F3 AUSTRALIAN DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP leader Chris Gilmour faces perhaps the sternest test of his championship-challenging credentials this week when he tackles the imposing Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit, in Victoria.
Gilmour leads title rival James Winslow by exactly 20 points ahead of the season-ending back-to-back rounds at the Island and Symmons plains this next fortnight – but the veteran of 113 F3 race starts has never won outright at the series’ quickest track.
Meanwhile, British driver Winslow says it is one of his favourite circuits in the world and has an imposing record on the 4.46km circuit that has an average speed – for F3 cars – of over 180km/hr and a first corner taken flat out at 257km/hr.
“I would put driving Phillip Island in a well set-up Formula 3 car amongst the best things I have ever done in a racing car,” the well-travelled Winslow stated earlier this year.
“It’s a mega track. It suits my style and it is a massive challenge to get right and winning there is a sweet memory I have from my previous years in Australian Formula 3.”
From eight race starts at Phillip Island, across the 2007 and his championship-winning 2008 seasons, Winslow has three race wins and six podium finishes to his credit whilst also taking four of a possible seven pole positions.
Gilmour, meanwhile, has two outright thirds to his credit - though did win his class in 2008 en-route to winning the National Class battle the same year Winslow won the Gold Star.
The steely and determined Queenslander does not care for such statistics, however, and has eyes only for victory when the championship rolls into town this weekend with the Shannons Nationals this weekend.
“James has gone well at Phillip Island in the past, but the past doesn’t matter too much this year,” he said.
“We have come to race this year and we intend to continue doing that until the final race. We have learnt a lot about the car this season and it’s been right on the pace at just about every track this year, so we’re confident that Phillip Island will be no exception.”
Gilmour says the battle between the pair is now as evenly-matched as it’s going to get – especially after the pair diced for victory at Sandown in the most recent round, in early September.
“He won two races, I won the other and he only pulled eight points out of our lead. We lead by twenty now, so the maths is pretty simple,” he said.
“I’d never underestimate him, but I know exactly what I need to achieve to win the championship.”
Also riding into the equation will be two very fired-up individuals keen to mix things up at the front, in the form of John Magro and Mat Sofi.
Magro remains in championship calculations, 33 points off the leader but only thirteen behind Winslow, in second and can never be discounted. Team BRM cars dominated at Phillip Island last year and have played a role in every championship decider since the 2007 season, so the North Queenslander will be keen to continue his teams winning ways when the big prizes are up for grabs.
Sofi won’t be playing for a championship, however will be looking to give new sponsor [yellow tail] Wines a big welcome to Formula 3 by continuing on his winning ways from earlier this year at Eastern Creek.
The weekend will also include the battle for the Forpark Australia F3 National Class as three young drivers – all under the age of 21 – fight for a $50,000 scholarship prize.
The new-specification Kumho control tyre implemented this year could also see the Phillip Island F3 lap record well-beaten. Five qualifying and race lap records have fallen in the five rounds held to date this year, placing Winslow’s qualifying benchmark of 1:26.12 (2008) and Leanne Tanders’ race best of 1:26.90s (also ’08) under threat.
The championship will contest three races across the weekend with 47 points available at Phillip Island and the same again at Symmons Plains the following week.
The F3 Australian Drivers Championship acknowledges and thanks 2011 partners Kumho Tyres, Forpark Australia, ELF (Race Fuels), Performance Friction Brakes and Race Torque Media for their support.
More information can be found at www.formula3.com.au
