AUSF3: Series newsletter 2009-06-23

"NOW RACE ME IN FORMULA 3" - JOEY FOSTER CHALLENGES FORMULA FORD ELITE

After racing them at the weekend, current Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship leader Joey Foster has challenged the current crop of Australian Formula Ford drivers to come and race him in the nations' fastest category.

The Cornwall driver leads this years' Gold Star points' race and is hoping to continue the trend of former Formula 3 champions progressing to the upper echelons of both domestic and world motorsport.

2003 Australian Formula 3 Champion Michael Caruso joined the ranks of V8 Supercar race winners at the Darwin circuit, whilst Foster is racing in Australia this year with the aim of scoring a drive against the V8 stars in the future.

Foster contested the weekends' round of the Australian Formula Ford Championship with Team BRM in a one-off return to the cars in which he forged his single seat career in the United Kingdom, having won the Formula Ford Festival in 2003 prior to his successful move to Formula 3.

Despite not having driven a Formula Ford racer competitively for some time, Foster was quickly on the pace at the weekend - qualifying less than half a second from pole position.

With more laps Foster believed he could have challenged runaway series leader Nick Percat, a man who scored an F3 podium last season in a one-off drive.

Now having raced against this years' field Foster has thrown the gauntlet down to the youth in Formula Ford to take him on in the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship as the next step in their careers.

"I'd love to take them on in an F3 car for a round or two this year before they do the full championship in 2010," Foster challenged.

"Given I hadn't raced a Formula Ford for so long and didn't know the track It wasn't a bad weekend - now I'd like them to come and have a run against me on my turf to see what they are capable of!

"Formula Ford is a great category and was a big part of the development of my career, but there is also no doubt in my mind that Formula 3 is the next step if a driver wants to go to Europe and race, or wants to go to V8 Supercars." Foster said.

"Australia has the ideal championship sitting there ready for the likes of a Nick Percat, a Mitch Evans or my teammate Richie Stanaway to go and race in and learn how to drive with wings and slicks. I'm having a good fight this year with some good drivers and it's very competitive - but it would be awesome to see some of these drivers in the championship.

"Having raced in both categories in Australia this year people would be surprised at how affordable Australian Formula 3 is relative to both Formula Ford, and especially compared to racing in Europe. That's why I'm here this year."

Foster, 26, watched Caruso score his maiden V8 Supercar win at the weekend and said it gave him further motivation and belief that he was on the right pathway to a V8 career.

"Now I have seen someone like Michael Caruso go on to win a race in V8 Supercars first hand is further proof of how worthwhile racing in Formula 3 really is. The fact you can do it very cost effectively here is a plus.

"If any of the drivers wants to go and race professionally in Europe, America or in V8s, they should be in Australian F3 after racing Formula Ford. That's why I'm here." Foster said.

Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Michael Caruso raced in the Australian Formula 3 Championship in 2002 and 2003, winning the title in his second year. His F3 career netted eight wins, four pole positions and nineteen career podium finishes, all driving a Dallara F301.

Caruso holds the current F3 race lap record at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria, the scene of this weekends fourth round of the 2009 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship.

Australia's fastest have not visited the rural circuit since 2004, though it is regularly used as a testing location for Victorian teams like Scud Racing (Tim Macrow), TanderSport (Ben Crighton) and Astuti Motorsport (Mat Sofi).

Practice begins this Friday, June 26th.

-credit: ausf3