AP: Dominic Storey Beijing preview

BEIJING THIS WEEKEND FOR YOUNG AUCKLAND DRIVER DOMINIC STOREY

Young New Zealand racing driver Dominic Storey is certainly seeing a lot of the world as he contests this year's Formula BMW Asia Championship series.

Auckland 16-year-old Storey is one of four promising young drivers from the Asia-Pacific region to earn $US50,000 scholarships from BMW to help compete in this year's pan-Asia Formula BMW Asia Championship and this weekend he is in China, competing at the third meeting of the season at the Goldenport circuit near China's capital.

The St Kentigern College sixth former, who excelled in karts before making the switch to single-seater racing cars at the beginning of this year, had a successful debut at the first Formula BMW Asia championship meeting at Sepang at the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix meeting at the beginning of March, and after two meetings at that circuit lies fourth in the 'Rookie Of The Year' standings and sixth overall in the 2006 series.

Formula BMW is the world's leading entry-level class in Formula racing. In 2006 dedicated series are being held in Germany, the UK, Asia and the USA. Up-and-coming drivers as young as 15-years-old are given the opportunity of entering motor racing with the high-tech, standard FB02 race car.

The car has been seen on the grid since 2002 and has set standards particularly on the safety technology front. BMW's 140 bhp K1200 engine is capable of propelling it to 230km/h and the car itself exceeds the FIA safety requirements for its class. BMW Motorsport has also developed the FORS Formula Rescue Race Seat especially for Formula BMW. As well as this all Formula BMW Asia drivers must use the HANS safety system.

-fcc