AUSF3: Symmons Plains: Series qualifying report

SHOCK RACE 1 POLE FOR RADISICH AS WINSLOW EXTENDS POINTS LEAD WITH SUPERPRIX TOP SPOT

TanderSport driver Mathew Radisich - the young nephew of touring car ace Paul - was a shock pole position winner for race one of the final Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship round this weekend at Symmons Plains.

Championship leader James Winslow then scored pole position for the Country Club Tasmania F3 SuperPrix in a rain-affected session that had just ten minutes of dry running before a massive downpour ended everyone else's pole hopes.

Persistent rain for the hour before qualifying one left the track sodden and drying and times dropped dramatically throughout the 20 minute session that set the grid for race one tomorrow.

Radisich timed his run to the very end of the session and flew to the top of the table after the checkered flag had been flown. It was the first outright pole for a National Class competitor in Formula 3 history as Radisich trumped all of the outright F307 Dallara's.

Winslow was second and scored a bonus point for fastest in class, whilst Leanne Tander and Nathan Caratti were just behind.

Despite the vastly changeable conditions the top three were split by just .06s and the top six by less than half a second.

Dry conditions were the order of the day for Qualifying two - for the Country Club SuperPrix race - and times dropped dramatically before a massive rainstorm hit the track ten minutes into the session.

Fastest at the time, Winslow held onto pole position with Tander second and Astuti Motorsport's Mat Sofi a career best third.

Tim Macrow was the fastest National Class car and qualified fifth overall. Radisich was just behind the outgoing series champion proving his qualifying one pace.

Race one polesitter Mathew Radisich said he was stunned with the results that saw him score his first pole.

"It's amazing, I can't believe it. It was just timed perfectly to suit us and that's the result we got!," he grinned, disbelievingly.

"I knew we would be fast if it rained and I had told the guys that this morning. It's all down to TanderSport because of their wet setup. I'm stunned!"

Winslow - the SuperPrix pole winner - said that the two points he scored today would all come in handy for tomorrow.

"It's only two points, but every one counts and who knows if it will come in handy tomorrow," he said, now leading Leanne Tander 177 - 174 with 42 points on the offer tomorrow.

"Our pace is good and it's obviously nice to be fastest for the SuperPrix tomorrow. So much can happen in these races and there is a long way to go. We timed it perfectly today and the rain came at the right time for us in qualifying two. Tomorrow will be good."

Winslow's Team BRM teammate Nathan Caratti qualified fourth for both races whilst Irish driver Lee Farrell was the next best of the National class lot behind Radisich in qualifying one, and Macrow in Q2.

Desparate to win both races tomorrow to try and snare the F3 ‘race within a race' title at the last minute, car problems hindered Farrell's efforts today with ECU dramas slowing him in the second session after reporting an excellent car earlier on.

South Aussie Jesse Wakeman topped the F3 trophy class today with a continually improving performance that has seen him take almost a full second out of his best time from 2007.

Tomorrow's first race will start at 1045am and last 22 laps, whilst the Country Club Tasmania Formula 3 SuperPrix will begin with pre-race on the grid at 14:05pm and run over 30 laps.

-credit: www.formula3.com.au