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MOTOR SPORT
TWO months ago Australian Formula 3 category director Ian Richards was a disappointed man when he heard about an outright lap record being clocked at Mount Panorama, but when a new mark was set at the Bathurst Motor Festival on Sunday he was delighted.
As the 2014 racing calendar began it was a Formula 3 car that held the official Mount Panorama lap record, Chris Gilmore’s two minutes, 4.6187 seconds effort still standing as the benchmark after his flying lap on April 8, 2012.
However, at February’s Bathurst 12 Hour event the McLaren of New Zealand’s Shane van Gisbergen lowered the mark to 2:03.8506.
So when Richards arrived for this year’s three-day Bathurst Motor Festival he wanted to see a Formula 3 car regain its place in the Bathurst history books.
That they did as Chris Anthony recorded a 2:03.8245 on Saturday in his Dallara F307. Less than 24 hours later Simon Hodge trimmed more time off that with a 2:02.6701 in a Mygale M11.
“We had the record, but in February, Shane, he nicked it off us. It is a bit of a motor sport pride thing, it was ours and we wanted it back,” Richards said.
“The conditions on Sunday morning were just ideal, there were coolish temperatures. The top three in that race were going at it and quite often when the racing is so competitive the times aren’t as quick, so it was great to see a record.
“We are the only true international category in Australia. We are the premier open wheeler category, so it is fitting that we have the lap record at an iconic track like Bathurst.
“It was perfect weather, we had a talented group of young drivers competing, the upgraded Kumho tyre certainly helped and the new surface.
“While the record is certainly good for F3, it is good for the weekend as well.”
In the lead up to the event it had been predicted a new track record would be posted, Mark Rundle who manages the Team BRM cars of Hodge and Anthony even tipping a 2:02 lap.
Still, Richards said it was incredible to think that Hodge averaged 182 kilometres per hour over 6.213 kilometres.
He did so on what was his 33rd and final lap of the Mount as part of the three-day festival.
“If you go up to the top of the Mount and look down to put it in perspective, that these guys are doing a lap in just over two minutes is unbelievable,” he said.
“Our standing start lap time is quicker than the V8s record. If an F3 car was sitting still on the grid and a V8 car went past at full noise and then the F3 car set off after it, by the time they came around again the F3 car would be level, or even in front.”
Hodge, who is in his first year in Formula 3, was also surprised at just how fast he covered the Mount Panorama circuit. However, that did not stop him from predicting his mark could be bettered.
“I honestly didn’t expect it!,” he said.
“Our pace was building throughout the race and I was trying to chase the guys down in front, but then I dropped off a little bit from their tails and that gave me the clean air I needed to press as hard as I could.
“I couldn’t select gear properly in some parts of the track, so there is definitely more time to be found.
“There is no such thing as a perfect lap around here, but this one felt pretty awesome.”