FERRARI JUNIOR FOR TRS TOYOTA RACING RAFFAELE Marciello and Melvin Moh are the first two internationals confirmed for summer’s Toyota Racing Series. With five rounds to be held over five weekends in January and February, the series again hopes to attract a fleet of young internationals to New Zealand in the European off-season. Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy, who finished first and second last year, are expected to lead the local charge. One of five youngsters in the Ferrari Driver Academy, Marciello finished third in the 2011 Italian Formula 3 Championship after running Formula Abarth in 2010. The 16-year-old Italian will drive with M2 Competition. After several seasons in Formula BMW Asia, Moh switched to sportscars in 2010 and the Super Taikyu Endurance series in Japan. The Malaysian will race with ETEC Motorsport alongside Kiwi Jono Lester.
“I’m very pleased to be competing in the Toyota Racing Series and to return to New Zealand,” Moh, 23, said. “It’s hard to say where I think I’ll stack up in the grid, but I’m there to win, like every other driver, and to achieve a top 3 finish in
the championship would be a success for me.” The TRS pre-season test will be held at Manfield on December 12-13, with the season kicking off Teretonga Park a month later.
F3 TO HOLD OPEN DAY FORMULA 3 THE Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship will give prospective competitors a chance to try before they buy. Mallala will host the Kumho Tyres Experience Formula 3 Day on December 19, with drivers able to sample the category. Kumho will provide additional rubber for the
day, with up to 25 laps on offer for drivers for $1500 (plus GST), with $500 of which to be returned at the completion of a trouble-free run. Teams including Team BRM and R-Tek Motorsport will run cars on the day. A similar day in late 2009 gave 2011 National Class rivals Steel Guiliana, Ben Gersekowski and Josh Burdon their first taste of F3. “Getting that first opportunity to test a Formula 3 car was key to us deciding to race
in the category,” Burdon said. “The opportunity gave me the confidence that I could do the job in Formula 3, and that it was the right choice for my career. It’s been fantastic to be part of the championship and we are now in the process of putting together a full championship campaign next year to try and win the Gold Star.” Interested parties should email richard. craill@formula3.com.au.
BORLAND’S YOUNG TALENT TIME FORMULA FORD SPECTRUM Racing Cars hosted 10 young drivers at its maiden Island Formula development camp last week. After a workshop on off-track matters with Chris Jewell from Velocity Management Group, including insights from 2010 Formula Ford Champion Chaz Mostert and Shae Davies, drivers headed to Phillip Island for a day of running in Spectrum’s Formula Fords. 16
All drivers spent time on track in Spectrums prepared by the factory Borland squad and Synergy Motorsport. The 10 drivers were Daniel Plummer, Declan O’Brien, Jacob Parsons, Joey Mawson, Jordan Deckert, Mark Gibson, Matt Campbell, Nick Ellen, Renee Gracie and Rob Gibson. “Island Formula was by far and away the best experience I have had now in a Formula Ford,” Mawson, fresh from finishing second in the Junior Max Class at karting’s Rotax World
Finals, said. “Phillip Island is just an awesome circuit too, it was really challenging in the rain but once the track dried out at the end of the day I got into a good rhythm and had a lot of fun. “The workshop was very valuable as well because while driving is one thing, learning things like sponsorship, public relations, understanding data and the mental side of racing is extremely important if I want to reach my career goal of Formula 1.” motorsport news
NEWS
Dirk Klynsmith
CARRERA MINDED CARRERA CUP CARRERA Cup looks to be Nick Foster’s next challenge, with the 2011 Australian Formula Ford front-runner reiterating his desire to step up to the all-Porsche category after debuting in the guest car at the Sydney 500. While the move is not a certainty as yet, a solid weekend of sixth, fifth, and fourth, in the three races held on the streets of Sydney Olympic Park, his first in a tin-top, has left the youngster, pictured, confident that he can make the progression. “We’re one step closer with a pretty good weekend here to something,” said Foster, “but there’s still plenty of other options
everywhere else, so we’ll wait and see.” While 2011 AFFC team-mate Cameron Waters has dabbled in V8 Supercars, most prominently in the Shannons-Mars Racing Kelly Commodore at the Bathurst 1000, Foster is content to make a more gradual progression, and sees Carrera Cup as the place to do it. “I don’t particularly want to head in the path of Development Series,” said the 19-year-old. “I don’t particularly think I’m ready for V8s yet. A lot of young guys jump in there and roll around, some guys go quite well and some guys don’t. I think this is probably more suited to me, and it’s a lot more affordable.”
As for which team he might drive for, Foster has expressed a preference to stay with Sonic Motorsport, his Formula Ford team, but is open to other options. “They’re a good organisation and I get a lot of support from Michael and Maria [Ritter, team owners], so I wouldn’t want like to leave from there, but there are opportunities everywhere else. This category’s such a tight category everywhere, it doesn’t particularly matter where you end up,” he said. Sonic Motorsport ran Foster’s car in Sydney on the weekend, and has hinted at the possibility of a return to the category, which it won with David Reynolds in 2007. – DANIEL HERRERO
TWEEDIE THINKING GERMAN CARRERA CUP TOM Tweedie is weighing up a switch to Carrera Cup in 2012. The Sydneysider stepped into the Fujitsu Series this year after finishing third in the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship. Running a BF Falcon for MW Motorsport, Tweedie finished 15th in the standings after a qualifying crash ended his weekend at Homebush’s season finale. He is looking at continuing in the series for a second full season, but is also exploring options in the one-make Porsche www.mnews.com.au com.au
series. “At the moment, both are a possibility. It’s pretty exciting because they’re both good categories,” Tweedie told eNews. “Both have got their pros and their cons. With the Fujitsu Series, we’re looking at it in the perspective that unless I’m in a Main Series-aligned car, we’re not going to bother wasting our time. If you look at guys like Chaz Mostert and stuff, it seems to be the only way to get to the front. “If you’re not in one of those top cars you’re going to be around mid-pack, getting a lot of damage and not getting results. We’ve got a couple of good offers
on the table for the Fujitsu Series but it all really comes down to budget really, and whether it’s the best way to go. “The other alternative is Carrera Cup. You’re not in a V8 Supercar, which doesn’t necessarily help, but all of the cars are even, so it might be a good way to get your name back up to the top again. It’s been a pretty testing year for me to be running around 10th, driving just as hard as I was every other year when I was winning races. “We’ve got a good deal on the table for Carrera Cup, so we’ve just got to nut out what’s going to be best for me.” – MITCHELL ADAM 17