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AP: Dominic Storey Indonesia preview

STOREY KEEN TO BUILD ON BEIJING RESULT IN INDONESIA THIS WEEKEND Young New Zealand racing driver Dominic Storey is keen to build on his breakthrough Formula BMW Asia performance in Beijing last month at the Indonesian round of the 2006 series at ...

STOREY KEEN TO BUILD ON BEIJING RESULT IN INDONESIA THIS WEEKEND

Young New Zealand racing driver Dominic Storey is keen to build on his breakthrough Formula BMW Asia performance in Beijing last month at the Indonesian round of the 2006 series at Sentul this weekend

Auckland 16-year-old Storey set the second fastest time in qualifying then finished second in the first race at Beijing, confirming the potential that won him one of three $US50,000 scholarships to compete in this year's pan-Asia single-seater motor racing series.

Storey currently lies fourth in the Rookie Cup and fifth in the overall points standings, some achievement considering that this time last year he was still racing karts here in New Zealand.

The 3.9km Sentul circuit is one of the jewels in the crown of the Formula BMW Asia circuit and Storey is looking forward to again taking the fight to his older and more experienced counterparts in the series.

"The main thing I want to do, " he said before boarding a plane to Indonesia, "is build and improve on my result in China. Beijing was a level playing field because no-one had been there before and I think you will find the same thing at Sentul.

"I knew before the start of the season that it was going to be hard at Sepang (the Malaysian circuit where the first two Formula BMW Asia meetings were held this year), because some of the drivers in the series have either been racing or testing there for two years. I think at Sentul, the only driver who will know the circuit is my teammate at Eurasia, Zahir Ali, and he has only run there once or twice, so like Goldenport in China, it will be the same for virtually everyone."

Storey certainly showed the form at the most recent round of the Formula BMW Asia Series in Beijing which made him one of New Zealand's top Kart racers, being in the top three in all but one of the practice and qualifying sessions and holding pole position until the dying minutes of the qualifying session when his time was matched then slightly bettered by young Australian driver Sam Abay.

Since then the young Kiwi, who is still at school and doing well in his sixth form year at Auckland's St Kentigern College, has been working hard on his fitness, and he hopes that that will help him gain a further edge in the heat and humidity of the Sentul circuit which is situated just over a hour's drive from Jakarta, Indonesia's capital city.

"Even between the second round of the series at Sepang and the third at Beijing I noticed a big difference," Storey says of his overall level of fitness in general and 'race fitness' in particular.

"BMW offers fitness and nutritional information and assistance as part of its package for the series and I've got to thank them, and especially Roman, the fitness trainer, for the work they have done with me. I've been able to take the programme Roman has worked out for me and work on it at home and it's been a big help."

Going into this weekend's meeting, the fourth of seven, with three races at each, the 2006 Formula BMW Asia series is being led by young Australian driver Sam Abay with 130 points from Storey's fellow Kiwi Earl Bamber (104) and Thai-based British driver James Grunwall third with 90 points.

Another young Australian driver, Daniel Ricciardo, is fourth with 87 points with Storey fifth on 60.

Pre-event testing at Sentul begins today with free practice on Friday, qualifying and the first of three 15 lap races on Saturday and the second and third on Sunday.

-www.blackbullets.com

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