The fastest vehicles to ever turn laps of the Wakefield Park circuit, Formula 3 cars, will battle it out for the prestigious City of Goulburn Cup as part of the Shannons Australian Motor Racing Nationals this weekend, 17-18 October.
It will be the first time the thoroughbred racing machines have competed at the Goulburn facility since 2010, and on that occasion, New Zealand driver Ben Crighton set a blistering 54.5 second lap-time, the fastest lap ever recorded around the 2.2km circuit under racing conditions.
This weekend, the F3 cars will take to the track for four thrilling races, with the outright winner of the final race to be presented with the City of Goulburn Cup by Mayor Geoff Kettle.
If that is not enough motivation for the drivers to test the limits of their machinery, the event also marks the final round of the Australian Formula 3 Championship, and with only a handful of points separating New South Wales driver Jon Collins and Victorian Ricky Capo, the title is sure to be decided at Wakefield Park.
Members of the general public will be able to have an up-close look at Formula 3 cars in Belmore Park on Thursday, 15 October; two cars will be on display from around 11:00am until 2:00pm, with drivers also on hand to answer questions and sign autographs.
The Formula 3 Championship will be joined on the Shannons Nationals program by four other popular categories:
Dial Before You Dig Super Six Touring Cars
The Super Sixes – formerly known as Saloon Cars – appeal to those who love their motor-racing to come with a traditional Holden versus Ford flavour. Six-cylinder versions of the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon compete in the series, and the racing is always close and hotly-contested. In recent rounds, the star of the series has been Ben Grice, son of two-time Bathurst 1000 winner Allan, but the consistent Gavin Ross is in the box seat to clinch his second national title.
Formula Ford
Since 1969, Formula Ford has been the breeding ground for future Australian motor racing champions, household names such as Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, Mark Webber, Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander all honing their racing skills in the category. The 2015 series winner will be crowned at Wakefield Park, Canberra driver Cameron Hill holding a commanding points advantage.
Kerrick Sports Sedans
Sports sedans are the most highly-modified full-bodied cars in Australian motor sport. Typically they use a steel tube ”space frame” chassis, covered by body panels which can resemble a family sedan, and are powered by large-capacity V8 or highly-tuned turbocharged motors that endow them with mammoth power-to-weight ratios. Eight-time Sports Sedan Champion Tony Ricciardello will enter the weekend as hot favourite in his Chevrolet V8-powered Alfa Romeo, but can expect stiff competition from Jack Perkins, who will be fresh from competing with the Holden Racing Team in the Bathurst 1000.
Australian Manufacturers Championship
The Australian Manufacturers Championship or AmChamps, incorporating the Australian Production Car Championship, allows a wide-ranging list of vehicles sold in the domestic automotive market to take to the track. Apart from safety modifications and very limited upgrades, the cars are raced as they are bought from the showroom, and in recent years it has been Mitsubishi and BMW that have been the manufacturers of choice. This weekend, the AmChamps will feature a pair of 200km endurance races, testing the strategic decision-making of the teams along with the reliability of the cars.
Tickets for the Shannons Nationals are $15.00 for Saturday, $25.00 for Sunday and $35.00 for a two-day pass, with children under 14 free.