He was a non-starter in round two of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship after a serious bout of pneumonia, but with the worst of it behind him he will make his return to the track at the Bathurst Motor Festival this weekend. 

The 22-year-old will be reunited with his Harvest Motorsport team and the Mygale M11 that he used to score fifth in the season opener at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide – and he can’t wait. 

“I’m feeling a little better and will be good for Bathurst this weekend,” Maree said. 

“Clipsal really took it out of me and I could have gone to Sandown but it would have put my health back further, so we had to make the call to miss the round. I had a break to get over it as much as I could so I can come back this weekend.”

Maree qualified eighth at Bathurst last year before racing to the same position in race one and a strong sixth in race two. 

The results also gave him an early advantage in the national class points battle – one he would ultimately come out on top of – and he says he can be competitive against the battling Simon Hodge and Ben Gersekowski when he gets back on track this weekend. 

“We got a lot figured out in the car at Clipsal and should be good to go,” he said. 

“We had a few little issues there but they have been sorted and the track should suit. It’s my favourite track, by far, and I’ve been to a few. There’s just nothing like it.

“Ben and Simon’s battle at Sandown was great; I was watching it unfold online and I’m looking forward to getting back amongst it again.” 

While Gersekowski raced a Formula 3 car at the circuit last year and Hodge has raced Formula Ford there, aside from Maree a majority of the field has never raced at Mount Panorama at all. 

Chelsea Angelo is one such example with the 17-year-old having never even been to Bathurst prior to this weekend. 

“You could say it is a little daunting, but actually I’m just very excited,” Angelo said. 

“I have been practicing and preparing for it a lot. I have spent a lot of time on iRacing [online simulation game] practicing, and also training, getting stronger both physically and mentally. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them I have never been there.

“It’s a very big deal for me because I have been looking forward to going there since I was a little kid. It’s a dream coming true.”

Angelo and class rival Garnet Patterson battled closely at Sandown for the victory in the signs of an evolving battle between the two for the class title this year. 

The third round of the 2014 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship gets underway on Good Friday – with practice and qualifying – prior to one race each on Saturday and Sunday.