THE lap record fell and fell again during an action-packed Bathurst Motor Festival held at Mount Panorama on the weekend.
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When the second Formula 3 race yesterday delivered a lap record to Simon Hodge it came only a day after the winner on both the Saturday and Sunday races, Chris Anthony, grabbed the record time.
Hodge set a new mark of 2:02.6701 on the 12th and final lap of the Australian Formula 3 Championship race.
Anthony won the race ahead of Ben Gersekowski and Hodge went through in third to repeat the Saturday finish from the opening race.
The three drivers started to build a small break over the rest of the field after the first few laps, when they were all travelling in the 2:04 region.
On lap five, not even halfway through the race, Gersekowski broke Anthony’s time in a 2:03.6 lap before cutting almost half a second off that the next time around.
He became the first man to break the coveted 2:03 mark when he put in a 2:02.9930.
Hodge continued to lose touch with the two ahead of him over the top of the track but started to improve in the second half of the race as he got more laps under his belt.
He soon lopped a tenth off Gersekowski’s mark before his superb final lap, but couldn’t reel back the distance to the men in front.
Hodge was thrilled to have the record on a track he cherishes.
“I’m over the moon. It’s a track that doesn’t get much bigger than this in Australian motorsport,” he said.
“To come here and not only have the opportunity to drive it but to have a lap record against my name here is a fantastic feeling.
“I’ll be back to try and better it again. I don’t feel that anyone can ever do a perfect lap around here. I believe there’s always more time to be found around this place.”
Hodge couldn’t have everything his own way, though.
With his third place finish in the race he now drops two points behind Gersekowski in the championship.
“That’s the one disappointing thing this weekend. The record’s great, don’t get me wrong, but as a young and developing driver it’s all about the championship for me this year,” he said.
“We’re still up there, though. We’ve got plenty to learn and I believe we’ll continue to build the rest of the year.”
Anthony’s pair of victories makes him the third different round winner for the championship, following Hodge’s win in Adelaide and Gersekowski’s at Sandown.
Anthony, who is now just 15 behind Gersekowski in second, is now in a position to pounce in the championship should either driver ahead make any mistakes.
He was thrilled to take the round win after watching so many do so before him.
“It’s unbelievable. I’ve watched for so many years all the V8 guys standing on the top step,” he said.