AUSF3: Adelaide: Series Thursday qualifying notes

EPIC F3 QUALIFYING FIGHT ON THE STREETS OF ADELAIDE

JOEY FOSTER and Tim Macrow have waged a stunning war for the race one pole position as action in the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship got underway at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide today.

In something akin to a western-style gunfight, the pair left their charge for pole to after the session itself had finished to decide the grid for Saturday's opening 12-lap race that kicks off the new Gold Star year, in front of a Thursday crowd of over 40,000.

After trading best sector times and shading Foster all session, Macrow pumped out a 1m18.6450s lap after the flag had fallen on the session - only for Foster to usurp him just seconds later.

Foster's 1m18.3832s lap was the fastest ever around the Clipsal 500 circuit and promptly gave him his first F3ADC pole position, and a $200 bonus thanks to Pole award sponsor Yorkshire Investments.

"That was everything I was hoping for, but Tim didn't make it easy," Foster said.

"That lap was right on the limit to the extent that I was basically brushing the walls! We were pleased to be fastest in practice as it gives you an indication of where you are in the field, but we didn't know how it would react on new tyres.

"I knew that we would have to pull something special and that was fantastic. I'm really pleased. This place is fantastic, it's an amazing feeling to let the car move and drift around here."

Tim Macrow said he was pleased with the result given the lack of time to prepare for this weekends' race - he was only confirmed in the #25 Scud Racing car this Monday.

"We're still getting the car better," he said. "It was a good session overall. I didn't have any lap timing on my dashboard so it was hard to tell what I was doing but the car went pretty well.

"The team is working really well together and we'll make some changes to the car for tomorrow and go quicker.

"I'm stoked to be here, this track is amazing!"

Mathew Sofi took his new AmPro Tools sponsored Dallara to third place, one ahead of Team BRM / HT Leads driver Mathew Radisich.

Chris Gilmour set the National Class pace and was also particularly close to the outright cars, logging a personal and class-best 1m19.9411s lap to finish three-tenths up on F3 rookie Tom Tweedie.

"The car is awesome, I'm really relaxed and it all seems to be going very well," Gilmour said. "Hopefully I can tack onto the back of the '07s in the races. I know I can get them off the line so then I'll be on it as hard as I can!"

Tweedie was second in class, just half a second behind Gilmour. Local driver Jesse Wakeman had a horrible day, electrical problems curtailing his practice session after just one lap whilst a Gearbox drama slowed his qualifying charge.

Earlier in practice Foster and Macrow again set the pace, though one potential championship contender found the early Clipsal going not to his liking.

TanderSport driver Ben Crighton, from New Zealand, gained the unfortunate record of being the first driver to make contact with the unforgiving Clipsal 500 walls, taking a front-right corner off his Dallara F307 at turn 11, in practice one.

"I was just a matter of too hot on cold tyres and cold brakes," Crighton said. "There wasn't much in it, and it wasn't a hard hit but it was enough to take a corner off and do some damage. It's a shame because all I really wanted was laps and experience. The goal for the rest of the weekend is laps. It's very disappointing."

Tomorrow is a quiet day for the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship, action getting underway early at 08.30am for qualifying two - to set the grid for race two on Sunday.

-credit: formula3.com.au