MEDIA RELEASE - For immediate Release - Thursday, December 3rd, 2009.
 
  REVIEW - AUSTRALIAN FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP 2009 ... AND ROUND 8 AT SANDOWN PARK RACEWAY (MELBOURNE)  
 
 
 
Photo: Tom Tweedie preparing to race at Sandown Park.

Image: Dirk Klynsmith
 
Photo: Tom Tweedie at Sandown Park.

Image: Dirk Klynsmith
 
Photo: Tom Tweedie mixing it up on a slightly damp Sandown Park track.

Image: Dirk Klynsmith
 
Photo: Tom Tweedie at Sandown Park.

Image: Dirk Klynsmith
 

SANDOWN PARK November 27-29th Round 8 was another great success for us and a fabulous way to finish the season. My recent trip to UK/Europe to race with Team West-Tec was without a doubt an excellent preparation for this event which saw a highly competitive large grid including seven International drivers and other new top Australian drivers racing including NZ sensation Mitch Evans plus some other stars from Formula Ford trying out for next years Formula 3.

Our weekend began very strongly with excellent early lap times in both practice sessions including the 2nd fastest time in practice session 2a.

QUALIFYING 1. We made some changes to the car to account for new tyres and they were definitely in the right direction and allowed me to regularly complete laps that put me at the top of the time sheets ... even on pole a couple of times. By the end of the session we ended up a very satisfying 4th fastest on the second row of the grid and only 0.4 sec from outright pole held by Championship soon to be winner Joey Foster from England.

QUALIFYING 2a was a brilliant new format with a 15 minute session followed by a 10 minute stop to the session then the fastest 6 cars from went out on track again for 10 mins "shootout" part 2b to try again for the final grid spot. After again being top of the time sheets for part of the session I finished the first 15 mins (part 2a) 3rd outright and only 0.2 sec off outright pole. This meant I qualified for the top 6 and had to do it all again in a short 10 minute session (part 2b).

QUALIFYING 2b. A red flag 3 laps into part 2b of qualifying as result someone spinning out meant we only had a few minutes to post a lap time. And again I was able to be close to the top of the time sheets but in the closing minute 3 drivers managed to just pip me from 2nd place and I ended up 5th (0.4 of a second off outright pole) but realistically we were only fractions apart and times resulted also from judging the last lap from the checkered flag ... I just missed out on the last lap timing and when everyone in front of me gained their fastest lap ... couldn't be helped.

RACE 1 started with a slightly damp track with small rivers flowing across after a dump of rain one hour prior to the race and we still chose the option of slick tyres like many other teams.

Starting 4th on the grid I got an excellent launch off the start up to 3rd position then grabbed 2nd place up the back straight from Macrow slipstreaming and using the F304's higher straight-line speed to his later model F307. I held this position until I ran a rear wheel up on a high kerb exiting the slow speed turn 8 allowing then championship leader Tim Macrow to sneak past resulting in me finishing the race with a very credible 3rd outright less than 7 seconds behind Foster the leader and catching.

RESULTS:

1st. Joey Foster (GB) - F307 Mercedes
2nd. Tim Macrow (VIC) - F307 Mercedes
3rd. Tom Tweedie (NSW) - F304 Renault Sodemo
4th. Mitch Evans (NZ) - F307 Mercedes
5th. Kristian Lindbom (NSW) - F304 Renault Sodemo
6th. Rio Haryato (INDONESIA) - F307 Renault Sodemo
7th Ben Crighton (NZ) - F307 Mercedes

Note. Detailed results also available on www.natsoft.com.au

RACE 2 "SUPER-PRIX". A new format and longer race with another huge dump of rain onto a dry track 3 mins before race start saw a frantic build up to the final 22 lap "Superprix" with everyone gambling on car setup as the radar suggested it would be followed by clear skies.

We left our Battery World Dallara F304 in a totally dry setup but with old used wet tyres on which was a bit of a gamble each way we thought. The race was filled with Safety cars as many drivers came off the track while struggling for grip. I spent most of the race chasing Matt Sofi (F307) for 4th position and both the reigning 2009 Asia Formula Renault Champion and Formula BMW Champion were also chasing me and I was struggling a little on my old tyres with no grip but pressed on.

After another safety car on lap 18 and a further rain shower, the restart saw everyone attempting deparate passing moves late in the race. In front of me Sofi tried to pass Joey Foster into turn 2 and I attempted to follow him through but with the intense spray produced by the cars in front I left my braking a little late a locked a rear brake spinning me onto the grass. I managed to get back on track and recover to 9th place and still won the round for National Class cars for the meeting which was a great way to finish the year (but 4th would have been even better!!)

1st Mitch Evans
2nd Joey Foster
3rd Mat Sofi (NSW) - F307 Honda
9th Tom Tweedie

SANDOWN COMPETITION & SPONSORS. Overall a fantastic weekend for "team tom" with "Sandown Competition" winner Vivienne Nielssen and her husband Tony flying over from Adelaide for the meeting along with sponsor Carl from Battery World (Sydney) and many other supporters. I'm sure everyone had a great time and felt the excitement of what was one of this years best F3 events and we are looking forward to 2010 with alternatives of possibilty of a new faster latest F307 Dallara or I may join up with Team West-Tec in England for the European F3 championship ... stay posted!

SERIES POINTSCORES:

National Class A - F304 Dallara's

1st (288 points) - Tom Tweedie
2nd (124 points) - Graeme Holmes
3rd (116 points) - Jesse Wakeman

Championship (Gold Star) - F307 Dallara's

1st (265 points) - Joey Foster
2nd (257 points) - Tim Macrow
3rd (192 points) - Mat Sofi

Further details and F3 press releases etc on www.formula3.com.au

PHOTOGRAPHS. We have lots of 2009 Formula 3 email photographs available mainly (of course) of my car so please email me on thomastweedie@bigpond.com if you would like me to send you some taken mainly by Dirk Klynsmith and John Morris ... both expert photographers.

PS. Please don't throw away your "team tom" caps ... keep them for a couple more years and they will be very valuable!!

THANK YOU ALL for your fabulous support during 2009. I hope everyone inluding all "team tom" supporters will continue to follow my racing in 2010 with even more support in my quest to reach "the top" of open wheel racing. I am sure 2010 will be even more exciting then this year as we move up in the world of National and International Motorsport.

We have some great new ideas also for 2010 but I must take this opportunity especially to also thank my personal sponsors including Battery World (Ryde), Tizzana Vineyards (Ebenezer), TGM Smash Repairs (Hornsby) and Kumho plus all of the series sponsors to many to mention for F3 Australia. Also Richie and Nathan my hard working crew were fantastic all season ... thanks guy's and Mum and Dad also for their continued support.

Also I would like to thank the Formula 3 Committee (especially PR guru Richard Crail and ace photographer Dirk Klynsmith) all of whom spent much time and personal expense keeping F3 alive and well in 2009 culminating in a fabulous conclusion at Sandown Park ... and the 2010 Australian F3 season is now looking very good.

A special mention of thanks also to John and Gavin (and the team) at Team West-Tec in Corby England who after 2 x days testing at Rockingham in October made it possible for me to race at Jerez in Spain at Round 7 of the European F3 Championship in their third Dallara F306 the following weekend ... what a fabulous experience and I learned a lot ... c'mon 2010!

I wish you all a safe Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ... see you in 2010 ... drive don't drink!!

Cheers TOM
For more information head to www.tomtweedie.com

 
     
 
For more information, contact Richard Craill - Tom Tweedie Media & PR Manager - on 0408 813 141 or by replying to this email.

 

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