ORAN
PARK
16th - 18th April 2004
The
2nd round of the Australian F3 championship proved just how fickle
motor racing can be. After winning the 2nd race of round 1 Team
BRM driver Karl Reindler struggled for most of the weekend.
Firstly
a down on performance engine which required changing on Friday night
coupled with the difficulty for Karl and technical director Ian
Richards to get a good balance in the car, resulted in only two
5th place qualifying positions for the races.
The
teams new Trophy class driver, Nic Jordan, from NZ confirmed everyone's
opinion of him by immediately qualifying the AMS group Dallara 398
on pole for both of his races. Race one had polesitter Ian Dyke
get a slow start to allow Peter Hackett to grab the lead. Karl similarly
made a slow start in the UTS Dallara 301 Spiess and was 6th into
the first lap,
Dyk soon overtook Hackett and dominated the race. Reindler was able
to get up to 5th but the slippery shape of the John Pettitt Dallara
396 proved impossible for Karl to pass.
"The
cars performance had improved dramatically for that race" said
Karl.
Race
2 saw Dyk once again being slow off the line allowing Chris Gilmore
to lead, once again Karl s start was slow .
Turn 3 became "hell Corner" with Hackett, Dyk, Pettitt
and Carreti all being involved in a crash fest.
Reindler was able to get through the carnage to be third. Just behind
was Daniel Pappas who similarly avoided the carnage.
Dyk went to the pits with a flat tyre costing him the race. Gilmore
led the race comfortably throughout,but behind him Reindler and
Hackett were engaged in a serious battle that would end with both
cars sustaining damage.
.
Gilmore went on to win with Hackett second and Reindler third, however
the on track battle has attracted the interest of the stewards so
results are provisional.
Nic
Jjordan's race was thankfully uneventful.with the young driver comfortably
winning his trophy class and finishing 5th outright.
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