles in which to get to grips with the car and the circuit". Kalpakiotis has raced in Club F3 in the UK for the past four years so he is no stranger to an F3 car. "I am sure he will go well at Batangas which is similar to tracks like Oulton Park in the UK. Every driver who has raced for us at the Philippine circuit has really loved the challenging track".
The first race will be held on Friday March 26th whilst the final of the six races will be on Sunday 30th March.
All systems go for F.BMW Pacific round one at Sepang - Mar 20 08
The first two races of the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific series will take place this weekend at the Sepang Malaysian F1 Grand Prix. Eurasia drivers, Aditya Patel and Maron Stockinger, are in a confident frame of mind in what looks like will be a very open championship this year.
Practice starts tomorrow, Friday, with qualifying and race one on Saturday and race two on Sunday. All drivers took part in the official test at the circuit last weekend and both Marlon and Aditya performed well. The series is more open than usual due to the low number of "second year" drivers in the championship which should help rookie drivers such as Marlon and Aditya.
The first two races of the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific series will take place this weekend at the Sepang Malaysian F1 Grand Prix. Eurasia drivers, Aditya Patel and Maron Stockinger, are in a confident frame of mind in what looks like will be a very open championship this year.
Practice starts tomorrow, Friday, with qualifying and race one on Saturday and race two on Sunday. All drivers took part in the official test at the circuit last weekend and both Marlon and Aditya performed well. The series is more open than usual due to the low number of "second year" drivers in the championship which should help rookie drivers such as Marlon and Aditya.
Aditya Patel third in Sepang race one Mar 22 08
Eurasia Motorsport's Aditya Patel finished an impressive third place in the first round of the Formula BMW Pacific Series held at Sepang Circuit's Malaysian F1 GP support race. Team Mate Marlon Stockinger was tenth in an atrociously wet race.
The heavens opened as the cars pulled away on the formation lap and the track was awash by the time the lights went out for the start. Patel made a great start from seventh on the grid to slot into fifth place. Ross Jamison took the lead and was never headed whilst those behind struggled for visibility in the blinding spray. Patel was quickly up to fourth but spun under braking for the final turn attempting to pass Sean McDonagh. He was quickly under way again and was soon back in a battle for second place after McDonagh and Simon Moss also both suffered off course excursions.
Patel was past McDonagh into third place a couple of laps later and then hounded Moss to the line, just not quite able to find a way past. It was a great drive in just about the worse conditions seen in a F.BMW race in the region. Stockinger in his first ever car race was at one point up to seventh place but faded to tenth after a spin. "I couldn't believe how little you can see in these conditions" remarked Stockinger.
Race two is tomorrow morning prior to the F1 Grand Prix.
Eurasia Motorsport's Aditya Patel finished an impressive third place in the first round of the Formula BMW Pacific Series held at Sepang Circuit's Malaysian F1 GP support race. Team Mate Marlon Stockinger was tenth in an atrociously wet race.
The heavens opened as the cars pulled away on the formation lap and the track was awash by the time the lights went out for the start. Patel made a great start from seventh on the grid to slot into fifth place. Ross Jamison took the lead and was never headed whilst those behind struggled for visibility in the blinding spray. Patel was quickly up to fourth but spun under braking for the final turn attempting to pass Sean McDonagh. He was quickly under way again and was soon back in a battle for second place after McDonagh and Simon Moss also both suffered off course excursions.
Patel was past McDonagh into third place a couple of laps later and then hounded Moss to the line, just not quite able to find a way past. It was a great drive in just about the worse conditions seen in a F.BMW race in the region. Stockinger in his first ever car race was at one point up to seventh place but faded to tenth after a spin. "I couldn't believe how little you can see in these conditions" remarked Stockinger.
Race two is tomorrow morning prior to the F1 Grand Prix.
Stockinger eighth in Sepang race two Mar 23 08
Marlon Stockinger finished 3rd in the Rookie Cup, eighth overall, in round two of the Formula BMW Pacific Series held prior to the F1GP at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. Team mate, Aditya Patel, was forced to retire as a result of damage inflicted after he was punted into a spin at the first turn.
After the wet race on Saturday it was relief to start the race under blue skies. Aditya made a good start but was savaged by a red car in turn one, leaving him in last place. He was forced to retire with gearbox damage but he comes away for the event second in the rookie championship, fourth overall after this third place the previous day. Stockinger's start was not as good as his team mates and he finished the first lap in eleventh place. However he was soon up to ninth and tagged onto a group of six cars racing for 5th place. Once past Harun Rasip he was able to home in on Shaharom and Chaves who were squabbling over fifth place with Roslan. Marlon failed to take seventh place by six tenths of a second.
"I was happy with my performance" reported Marlon "especially as my fastest race lap time was on the pace of the front runners". Stockinger is a true car rookie and the team are happy with his progress. "In past seasons we have developed rookies like Kyle Mitchell and Daniel Ricciardo into truly competitive drivers and I am sure Marlon will be at the very front of the field within a few races" reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard. "Aditya has already shown he can run at the front and we expect him to be competitive all season. We were really pleased with his performance and he was very unlucky to be forced to retire from the race today".
Marlon Stockinger finished 3rd in the Rookie Cup, eighth overall, in round two of the Formula BMW Pacific Series held prior to the F1GP at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. Team mate, Aditya Patel, was forced to retire as a result of damage inflicted after he was punted into a spin at the first turn.
After the wet race on Saturday it was relief to start the race under blue skies. Aditya made a good start but was savaged by a red car in turn one, leaving him in last place. He was forced to retire with gearbox damage but he comes away for the event second in the rookie championship, fourth overall after this third place the previous day. Stockinger's start was not as good as his team mates and he finished the first lap in eleventh place. However he was soon up to ninth and tagged onto a group of six cars racing for 5th place. Once past Harun Rasip he was able to home in on Shaharom and Chaves who were squabbling over fifth place with Roslan. Marlon failed to take seventh place by six tenths of a second.
"I was happy with my performance" reported Marlon "especially as my fastest race lap time was on the pace of the front runners". Stockinger is a true car rookie and the team are happy with his progress. "In past seasons we have developed rookies like Kyle Mitchell and Daniel Ricciardo into truly competitive drivers and I am sure Marlon will be at the very front of the field within a few races" reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard. "Aditya has already shown he can run at the front and we expect him to be competitive all season. We were really pleased with his performance and he was very unlucky to be forced to retire from the race today".
Leonardo Valois to drive for Aran Racing - Mar 26 2008
Leonardo Valois will drive for Aran Racing in the final event of the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which takes place at Batangas Racing Circuit, Philippines from Mar 28th 30th. Leonardo will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars.
The 21 year old Slovak/Colombian who last year competed in the German F3 series was a podium finisher in the Trophy ranking class.
Aran Racing Manuel Borja said "We are delighted to have Leonardo driving for us and we expect him to be very competitive in Batangas. It will be a fantastic weekend of racing with 6 races and 2 days testing".
Leonardo Valois will drive for Aran Racing in the final event of the 2007/08 Asian F3 series which takes place at Batangas Racing Circuit, Philippines from Mar 28th 30th. Leonardo will drive one of the teams Dallara F304 Toms Toyota cars.
The 21 year old Slovak/Colombian who last year competed in the German F3 series was a podium finisher in the Trophy ranking class.
Aran Racing Manuel Borja said "We are delighted to have Leonardo driving for us and we expect him to be very competitive in Batangas. It will be a fantastic weekend of racing with 6 races and 2 days testing".
Vervisch qualifies on pole for Batangas round 13 Mar 27 08
Fredric Vervisch qualified on pole position for the first race of the final 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series event to be held at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. Rafael Suzuki was second with Matt Howson third.
Vervisch set a time of 1m 26.154 in hot and sultry conditions from his Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki. The latter's attempt to rest pole position away was stymied by a drizzle just before the end of the session. Matt Howson, of PTRS, had been very close for the first half of the session but despite his best efforts was not able to improve once the rain set in.
Aran Racing's drivers, both new to Formula Three, were next up with touring car racer, Ed Pead, impressing with his pace and qualifying ahead of his team mate, Leonardo Valois.
Peter Kalpakiotis was first in the Promotions Class in his Dallara 398. Vervisch has a 51 point lead over Howson but with 126 points still to be won the championship is by no means won.
Fredric Vervisch qualified on pole position for the first race of the final 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series event to be held at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. Rafael Suzuki was second with Matt Howson third.
Vervisch set a time of 1m 26.154 in hot and sultry conditions from his Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki. The latter's attempt to rest pole position away was stymied by a drizzle just before the end of the session. Matt Howson, of PTRS, had been very close for the first half of the session but despite his best efforts was not able to improve once the rain set in.
Aran Racing's drivers, both new to Formula Three, were next up with touring car racer, Ed Pead, impressing with his pace and qualifying ahead of his team mate, Leonardo Valois.
Peter Kalpakiotis was first in the Promotions Class in his Dallara 398. Vervisch has a 51 point lead over Howson but with 126 points still to be won the championship is by no means won.
Rafael Suzuki victorious in opening Batangas race Mar 28 08
Rafael Suzuki took an accomplished win in the first race of the Castrol Asian F3 Super Racing Festival weekend. Matt Howson was second with Frederic Vervisch third.
Poleman, Frederic Vervisch of Team Goddard, stalled at the start handing the lead to team mate and fellow front row man, Rafael Suzuki. Matt Howson of PTRS slotted into second from series newcomers Ed Pead and Leonardo Valois, both of Aran Racing. Vervisch was able to restart before the last car had passed and was soon past Roland Hermoso and Peter Kalpakiotis before the end of the first lap. Meanwhile up front Matt Howson was close to Suzuki who was pushing very hard and had a couple of moments in both turn two and the bus stop chicane on the first lap. However Howson then understeered wide at Brians Turn giving Suzuki some breathing space and the Brazilian got his head down and opened up a two second gap which he controlled to the end to take his first win in the series. Howson drove well to keep the pressure on, particularly as he had a flying Vervisch closing in over the last few laps. The latter was within a second of Howson by the chequered flag, taking the fastest race lap in the process.
Ed Pead had a lonely race in fourth place but he is getting faster each time he sits in the car and has impressed on his F3 debut. Valois lost a lot of time on the third lap when he spun at turn one as Vervisch went past, both cars getting out of shape as the Belgian forced his way past. Peter Kalpakiotis was the Promotions Class victor.
Rafael Suzuki took an accomplished win in the first race of the Castrol Asian F3 Super Racing Festival weekend. Matt Howson was second with Frederic Vervisch third.
Poleman, Frederic Vervisch of Team Goddard, stalled at the start handing the lead to team mate and fellow front row man, Rafael Suzuki. Matt Howson of PTRS slotted into second from series newcomers Ed Pead and Leonardo Valois, both of Aran Racing. Vervisch was able to restart before the last car had passed and was soon past Roland Hermoso and Peter Kalpakiotis before the end of the first lap. Meanwhile up front Matt Howson was close to Suzuki who was pushing very hard and had a couple of moments in both turn two and the bus stop chicane on the first lap. However Howson then understeered wide at Brians Turn giving Suzuki some breathing space and the Brazilian got his head down and opened up a two second gap which he controlled to the end to take his first win in the series. Howson drove well to keep the pressure on, particularly as he had a flying Vervisch closing in over the last few laps. The latter was within a second of Howson by the chequered flag, taking the fastest race lap in the process.
Ed Pead had a lonely race in fourth place but he is getting faster each time he sits in the car and has impressed on his F3 debut. Valois lost a lot of time on the third lap when he spun at turn one as Vervisch went past, both cars getting out of shape as the Belgian forced his way past. Peter Kalpakiotis was the Promotions Class victor.
Matt Howson wins Round 14 at Batangas - Mar 28 08
Matt Howson took a fine win after soaking up the pressure from Frederic Vervisch with Rafael Suzuki in third place. It was an exciting race as both Suzuki and Vervisch stalled at the start resulting in both drivers having to chase after the leaders.
Both Suzuki and Vervisch stalled as the lights went out allowing Howson to take an early lead. Vervisch was able to restart almost immediately and finished the first lap in third place whilst Suzuki's car took several attempts to start before the engine fired and he lost a lot of time. This left Howson leading from Ed Pead, Vervisch and Valois. The latter spun out at turn six on lap three and was unable to take further part in the race. Hermoso retired with a misfire at the same time whilst Kalpakiotis also ended his race with a fuel pump failure.
Up front Howson was pulling away from Pead who had Vervisch all over him. They were very close at the first two turns before Vervisch was able to outbrake Pead at tunr three on the third lap and was then free to close the four second gap to Howson. Vervisch was circulating between half and three quarters of a second lap quicker and was on the tail of Howson by lap seven. Several times the Belgian tried to pass at turn one, but Howson had it covered and despite Vervisch's best efforts he was able to hold on to take his second win in the series.
Suzuki had slowly reeled in Pead and was past with a lap to go to take the final podium place. Round 15 will be held on Saturday morning and an exciting race is expected as Howson will start from pole from Suzuki and Vervisch.
Matt Howson took a fine win after soaking up the pressure from Frederic Vervisch with Rafael Suzuki in third place. It was an exciting race as both Suzuki and Vervisch stalled at the start resulting in both drivers having to chase after the leaders.
Both Suzuki and Vervisch stalled as the lights went out allowing Howson to take an early lead. Vervisch was able to restart almost immediately and finished the first lap in third place whilst Suzuki's car took several attempts to start before the engine fired and he lost a lot of time. This left Howson leading from Ed Pead, Vervisch and Valois. The latter spun out at turn six on lap three and was unable to take further part in the race. Hermoso retired with a misfire at the same time whilst Kalpakiotis also ended his race with a fuel pump failure.
Up front Howson was pulling away from Pead who had Vervisch all over him. They were very close at the first two turns before Vervisch was able to outbrake Pead at tunr three on the third lap and was then free to close the four second gap to Howson. Vervisch was circulating between half and three quarters of a second lap quicker and was on the tail of Howson by lap seven. Several times the Belgian tried to pass at turn one, but Howson had it covered and despite Vervisch's best efforts he was able to hold on to take his second win in the series.
Suzuki had slowly reeled in Pead and was past with a lap to go to take the final podium place. Round 15 will be held on Saturday morning and an exciting race is expected as Howson will start from pole from Suzuki and Vervisch.
Vervisch takes his first win of Batangas weekend Mar 29 08
Frederic Vervisch was followed home by Rafael Suzuki and Ed Pead who recorded his first top three finish in the Series. Matt Howson had led Suzuki in a battle for second place until drive shaft failure forced him out on the final lap.
Peter Kalpakiotis suffered a crown wheel failure on the warm up lap and would take no part in the race whilst Valois stalled at the start of the warm up lap and would join one lap down. Howson of PTRS made a good start from pole whilst behind Team Goddard team mates, Vervisch and Suzuki, were wheel to wheel through turn one. Vervisch emerged in front and he immediately put pressure on the leader. Howson ran wide at turn four, Brians corner, and got on the marbles allowing Vervisch past to take the lead which he held to the finish, setting fastest race lap in the process.
Suzuki was really pressuring Howson, on a couple of occasions almost alongside at turn one. The pressure seemed to have paid off when Howson spun at turn three on the penultimate lap, allowing Suzuki and Ed Pead past. Howson's spin was caused by driveshaft failure and he dropped to fourth place. Ed Pead was happy to be third with the race's second fastest lap.
Round 16 will take place this afternoon.
Frederic Vervisch was followed home by Rafael Suzuki and Ed Pead who recorded his first top three finish in the Series. Matt Howson had led Suzuki in a battle for second place until drive shaft failure forced him out on the final lap.
Peter Kalpakiotis suffered a crown wheel failure on the warm up lap and would take no part in the race whilst Valois stalled at the start of the warm up lap and would join one lap down. Howson of PTRS made a good start from pole whilst behind Team Goddard team mates, Vervisch and Suzuki, were wheel to wheel through turn one. Vervisch emerged in front and he immediately put pressure on the leader. Howson ran wide at turn four, Brians corner, and got on the marbles allowing Vervisch past to take the lead which he held to the finish, setting fastest race lap in the process.
Suzuki was really pressuring Howson, on a couple of occasions almost alongside at turn one. The pressure seemed to have paid off when Howson spun at turn three on the penultimate lap, allowing Suzuki and Ed Pead past. Howson's spin was caused by driveshaft failure and he dropped to fourth place. Ed Pead was happy to be third with the race's second fastest lap.
Round 16 will take place this afternoon.
Vervisch wins round 16 and the championship Mar 29 08
Frederic Vervisch took a lights to flag victory to win the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series Championship in style. Matt Howson was second from Rafael Suzuki.
Vervisch made a good start and was never headed whilst fellow front row man, Rafael Suzuki, stalled and was slow away. Howson who was directly behind Suzuki on the grid just avoided the Brazilian and slotted into second place from Ed Pead. Suzuki actually restarted very quickly and was away before the last car had passed him. He was quickly past Hermoso and Valois and then hunted Pead down. He was right on his tail by lap five and Pead was able to soak up the pressure until a mistake on lap nine on the exit of turn one allowed Suzuki to outbrake him into turn two.
Howson was slowing with brake problems but he was able to keep the charging Suzuki at bay. Ed Pead was fourth and again impressed in his first F3 event with team mate Leonardo Valois in fifth and Roland Hermoso completing the top six.
Peter Kalpakiotis retired with a clutch problem. Vervisch cannot be caught in the drivers championship whilst Howson has a healthy 26 points lead over Suzuki for third place. The final two rounds of the series will be held tomorrow, Sunday March 30
Frederic Vervisch took a lights to flag victory to win the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series Championship in style. Matt Howson was second from Rafael Suzuki.
Vervisch made a good start and was never headed whilst fellow front row man, Rafael Suzuki, stalled and was slow away. Howson who was directly behind Suzuki on the grid just avoided the Brazilian and slotted into second place from Ed Pead. Suzuki actually restarted very quickly and was away before the last car had passed him. He was quickly past Hermoso and Valois and then hunted Pead down. He was right on his tail by lap five and Pead was able to soak up the pressure until a mistake on lap nine on the exit of turn one allowed Suzuki to outbrake him into turn two.
Howson was slowing with brake problems but he was able to keep the charging Suzuki at bay. Ed Pead was fourth and again impressed in his first F3 event with team mate Leonardo Valois in fifth and Roland Hermoso completing the top six.
Peter Kalpakiotis retired with a clutch problem. Vervisch cannot be caught in the drivers championship whilst Howson has a healthy 26 points lead over Suzuki for third place. The final two rounds of the series will be held tomorrow, Sunday March 30
Eurasia's Team Goddard wraps up Asian F3 title Mar 29 08
Eurasia Motorsport's affiliate team, Team Goddard, won the 2007-8
Asian F3 Drivers and Team title today at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. Frederic Vervisch took the title in style winning round 16 of the Series and wrapping up the title with two rounds still to be run on Sunday March 30th. His team mate, Rafael Suzuki, had taken his first win in the Series in the previous day, winning round 13 of the series.
Round fourteen had been won by Vervisch's championship rival, Matt Howson after both Vervisch and Suzuki stalled on the grid. Vervisch finished second with Suzuki third after storming drives through the field. The Belgian then dominated round 15 to put the title within reach before ending the day with his win and a well deserved championship.
Eurasia Motorsport's affiliate team, Team Goddard, won the 2007-8
Asian F3 Drivers and Team title today at the Batangas Race Circuit in the Philippines. Frederic Vervisch took the title in style winning round 16 of the Series and wrapping up the title with two rounds still to be run on Sunday March 30th. His team mate, Rafael Suzuki, had taken his first win in the Series in the previous day, winning round 13 of the series.
Round fourteen had been won by Vervisch's championship rival, Matt Howson after both Vervisch and Suzuki stalled on the grid. Vervisch finished second with Suzuki third after storming drives through the field. The Belgian then dominated round 15 to put the title within reach before ending the day with his win and a well deserved championship.
Vervisch takes another win Mar 30 08
Frederic Vervisch took another flag to lights win in round 17 of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Circuit in the Philippines. Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki, was second from PTRS's Matt Howson.
Vervisch made a good start to lead into the first turn but fellow front row man, Rafael Suzuki was slow away allowing Matt Howson into second place. Howson and Suzuki were battling hard, more than once running side by side which allowed Vervisch to open up an immediate gap. It took Suzuki four laps to find a way past with an audacious round the outside move at the first turn, possibility the overtaking maneuver of the season. Once past he quickly drew away and whilst he closed the gap slightly to the leader, Vervisch controlled his pace to take the win and a Team Goddard one two.
Howson started to lose pace on lap eight with a brake problem and that allowed Ed Pead to close in rapidly. However a mistake a couple of laps later saw him fall back giving an easier ride to third place. Ed Pead's Aran Racing team mate, Leonaro Valois was fifth with Roland Hermoso completing the top six. Peter Kalpakiotis was first in the Promotions Class.
The final round of the 18 race series will take place this afternoon.
Frederic Vervisch took another flag to lights win in round 17 of the 2007-8 Asian Formula Three Series at the Batangas Circuit in the Philippines. Team Goddard team mate, Rafael Suzuki, was second from PTRS's Matt Howson.
Vervisch made a good start to lead into the first turn but fellow front row man, Rafael Suzuki was slow away allowing Matt Howson into second place. Howson and Suzuki were battling hard, more than once running side by side which allowed Vervisch to open up an immediate gap. It took Suzuki four laps to find a way past with an audacious round the outside move at the first turn, possibility the overtaking maneuver of the season. Once past he quickly drew away and whilst he closed the gap slightly to the leader, Vervisch controlled his pace to take the win and a Team Goddard one two.
Howson started to lose pace on lap eight with a brake problem and that allowed Ed Pead to close in rapidly. However a mistake a couple of laps later saw him fall back giving an easier ride to third place. Ed Pead's Aran Racing team mate, Leonaro Valois was fifth with Roland Hermoso completing the top six. Peter Kalpakiotis was first in the Promotions Class.
The final round of the 18 race series will take place this afternoon.
V6 driver testing begins at Sepang F1 Circuit this month -Apr 8 08
Eurasia Motorsports 2008 V6 Asia campaign gets under way with testing at the Sepang F1 circuit on April 21-23. Interested drivers should contact us now. The first event of the 2008 season for the V6 Asia cars, which offer cost effective racing in powerful, paddle shift single seaters, will be held at Sepang on May 16-18.
A single test day costs only US$5000 plus new tyres and any accidental damage. It's an excellent way to sample a 375hp paddle shift Formula Car. The 2006 champion, Karun Chandhok, demonstrated V6 Asia gives the driver the experience required to win in GP2. Eurasia Motorsport has won V6 races in the past with Ananda Mikola and we now want to win the championship. A season long budget is very reasonable and it should allow talented drivers who do not have the funds required for Formula Three or GP2 to further their careers and develop their driving skills.
Contact Mark Goddard (mark@eurasiamotorsport.com) or Martin Quick (martin@eurasiamotorsport.com) for details and to book your testing place.
Eurasia Motorsports 2008 V6 Asia campaign gets under way with testing at the Sepang F1 circuit on April 21-23. Interested drivers should contact us now. The first event of the 2008 season for the V6 Asia cars, which offer cost effective racing in powerful, paddle shift single seaters, will be held at Sepang on May 16-18.
A single test day costs only US$5000 plus new tyres and any accidental damage. It's an excellent way to sample a 375hp paddle shift Formula Car. The 2006 champion, Karun Chandhok, demonstrated V6 Asia gives the driver the experience required to win in GP2. Eurasia Motorsport has won V6 races in the past with Ananda Mikola and we now want to win the championship. A season long budget is very reasonable and it should allow talented drivers who do not have the funds required for Formula Three or GP2 to further their careers and develop their driving skills.
Contact Mark Goddard (mark@eurasiamotorsport.com) or Martin Quick (martin@eurasiamotorsport.com) for details and to book your testing place.
Marlon Stockinger takes first podium May 18 08
Marlon Stockinger capped a five race Formula BMW Pacific event at Sepang with a fine second place overall having won the Rookie Class in three of the races. Team Mate Aditya Patel had a character building weekend with other cars running into him in every race. The series now moves to Sentul in Indonesia.
The first two races were held on the Grand Prix circuit and Eurasia Motorsport's drivers, Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, qualified in eighth and ninth positions for race one. Both drivers were expecting to do better after good practice times but they failed to get the best out of new tyres. "This is normal for rookie drivers and I am sure they will have a better qualifying result in Sentul" said Eurasia Motorsport's Mark Goddard.
A dramatic first lap in race one saw Aditya hit by a red car and he was forced to pit to repair the damage. He rejoined but was unable to complete enough laps to be classified. Meanwhile Marlon was also caught out in the first corner melee on the opening lap and dropped to the rear of the field. He got his head down and impressed with a controlled drive to finish in sixth place, overtaking half the field on his way to the flag.
The second race, also on the Grand Prix circuit, saw Aditya attract all the bad luck again when he tangled with a red car and spun to the tail of the field losing a whole lap whilst he regained the circuit. Marlon had too much wheel spin a the start and came by towards the back of the field at the end of the first lap but he got his head down and overtook several cars before finishing eighth at the flag, posting a competitive fastest lap in the process. "If I can make a good start I am sure I can finish on the podium" said an upbeat Marlon after the race.
The event then moved to the short circuit and once again, after posting second fastest time in a practice session, Marlon couldn't quite get the best out of new tyres and would start seventh on the grid. "I tried too hard and lost time by over-driving" reported Stockinger. Aditya would start tenth, after showing well at the beginning of the session but he lost out in the final five minutes.
Aditya again suffered on the first lap of the race, contact forcing him to the rear of the field whilst Marlon was embroiled in a fantastic battle for fourth place. The top three had made a break as Melvin Moh held up the group behind with some defensive driving. Marlon slowly made his way to the front of the group after some brave passes and just held off Kazeem Manzur at the flag.
Sunday morning saw heavy rain and a wet race. Marlon made a terrible start to race four when he couldn't find a gear until after the lights went out whilst Aditya was in the thick of a huge battle for sixth place. He would eventually finish seventh after a fraught race. Marlon meanwhile was picking off the field off one by one, his fastest race lap being quicker than race winner, Sean McDonagh. He eventually made it to fourth place but despite closing on the top three he ran of time to progress any further. Many observers felt it was the drive of the race.
The final race of the weekend was held in hot dry conditions and Stockinger made a good start from fourth on the grid to come by in third place after one lap. He quickly moved up to second taking McDonaugh on the outside of turn seven in a brave move. He then hounded eventual race winner, Ryuichi Nara, all the way to the flag finishing .604 seconds behind after a great drive. Aditya finished eighth after a less eventful race for him.
"Marlon has demonstrated he will be a factor in the championship race from now on" reported Mark Goddard, "and we are really looking forward to Sentul in July. Aditya had one of those weekends in which he seemed to attract all the bad luck around but he has already finished on the podium in the first event of this year and we hope the bad luck is now behind him and he will return to form in Sentul."
Stockinger is currently second on the rookie championship, fifth overall whilst Aditya is eleventh overall.
Marlon Stockinger capped a five race Formula BMW Pacific event at Sepang with a fine second place overall having won the Rookie Class in three of the races. Team Mate Aditya Patel had a character building weekend with other cars running into him in every race. The series now moves to Sentul in Indonesia.
The first two races were held on the Grand Prix circuit and Eurasia Motorsport's drivers, Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, qualified in eighth and ninth positions for race one. Both drivers were expecting to do better after good practice times but they failed to get the best out of new tyres. "This is normal for rookie drivers and I am sure they will have a better qualifying result in Sentul" said Eurasia Motorsport's Mark Goddard.
A dramatic first lap in race one saw Aditya hit by a red car and he was forced to pit to repair the damage. He rejoined but was unable to complete enough laps to be classified. Meanwhile Marlon was also caught out in the first corner melee on the opening lap and dropped to the rear of the field. He got his head down and impressed with a controlled drive to finish in sixth place, overtaking half the field on his way to the flag.
The second race, also on the Grand Prix circuit, saw Aditya attract all the bad luck again when he tangled with a red car and spun to the tail of the field losing a whole lap whilst he regained the circuit. Marlon had too much wheel spin a the start and came by towards the back of the field at the end of the first lap but he got his head down and overtook several cars before finishing eighth at the flag, posting a competitive fastest lap in the process. "If I can make a good start I am sure I can finish on the podium" said an upbeat Marlon after the race.
The event then moved to the short circuit and once again, after posting second fastest time in a practice session, Marlon couldn't quite get the best out of new tyres and would start seventh on the grid. "I tried too hard and lost time by over-driving" reported Stockinger. Aditya would start tenth, after showing well at the beginning of the session but he lost out in the final five minutes.
Aditya again suffered on the first lap of the race, contact forcing him to the rear of the field whilst Marlon was embroiled in a fantastic battle for fourth place. The top three had made a break as Melvin Moh held up the group behind with some defensive driving. Marlon slowly made his way to the front of the group after some brave passes and just held off Kazeem Manzur at the flag.
Sunday morning saw heavy rain and a wet race. Marlon made a terrible start to race four when he couldn't find a gear until after the lights went out whilst Aditya was in the thick of a huge battle for sixth place. He would eventually finish seventh after a fraught race. Marlon meanwhile was picking off the field off one by one, his fastest race lap being quicker than race winner, Sean McDonagh. He eventually made it to fourth place but despite closing on the top three he ran of time to progress any further. Many observers felt it was the drive of the race.
The final race of the weekend was held in hot dry conditions and Stockinger made a good start from fourth on the grid to come by in third place after one lap. He quickly moved up to second taking McDonaugh on the outside of turn seven in a brave move. He then hounded eventual race winner, Ryuichi Nara, all the way to the flag finishing .604 seconds behind after a great drive. Aditya finished eighth after a less eventful race for him.
"Marlon has demonstrated he will be a factor in the championship race from now on" reported Mark Goddard, "and we are really looking forward to Sentul in July. Aditya had one of those weekends in which he seemed to attract all the bad luck around but he has already finished on the podium in the first event of this year and we hope the bad luck is now behind him and he will return to form in Sentul."
Stockinger is currently second on the rookie championship, fifth overall whilst Aditya is eleventh overall.
Macau GP support race confirmed - Jun 7 08
The final round of the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series will be held at the Macau GP giving young drivers a unique opportunity to learn the circuit, a huge advantage for drivers wishing to progress to Formula Three and hoping to compete in the F3 GP in the future. It has also been announced that the series will now support the Shanghai F1 GP in place of the planned Fuji GP race.
The series next event will be held at Sentul, Indonesia on July 16-20 before moving to the Singapore F1 GP support meeting on September 26-28th . The Shanghai F1GP support event then follows on October 17-19 prior to the final event at the Macau GP on November 13-16.
The final round of the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series will be held at the Macau GP giving young drivers a unique opportunity to learn the circuit, a huge advantage for drivers wishing to progress to Formula Three and hoping to compete in the F3 GP in the future. It has also been announced that the series will now support the Shanghai F1 GP in place of the planned Fuji GP race.
The series next event will be held at Sentul, Indonesia on July 16-20 before moving to the Singapore F1 GP support meeting on September 26-28th . The Shanghai F1GP support event then follows on October 17-19 prior to the final event at the Macau GP on November 13-16.
Eurasia cars available for Singapore, Shanghai and Macau - Jun 10 08
Eurasia Motorsport has two seats available alongside series drivers, Aditya Patel and Marlon Stockinger, for the remaining Formula BMW Pacific events which include the Singapore and Shanghai F1 GP support events plus the finale at the Macau GP. The latter is a unique opportunity for drivers to learn the Macau circuit prior to racing there in Formula Three.
Four events remain in the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series, the next round taking place at Sentul Circuit in Indonesia on July 18-20. The Asian Festival of Speed event will feature five F.BMW races and is excellent value for the drivers. Two official test days will also take place on July 16-17.
The eagerly awaited Singapore GP event will take place on September 26-28 followed by the Shanghai GP on October 17-19 and the series ends at Macau on November 13-16. The latter is the only opportunity, outside of F3, drivers have to experience the Macau Circuit in a Formula Car.
Eurasia can offer one off events or multi-event packages. Contact us for more details and prices. mark@eurasiamotorsport.com
Testing is available at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia. Contact us for dates.
Eurasia Motorsport has two seats available alongside series drivers, Aditya Patel and Marlon Stockinger, for the remaining Formula BMW Pacific events which include the Singapore and Shanghai F1 GP support events plus the finale at the Macau GP. The latter is a unique opportunity for drivers to learn the Macau circuit prior to racing there in Formula Three.
Four events remain in the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series, the next round taking place at Sentul Circuit in Indonesia on July 18-20. The Asian Festival of Speed event will feature five F.BMW races and is excellent value for the drivers. Two official test days will also take place on July 16-17.
The eagerly awaited Singapore GP event will take place on September 26-28 followed by the Shanghai GP on October 17-19 and the series ends at Macau on November 13-16. The latter is the only opportunity, outside of F3, drivers have to experience the Macau Circuit in a Formula Car.
Eurasia can offer one off events or multi-event packages. Contact us for more details and prices. mark@eurasiamotorsport.com
Testing is available at the Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia. Contact us for dates.
Eurasia drivers look forward to Sentul - July 11 08
Formula BMW Pacific drivers, Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, are in a confident frame of mind for the next round of the Formula BMW Pacific Series which will be held at the Sentul Circuit in Indonesia from July 16-20.
Sentul Circuit has usually produced close races and this year the racing is expected to be even closer now that all the teams are running legal engines. The level playing field allows teams such as Eurasia Motorsport to use their superior technical expertise, and their abilities to coach rookie drivers, to turn novices into potential race winners. Aditya Patel has already finished on the podium at the first Sepang round whilst Marlon Stockinger finished second in the last race held at Sepang despite this being only his second ever car racing event.
Stockinger has not been idle in the lay off between the last event at Sepang and Sentul. He has tested a F.BMW at the legendary Spa Circuit in Belgium and has also undertaken a testing campaign with the team's Formula Three car. As a complete novice every lap in a car adds greatly to the driver's experience and Marlon will arrive at Sentul primed and ready to go.
Aditya was disappointed with his results at the last Sepang round but he is confident that is all behind him now and that he will rekindle the form he demonstrated at the Sepang Grand Prix support event.
The Sentul rounds are part of the Asian Festival of Speed and two days of official testing will be followed by one day of official practice and four races held over the weekend. AFOS events give drivers a tremendous number of laps and are great value for the young drivers.
Formula BMW Pacific drivers, Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, are in a confident frame of mind for the next round of the Formula BMW Pacific Series which will be held at the Sentul Circuit in Indonesia from July 16-20.
Sentul Circuit has usually produced close races and this year the racing is expected to be even closer now that all the teams are running legal engines. The level playing field allows teams such as Eurasia Motorsport to use their superior technical expertise, and their abilities to coach rookie drivers, to turn novices into potential race winners. Aditya Patel has already finished on the podium at the first Sepang round whilst Marlon Stockinger finished second in the last race held at Sepang despite this being only his second ever car racing event.
Stockinger has not been idle in the lay off between the last event at Sepang and Sentul. He has tested a F.BMW at the legendary Spa Circuit in Belgium and has also undertaken a testing campaign with the team's Formula Three car. As a complete novice every lap in a car adds greatly to the driver's experience and Marlon will arrive at Sentul primed and ready to go.
Aditya was disappointed with his results at the last Sepang round but he is confident that is all behind him now and that he will rekindle the form he demonstrated at the Sepang Grand Prix support event.
The Sentul rounds are part of the Asian Festival of Speed and two days of official testing will be followed by one day of official practice and four races held over the weekend. AFOS events give drivers a tremendous number of laps and are great value for the young drivers.
Entries close for Singapore September 1st - Aug 20 08
Entries for the Singapore F1 GP F.BMW Pacific support race close on September 1st. Eurasia Motorsport still have one seat available therefore interested drivers should contact the team as soon as possible.
The Singapore F1 GP is the first on the streets of Singapore and the first F1 night race. It has been dubbed the Monaco of Asia and is a must not miss event. Guest drivers will not be disadvantaged as no one will have raced there previously.
"Its a great opportunity to race at a Grand Prix at a very cost effective price and we still have one car available to run alongside Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, our series drivers" reported Mark Goddard of Eurasia Motorsport.
Contact mark@eurasiamotorsport.comfor more details.
Entries for the Singapore F1 GP F.BMW Pacific support race close on September 1st. Eurasia Motorsport still have one seat available therefore interested drivers should contact the team as soon as possible.
The Singapore F1 GP is the first on the streets of Singapore and the first F1 night race. It has been dubbed the Monaco of Asia and is a must not miss event. Guest drivers will not be disadvantaged as no one will have raced there previously.
"Its a great opportunity to race at a Grand Prix at a very cost effective price and we still have one car available to run alongside Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, our series drivers" reported Mark Goddard of Eurasia Motorsport.
Contact mark@eurasiamotorsport.comfor more details.
Eurasia graduates shine - Aug 21 08
Eurasia Motorsport Formula BMW and Formula Three team graduates are shining in Europe. Daniel Ricciardo leads the European Formula Renault 2.0 Series whilst Frederic Vervisch heads the points in the German F3 Championship.
Daniel Ricciardo, a race winner with Eurasia Motorsport in the 2007 Formula BMW Asia series, currently leads the ultra - competitive European Formula Renault 2.0 Series. "The grounding I received at Eurasia Motorsport was invaluable to my current success" reported Daniel.
Meanwhile Vervisch, who won the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series with Eurasia-Team Goddard, stunned the paddock in the last German F3 event at the Nurburgring when he completely dominated the event. This was after changing teams to Jo Zeller Racing and running with a Mercedes rather than the OPC engine of his previous team.
Eurasia Motorsport Formula BMW and Formula Three team graduates are shining in Europe. Daniel Ricciardo leads the European Formula Renault 2.0 Series whilst Frederic Vervisch heads the points in the German F3 Championship.
Daniel Ricciardo, a race winner with Eurasia Motorsport in the 2007 Formula BMW Asia series, currently leads the ultra - competitive European Formula Renault 2.0 Series. "The grounding I received at Eurasia Motorsport was invaluable to my current success" reported Daniel.
Meanwhile Vervisch, who won the 2007-8 Asian F3 Series with Eurasia-Team Goddard, stunned the paddock in the last German F3 event at the Nurburgring when he completely dominated the event. This was after changing teams to Jo Zeller Racing and running with a Mercedes rather than the OPC engine of his previous team.
Eurasia run Porsche finishes Merdeka Millenium Enduro - Sep 5 08
The twelve hour endurance race held at the Sepang F1 Circuit was the first foray for Eurasia Motorsport into GT racing and an 8th overall finish was more than the driver line-up had expected.
The Porsche 997 Cup car was entered under the car owner's Razlan Razali's Pineapple Motorsports banner with Razlan, Brett Odgers and Tommy Lee as drivers. Whilst Tommy Lee has great experience of the MME, winning the race twice, this would be Brett's first ever car race and Razlan boasts just one years car racing experience. Coupled with an entry that featured many more powerful cars a top ten finish was targeted for the race.
The team was extremely pleased to qualify 9th overall, a great achievement especially for the two novice drivers, but the elation was short lived as half hour into the race itself Tommy Lee was hit up the back by a slower car he had just lapped and the resultant pit stop for repairs dropped the car to 29th position. Razlan did a stirling job handing the car to Brett Odgers after his first stint in 10th place. Brett drove extremely well to hand over to Tommy in 4th place. The latter had a the car as high as third place, a fantastic achievement, but as night fell the team was forced to repair the lights damaged in the earlier incident. This dropped the car down to 19th place and after another good drive by Razlan and a heroic effort from Tommy the car was back up to 8th when it was handed to Brett to bring the car home in that position.
An extremely happy Razlan reported "We as drivers did our part but equally and just as important is the dedication and work of our mechanics, crew and strategy by our Race Director, Martin Quick. Without a good and capable team, we will not be where we finished."
Eurasia Motorsport is expanding and will run more cars in GT racing. "We are not only looking at the MME but also at the Asian Super Car Challenge " reported Martin Quick.
The twelve hour endurance race held at the Sepang F1 Circuit was the first foray for Eurasia Motorsport into GT racing and an 8th overall finish was more than the driver line-up had expected.
The Porsche 997 Cup car was entered under the car owner's Razlan Razali's Pineapple Motorsports banner with Razlan, Brett Odgers and Tommy Lee as drivers. Whilst Tommy Lee has great experience of the MME, winning the race twice, this would be Brett's first ever car race and Razlan boasts just one years car racing experience. Coupled with an entry that featured many more powerful cars a top ten finish was targeted for the race.
The team was extremely pleased to qualify 9th overall, a great achievement especially for the two novice drivers, but the elation was short lived as half hour into the race itself Tommy Lee was hit up the back by a slower car he had just lapped and the resultant pit stop for repairs dropped the car to 29th position. Razlan did a stirling job handing the car to Brett Odgers after his first stint in 10th place. Brett drove extremely well to hand over to Tommy in 4th place. The latter had a the car as high as third place, a fantastic achievement, but as night fell the team was forced to repair the lights damaged in the earlier incident. This dropped the car down to 19th place and after another good drive by Razlan and a heroic effort from Tommy the car was back up to 8th when it was handed to Brett to bring the car home in that position.
An extremely happy Razlan reported "We as drivers did our part but equally and just as important is the dedication and work of our mechanics, crew and strategy by our Race Director, Martin Quick. Without a good and capable team, we will not be where we finished."
Eurasia Motorsport is expanding and will run more cars in GT racing. "We are not only looking at the MME but also at the Asian Super Car Challenge " reported Martin Quick.
Eurasia drivers ready for the Singapore challenge Sep 23 08
Eurasia's Formula BMW Pacific drivers had their first sight of the new Singapore GP Circuit today and they are both looking forward to the challenge of the new street circuit.
Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel are in confident moods and both were impressed with the new circuit. "It looks fast in some places and it will be very challenging. Its going to be difficult to learn as there are so many corners and many are blind turns" reported Aditya Patel. "The atmosphere on race day is going to be incredible and I can't wait to get out there on Friday."
Marlon Stockinger took part in the Valencia round of the F.BMW Europe series giving himself experience on an F1 street circuit. "Singapore looks like it will be a more challenging track and it looks really cool. I am really looking forward to practice on Friday" said Stockinger.
Eurasia's Formula BMW Pacific drivers had their first sight of the new Singapore GP Circuit today and they are both looking forward to the challenge of the new street circuit.
Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel are in confident moods and both were impressed with the new circuit. "It looks fast in some places and it will be very challenging. Its going to be difficult to learn as there are so many corners and many are blind turns" reported Aditya Patel. "The atmosphere on race day is going to be incredible and I can't wait to get out there on Friday."
Marlon Stockinger took part in the Valencia round of the F.BMW Europe series giving himself experience on an F1 street circuit. "Singapore looks like it will be a more challenging track and it looks really cool. I am really looking forward to practice on Friday" said Stockinger.
Patel shines in Singapore Race One - Sept 27 08
Aditya Patel had the dubious record of being the first driver to crash a car at the Singapore GP Circuit during qualifying for todays race. As a result he started last but redeemed his mistake by finishing in seventh place. Team Mate, Marlon Stockinger, was running strongly when he ended his race by clipping the wall
Stockinger was trapped behind a fast starting Haryanto at the start and then spent the entire race trying to find a way past. Stockinger was clearly faster but Haryanto drove a good defensive race to keep his rival behind. This allowed Patel to draft up to the battling pair having carved his way through the field from the back of the grid. Stockinger was caught in a dilema, each time he tried to pass he was slowed allowing Patel to get alongside.
It all came to a head when Moh and Ang tangled on the straight and in the confusion Patel was able to dive past his team mate. All this allowed Chaves to latch onto Stockinger and he was able to pass at turn 15. Marlon got by into turn 17 but understeered onto the marbles and spun into the wall with one lap to go. Patel tried all he could to pass Haryanto but just failed after an impressive drive from 17th on the grid.
Race two will take place tomorrow before the F1 race. Stockinger starts ninth whilst Patel has it all to do again from last on the grid.
Aditya Patel had the dubious record of being the first driver to crash a car at the Singapore GP Circuit during qualifying for todays race. As a result he started last but redeemed his mistake by finishing in seventh place. Team Mate, Marlon Stockinger, was running strongly when he ended his race by clipping the wall
Stockinger was trapped behind a fast starting Haryanto at the start and then spent the entire race trying to find a way past. Stockinger was clearly faster but Haryanto drove a good defensive race to keep his rival behind. This allowed Patel to draft up to the battling pair having carved his way through the field from the back of the grid. Stockinger was caught in a dilema, each time he tried to pass he was slowed allowing Patel to get alongside.
It all came to a head when Moh and Ang tangled on the straight and in the confusion Patel was able to dive past his team mate. All this allowed Chaves to latch onto Stockinger and he was able to pass at turn 15. Marlon got by into turn 17 but understeered onto the marbles and spun into the wall with one lap to go. Patel tried all he could to pass Haryanto but just failed after an impressive drive from 17th on the grid.
Race two will take place tomorrow before the F1 race. Stockinger starts ninth whilst Patel has it all to do again from last on the grid.
Stockinger first junior driver home Sep 28 08
Marlon Stockinger finished seventh in the second F.BMW Pacific race of the Singapore GP event whilst Aditya had another storming drive from last on the grid only to be deprived of a good finish when he was taken out on the last lap.
Stockinger was giving Sean McDonagh a hard time before falling back slightly and finishing a brave seventh as he was struggling due to the after effects of severe food poisoning. Meanwhile Aditya Patel drove superbly to haul himself up to eighth place, right on the gearbox of his team mate with a lap to go. However at turn 11 on the final lap Simon Moss just tagged his rear wheel when an out braking maneuver went wrong and Patel spun down to 13th place.
Patel had the consolation of making the pass of the race when he scythed up the onside of Dominic Ang at turn 14. Both Eurasia drivers are now looking forward to the next round at the Shanghai F1 GP on October 17-19th.
Marlon Stockinger finished seventh in the second F.BMW Pacific race of the Singapore GP event whilst Aditya had another storming drive from last on the grid only to be deprived of a good finish when he was taken out on the last lap.
Stockinger was giving Sean McDonagh a hard time before falling back slightly and finishing a brave seventh as he was struggling due to the after effects of severe food poisoning. Meanwhile Aditya Patel drove superbly to haul himself up to eighth place, right on the gearbox of his team mate with a lap to go. However at turn 11 on the final lap Simon Moss just tagged his rear wheel when an out braking maneuver went wrong and Patel spun down to 13th place.
Patel had the consolation of making the pass of the race when he scythed up the onside of Dominic Ang at turn 14. Both Eurasia drivers are now looking forward to the next round at the Shanghai F1 GP on October 17-19th.
Eurasia F.BMW and F3 test dates announced - Oct 1 08
Eurasia Motorsport today announced test dates at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia for December this year. Interested drivers should download the test guide from the eurasiamotorsport.com web site
Almost all of December is available for testing and drivers looking to take part in the F.BMW Pacific scholarship trials should book early. Drivers who intend racing in F3 in Europe should also consider getting up to speed in our Dallara 304 TOM'S car at a fraction of the cost of winter testing in Europe and warm weather is guaranteed.
E mail Mark Goddard at mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Eurasia Motorsport today announced test dates at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia for December this year. Interested drivers should download the test guide from the eurasiamotorsport.com web site
Almost all of December is available for testing and drivers looking to take part in the F.BMW Pacific scholarship trials should book early. Drivers who intend racing in F3 in Europe should also consider getting up to speed in our Dallara 304 TOM'S car at a fraction of the cost of winter testing in Europe and warm weather is guaranteed.
E mail Mark Goddard at mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Chris Maliepaard impresses at Sepang F3 test - Oct 05 08
Chris Maliepaard, a race winner in the British Formula Ford Championship this season, spent four days testing Eurasia Team Goddard's championship winning Dallara 304 TOM'S car getting up to speed prior to testing in the UK for a 2009 British F3 campaign. He was able to get under the Asian F3 qualifying record after an extremely impressive performance.
The team was really happy with Chris's performance. "I think the best compliment we could give him is that we would be really happy to have him drive for us in the 2009 Asian F3 Series. I believe he will be able to test for any team in British F3 now and immediately get up to speed." reported Mark Goddard of Eurasia Team Goddard. "It's a really cost effective way to learn how to drive an F3 car, much cheaper than testing in the UK and warm weather is guaranteed. A cold wet Pembrey or Snetterton at three times the cost is a far less sensible introduction to F3, in my opinion" added Goddard.
Testing is available at Sepang with the team; interested drivers should e mail mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Chris Maliepaard, a race winner in the British Formula Ford Championship this season, spent four days testing Eurasia Team Goddard's championship winning Dallara 304 TOM'S car getting up to speed prior to testing in the UK for a 2009 British F3 campaign. He was able to get under the Asian F3 qualifying record after an extremely impressive performance.
The team was really happy with Chris's performance. "I think the best compliment we could give him is that we would be really happy to have him drive for us in the 2009 Asian F3 Series. I believe he will be able to test for any team in British F3 now and immediately get up to speed." reported Mark Goddard of Eurasia Team Goddard. "It's a really cost effective way to learn how to drive an F3 car, much cheaper than testing in the UK and warm weather is guaranteed. A cold wet Pembrey or Snetterton at three times the cost is a far less sensible introduction to F3, in my opinion" added Goddard.
Testing is available at Sepang with the team; interested drivers should e mail mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Kimiya Sato to race in Macau Oct 31 08
Kimiya Sato will race alongside Eurasia Motorsport's regular drivers, Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, in the final round of the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series at Macau on November 16th. Sato was a race winner in British Formula BMW and both driver and team have high hopes of a competitive performance in Macau.
Sato finished second in this year's Formula Challenge Japan which marks him as one of most promising young drivers in Japan. As with almost all the entry this will be his first race in Macau but with two years of racing Formula BMW in the UK under his belt he will be expected to be near the front of the field.
Kimiya Sato will race alongside Eurasia Motorsport's regular drivers, Marlon Stockinger and Aditya Patel, in the final round of the 2008 Formula BMW Pacific Series at Macau on November 16th. Sato was a race winner in British Formula BMW and both driver and team have high hopes of a competitive performance in Macau.
Sato finished second in this year's Formula Challenge Japan which marks him as one of most promising young drivers in Japan. As with almost all the entry this will be his first race in Macau but with two years of racing Formula BMW in the UK under his belt he will be expected to be near the front of the field.
Castrol support team in Macau
Castrol Philippines are supporting the team in its bid to win the Formula BMW Pacific support race at this weekends Macau GP. Castrol Magnatec will adorn all three of the team's entries. Auto Xtreme TV will be filming the team over the race weekend for a behind the scenes program which will be aired in the Philippines.
Mark Goddard of Eurasia Motorsport remarked "We are really happy to welcome Castrol back. We have won many Asian Formula Three championships together and we look forward to continuing that success with our F.BMW team.
Castrol Philippines are supporting the team in its bid to win the Formula BMW Pacific support race at this weekends Macau GP. Castrol Magnatec will adorn all three of the team's entries. Auto Xtreme TV will be filming the team over the race weekend for a behind the scenes program which will be aired in the Philippines.
Mark Goddard of Eurasia Motorsport remarked "We are really happy to welcome Castrol back. We have won many Asian Formula Three championships together and we look forward to continuing that success with our F.BMW team.
Podium for Kimiya Sato at Macau - Nov 16 08
Kimiya Sato finished third in todays final round of the Formula BMW Series held at the Macau GP. Team Mate, Aditya Patel, was sixth and top rookie driver.
Sato made a good start and slotted into third place. He kept close to the leaders for the first three laps and then cruised to the finish under strict instructions to finish the race to gain experience for F3 in 2009. Patel was in a tight group battling for fifth place and eventually finished sixth and top roookie, a fine drive to end the season.
Marlon Stockinger started last after crashing on the first lap of qualifying and finished in 17th place.
"Kimiya drove really well, did not put a scratch on the car and achieved the aim of a podium finish. We are really impressed with him and I am sure he has a great future in motor sport." reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard.
Testing now gets under way in December in Sepang for the 2009 season.
Kimiya Sato finished third in todays final round of the Formula BMW Series held at the Macau GP. Team Mate, Aditya Patel, was sixth and top rookie driver.
Sato made a good start and slotted into third place. He kept close to the leaders for the first three laps and then cruised to the finish under strict instructions to finish the race to gain experience for F3 in 2009. Patel was in a tight group battling for fifth place and eventually finished sixth and top roookie, a fine drive to end the season.
Marlon Stockinger started last after crashing on the first lap of qualifying and finished in 17th place.
"Kimiya drove really well, did not put a scratch on the car and achieved the aim of a podium finish. We are really impressed with him and I am sure he has a great future in motor sport." reported Eurasia's Mark Goddard.
Testing now gets under way in December in Sepang for the 2009 season.
Sepang testing for F.BMW and F3 starts in December - Nov 24 08
Eurasia Motorsport off season testing begins on December 5th at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. The BMW Formula BMW Pacific Scholarship run-offs take place at the Malaysian track on December 17-19th and Eurasia is offering drivers the opportunity to take part in pre-scholarship testing. The team's F3 cars are also being booked by drivers looking to gain F3 experience cost effectively.
The Sepang Circuit is available for testing on December 5-12 and 16-21 and in January from the 1-9, 17, 30 - 31st. More dates may be available, contact mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Drivers interested in taking part in the Formula BMW Scholarship, worth Euro50,000 each to the three winners should contact the team as should any driver intending to compete in the 2009 Formula BMW Pacific Series.
Several drivers have already tested in the team's Dallara 304 TOM'S car, finding it a cost effective way of getting up to speed in a F3 car. All our drivers receive coaching from an ex-Silverstone Racing School Chief Instructor and Formula Three Champion driver.
Eurasia Motorsport off season testing begins on December 5th at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia. The BMW Formula BMW Pacific Scholarship run-offs take place at the Malaysian track on December 17-19th and Eurasia is offering drivers the opportunity to take part in pre-scholarship testing. The team's F3 cars are also being booked by drivers looking to gain F3 experience cost effectively.
The Sepang Circuit is available for testing on December 5-12 and 16-21 and in January from the 1-9, 17, 30 - 31st. More dates may be available, contact mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Drivers interested in taking part in the Formula BMW Scholarship, worth Euro50,000 each to the three winners should contact the team as should any driver intending to compete in the 2009 Formula BMW Pacific Series.
Several drivers have already tested in the team's Dallara 304 TOM'S car, finding it a cost effective way of getting up to speed in a F3 car. All our drivers receive coaching from an ex-Silverstone Racing School Chief Instructor and Formula Three Champion driver.
Eurasia to compete in New Zealand Toyota Racing Series International Trophy - Nov 25 08
The prestigious International Trophy, run over three weekends in January 2009, represents a great opportunity for drivers to gain race experience in a 215bhp Tatuus chassis car. The team will also enter the New Zealand Grand Prix on March 1st. All races are run under an international permit allowing drivers to compete using their own ASN's International race license.
"The budget is relatively small, less than any other International Series we know of, making it an extremely cost effective way of racing at an International Level in a relatively high powered single seater car. We believe we can offer drivers our renowned technical and driver coaching expertise in this series. We are the reigning Asian F3 Champions and our 2008 drivers, Frederic Vervisch and Rafael Suzuki, both confirm our cars were fantastic. Frederic went on to win the 2008 German F3 Championship and Rafael was also extremely competitive in Germany so they know what they are talking about" reported a team spokesperson.
Interested drivers should contact Mark Goddard at mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
The prestigious International Trophy, run over three weekends in January 2009, represents a great opportunity for drivers to gain race experience in a 215bhp Tatuus chassis car. The team will also enter the New Zealand Grand Prix on March 1st. All races are run under an international permit allowing drivers to compete using their own ASN's International race license.
"The budget is relatively small, less than any other International Series we know of, making it an extremely cost effective way of racing at an International Level in a relatively high powered single seater car. We believe we can offer drivers our renowned technical and driver coaching expertise in this series. We are the reigning Asian F3 Champions and our 2008 drivers, Frederic Vervisch and Rafael Suzuki, both confirm our cars were fantastic. Frederic went on to win the 2008 German F3 Championship and Rafael was also extremely competitive in Germany so they know what they are talking about" reported a team spokesperson.
Interested drivers should contact Mark Goddard at mark@eurasiamotorsport.com for details.
Eurasia Team Goddard to enter 2009 Formula 3 Australia Championship Dec 3 08
Reigning Asian F3 Champions, Eurasia Team Goddard, will enter the 2009 F3 Australia Championship with two Dallara 307 model chassis powered by Mercedes engines. The team is confident that it offers an ultra competitive package in one of the strongest F3 Championships worldwide which can be undertaken on a remarkably cost effective budget.
"Drivers such as Ben Clucas, Charlie Hollings and James Winslow have demonstrated that F3A is a positive career move for European based drivers as well as drivers from the Asia Pacific region. Drivers from the Americas should also consider the series" stated Mark Goddard of Eurasia Team Goddard. "We have the best possible car and driver combination for this championship and I believe our renowned technical and driver developme
Reigning Asian F3 Champions, Eurasia Team Goddard, will enter the 2009 F3 Australia Championship with two Dallara 307 model chassis powered by Mercedes engines. The team is confident that it offers an ultra competitive package in one of the strongest F3 Championships worldwide which can be undertaken on a remarkably cost effective budget.
"Drivers such as Ben Clucas, Charlie Hollings and James Winslow have demonstrated that F3A is a positive career move for European based drivers as well as drivers from the Asia Pacific region. Drivers from the Americas should also consider the series" stated Mark Goddard of Eurasia Team Goddard. "We have the best possible car and driver combination for this championship and I believe our renowned technical and driver developme