Full Throttle

A1GP Sepang Qualifying Results:

A1GP Team Switzerland’s Neel Jani put in a sensational performance during qualifying for the A1GP Sepang, Malaysia to take pole position for Sunday’s Sprint and Feature race. The Swiss star will start the Sprint race from P1 for the third consecutive season at Sepang and he will lead the drivers off the grid for A1GP’s 50th ever race Sunday afternoon.

Neel Jani continued his magnificent form around the Sepang circuit, setting the quickest lap during the first qualifying segment and going on to better it in the second to snatch pole position for the Sprint race from A1 Team France, demoting Loic Duval to second on the grid.

Great Britain’s Oliver Jarvis and German rookie Michael Ammerm

… Auto racing with teams that normally play with funky looking round objects constructed of 32 pentagon shaped black & white panels?

You could get yet another successful open wheel racing series.

Or you could get the equivalent of a LA Galaxy/Davis Beckham crash and burn. (Can you spell medial collateral ligament?)

The reality is you get the SuperLeague Formula (SF) open wheel racing series, in effect a marriage between what Pel

There is an interesting battle soon the be waged on the Asian Continent over who will reign supreme in promoting motor racing.

Bernie Ecclestone has thrown down the gauntlet by signing Singapore as a venue for the 2008 F1 season. With China, Malaysia and Indonesia having been on the schedule (and dreams of India), the addition of Singapore firmly demonstrates the importance F1 power brokers view East and South-East Asia.

(What of Europe? Ask CCWS co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven, he seems bent on EU expansion to fill the void many feel F1 is leaving behind)

In a practical sense no one can compete with F1, the battle lines are being drawn a bit further down the food chain.

The FIA (read Bernie Ecclestone and & Mad Max Mosley) announced the formulation of the Speedcar Series for the Asian marketplace in 2008. While NASCAR’s Brian France was still dreaming of Asia the new Tin Top Series has pulled the rug out from under his marketing scheme for Asian expansion.

The FIA’s Most Excellent Asian Adventure has been expanded once again.

The European GP2 Series is acknowledged by many as the finest and most competitive open wheel series in the world. It has produced most of the past and current F1 stars as well as some that have moved into the sports car arena.

The GP2 Series has announced the launch of the GP2 Asia Series, which will see the championship expand beyond its European foundation into a global series.

As planned, GP2 Asia will contest it’s championship over a season stretching from January through April starting in 2008. Surprisingly (not) events will be coupled with the Speedcar Series to form a race weekend known as Grand Racing.

For a longer explanation of the new series you can read the entire press release containing “Bernie quotes” at my other, and mostly unvisited home Asian Motor Sports.

For my purposes here I’ll speak to Bernie’s very large marketing footprint leaving it’s mark on Asia and more specifically the already in place toes that may get squashed by a size XXXX boot.

A1GP, while billed as the “World Cup of Motorsport,” and holding events on 4 of the globes 7 continents Asia is an important part of their schedule with events in Australian, China, Malaysia and Indonisia.

Having just completed it’s second season it has had, as expected for a new series, it’s growing pains that include concerns over its ongoing financial viability ( a reported 212 million loss for the initial season) and the resignation of its founder and Chairman Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum.

A1GP has also had problems competing with the far more prestigious European GP2 series for young driver talent. That will only become a bigger threat with a GP2 EU derivative in it own backyard and also butting heads to a certain extent over a similar calender from January to late spring.

AND THEN there is Asian Formula Three. They have had similar difficulties attracting a full field of teams and drivers.

AF3’s most recent 2006 season crowned James Winslow as series champion but as the year ended in November it was announced AF3 Corporation decided to delay the start of the 2007 season until November 2007, with an eye on luring various European drivers who would otherwise choose to sit out the winter season.

Someone once said, “I love it when a plan comes together,” however, AF3 Corporation isn’t and never was part of the A-Team and their CEO never has been named Hannibal.

At the time the change made sense, it shifted the schedule to the coolest (temperature-wise) part of the Asian calender year and gave a greater chance to snap up higher profile drivers out of Europe.

Now, with Bernie’s Boys moving into the area, not so much.

Out of the two Asia-centric series’ I give A1GP the better chance at competing with Bernie, but only slightly, Asian F3 due to a much smaller financial base may be on the shakiest ground even if that ground is in its own backyard.

The real battle will begin just after the first of the year when all three series’ will butt scheduling heads.

I don’t think you’ll find many believers that Bernie doesn’t have the hardest head of the bunch.

With the 2006 season having just finished and James Winslow crowned champion, there will now be a twelve month wait until next year’s Asian Formula Three Championship following confirmation that it will become a ‘winter series’.

In a bid to make the most of the optimum weather conditions, the AF3 Corporation have decided to delay the start of the 2007 season until November, with an eye on luring various European drivers who would otherwise choose to sit out the winter season.

Nonetheless, in the meantime the corporation has also announced an AF3 Pacific Series to run from January to July, taking in four venues and eleven races.

In a confirmation of an earlier Full Throttle exclusive included in these four rounds is the Australian Grand Prix support race where the series will join forces with the Australian Formula Three Championship in Melbourne.

Furthermore, the series, which will reward the winner with a guaranteed Macau Grand Prix entry and full backing for the Asian F3 Series, will once again compete alongside their counterparts at Oran Park in Sydney.

Three races at Zhuhai in January and another three races at the Chinese circuit in July will begin and end the championship, launched so as to retain interest in the series in its transitional stage.

“We are excited at the prospect of joining the Australian Championship events in Melbourne and Sydney and we hope it marks the beginning of a long term association. We are grateful to Formula 3 Australia for their invitation to join them for these two events and we look forward to some really competitive racing”.

“We believe Asian Formula Three now offers a cost effective career path for drivers of all Nationalities and the fact that the AF3 Pacific Champion will drive in the Macau GP supports this belief. Add in the soon to be announced testing opportunities in Japan and the fact that four AF3 graduates have already taken part in A1GP events and it really demonstrates how drivers can further their careers through AF3.”

Asian Formula Three Pacific Series 2007 calendar :

January 20-21 Zhuhai
March 15-18 Albert Park (Australian Grand Prix support race)*
April 21-22 Oran Park*
July 7-8 Zhuhai

* Joining up with the Australian Formula Three Championship

AF3, Formula Three, Asian Formula Three, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle

I’ve been sadly deficient in my coverage of the Asian Formula Three Series both here and the other place. After the cancellation of the Indonesian rounds last month due to “unforeseen commercial reasons” (whatever that means) the Series returns this week to Sentul Indonesia for 6 rounds of action.

Never one to shy away from highlighting the distaff side of racing or posting a few cheesecake images this weeks AF3 events offers the best of both worlds. The best lady drivers of Philippine racing, Michele Bumgarner (upper left) and Gaby dela Merced (below left), renew their rivalry in AF3’s Promotions Class.

Michele, at age 23, has amassed an impressive resume that includes both Philippine National and Asian karting success. She captured the Asian Intercontinental Junior Karting Championship in 2003 and the Open Class in 2004, in addition to being a multiple winner of the National title at her home track in Carmona Philippines. (10 miles from my homestead if anyone cares) Michele and brother Mark also competed in the Italian Margutti Cup with their Open Class karts this past April.

This year, thanks to AF3 Team Goddard, she stepped up to the AF3 Series and became the first female driver to post a win in the series when she won the Promotions Class in her Series debut at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) Philippines last May.

The biggest Bumgarner story is she’s headed to North America in 2007. She will be driving for the newly formed Mandeville-Deas Team in the Formula Atlantic series.

Gaby dela Merced is the older of the two racing divas and has competed in the Philippines since the early eighties. First in the local Slalom Championship where she won the Ladies Championship in 2001 with 3rd overall placing in both the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Also in ‘03 dela Merced finished 3^rd overall in the Philippine BRC Production Touring Car Championship and 2^nd overall in the Philippine Petron GP Touring Car Series Production Class. 2004 saw her finish 3^rd overall in the Philippine Formula Toyota Championship and was named as a Formula BMW Asia Scholarship Driver.

As intimated earlier, Bumgarner and dela Merced renew a rivalry that started with Michele’s first win and continued at Zhuhai in July when they had a little “get together” at the start. Bumgarner currently leads dela Merced by 5 points in the Philippine Natonal Drivers Championship.

This week at Sentul presents a unique challenge to all the drivers. With the previous event moved to this week they will contest 6 rounds vice the normal 3 over the course of five days.

Tuesday’s scheduled first practice went off without a hitch with Filipino Dado Pena setting the fastest time three tenths quicker than three drivers. Amazingly James Winslow, Henri Karjalainen and Ali Jackson all set the identical practice times.

Gaby dela Merced threw down the gauntlet to her rival setting fast time in the Promotions Class by besting Bumgarner by 7 tenths of a second. Bumgarner had the third quickest time with Satrio Hermanto sandwiched (hold the snarky comments, they’re reserved for me) between the two racing divas.

Wednesday will see the second day of practice prior to qualifying and the first two races on Thursday afternoon.

Yea! You go Girls!

Rodolfo Avila, who finished fifth in the 2005 Asian Formula Three Series, will race for Performance Racing Europe in the National Class of the British F3 Championship.

“This development in my career is indeed a golden opportunity for me. I’m very happy to have been given the chance to compete in one of the most competitive and prestigious European motorsport championships. I am anxious to start the season as I know I am going to learn further aspects in becoming a more complete driver both on and off track”, commented a delighted Avila.

At only 18 years of age, Rodolfo Avila knows what he wants and the 2003 Asian Formula Renault Champion is looking to achieve a good result in his European debut. “I have yet to hear about the rest of the competition but I aim to be among the top of my classification. Perhaps the toughest hurdle would be to deal with my unfamiliarity with the different British circuits but I am pinning my hopes on my team and their professionalism. I expect to closely work together as their support will be quite important in this particular step in my career.”

The talented Macau driver is going to drive a Dallara F304-M

As always, the trip to Macau will provide the highlight of many a Formula Three season, even if, for the 52nd running of the FIA Intercontinental Cup will not feature either the British or Euroseries champions.

Instead, the street classic gets the World Series by Renault champion, plus a smattering of leading runners from the UK, to complement the more heavily-represented Japanese and Euro series - plus the usual Macanese also-rans back for another crack at their home event.

With Alvaro Parente already committed to the A1 Grand Prix series in Malaysia, McLaren’s decision to advise Euroseries champion Lewis Hamilton not to travel to the Far East robbed the Macau showpiece of its two pre-race favourites but, conversely, may have provided the most open event for some years.

The only current F3 champion on show will be All-Japan title-winner Joao Paulo de Oliveira, running with the works TOM’s team alongside Kazuki Nakajima, son of former F1 midfielder Satoru, back for his second appearance at the event. Britain is best represented by its series runner-up - the American Charlie Kimball - while the Euroseries can boast its two leading rookies - Sebastien Vettel and Guillaume Moreau - in the absence of either of the ASM drivers that dominated the championship.

With two seats to fill, ASM opted for Loic Duval to partner rising star Vettel, while the Euroseries can also boast a 2005 racewinner in the form of Lucas di Grassi. Franck Perera, polewinner a year ago in Bahrain, returns with Prema, while veteran Fabio Carbone, Euro-domiciled Japanese Kohei Hirate and rookie Filip Salaquarda complete the series’ runners. Past form bodes well for the list, however, as, a year ago, di Grassi, Carbone and Perera finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.

American Kimball is joined by Carlin team-mate Christian Bakkerud, Fortec-turned-Manor Motorsport driver Mike Conway, the out-going FRenault champion having landed a plum ride with the Euroseries team and its Mercedes engines, Dan Clarke - now with Euroseries team Prema rather than the Double R set-up that ran him throughout 2005 - the Briton’s erstwhile team-mate Bruno Senna, Steven Kane and Stephen Jelley, while Danny Watts, who has run in both Europe and the UK this year, adds vital Macau experience to the group.

Aussie Karl Reindler made sporadic appearances in the UK this season, and heads to Macau with the experienced Alan Docking Racing squad, where he will be up against no fewer than six leading runners from the Japanese series - including Naoki Yokomizo, Paolo Montin, Daisuke Ikeda and Taku Bamba - as well as local favourites. Lei Kit Meng, Lou Meng Cheong, Jo Merszei and Michael Ho. Macau, however, also has a more potent threat in the form of Rodolfo Avila, who has run well in the Asian F3 series this year and could be a surprise package on home soil.

Perhaps the biggest name to grace the race this year, however, is World Series champion Robert Kubica, who has secured himself Parente’s seat at Carlin Motorsport for a second stab at the event which yielded only runners-up honours in 2004. Kubica heads to Macau ahead of his F1 test with Renault and on the crest of a wave after clinching the inaugural World Series crown before the final round, and will be hard to beat once he gets his eye in.

Last year, the Euroseries recorded a one-two with Frenchman Alex Pr

John O

The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) on Tuesday pledged to support 18-year-old Filipino formula car driver Tyson Sy, currently campaigning in the Asian Formula Three Series (AF3), as he bids to make it to the Formula One circuit. Sy has a good opportunity to take the AF3 crown due to Series points leader Ananda Mikola’s commitment to the Indonesian A1 Grand Prix Team and a conflicting race date for that series.

“Tyson deserves all the support he can get,” said Manuel V. Pangilinan, board chair of PLDT Global, First Pacific Corp. and MyDSL. “We at PLDT would like to help send the first Filipino to Formula One in the near future and we hope that it will be him. The only way he can do that is if he has all the necessary resources.”

Sy is also set to compete in the Asian Formula Renault Challenge of the 52nd Macau Grand Prix 2 weeks after the AF3 season-ender in early November. A second Filipino driver, Dado Pena, is scheduled for the same event.

Pangilinan said that in supporting the teenager, PLDT was responding to President Arroyo

John O