FPAUDI: Snetterton: Round three preview

Formula Palmer Audi heads for Snetterton
Bacheta leads Wilson into triple-header

The third meeting of the 2007 Visma Formula Palmer Audi Championship takes place at Snetterton this weekend with Rounds 6, 7 and 8 of the 20-race season set to shake up the championship table once again.

Last time out at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago, Tim Bridgman took his first FPA win in Round 3, but was beaten into second in Round 4 by Stefan Wilson, who took his maiden car-racing victory in only his fourth race weekend. Luciano Bacheta maintained his 100% podium record with a second and a third in the two races, and then became the first driver to win twice in 2007, taking Round 5 in fine style. The results leave Bacheta 18 points clear of Wilson, with Bridgman 11 further back in third, but with another 72 points on the table this weekend, the leading trio know they will have to stay at the top of their game to evade the chasing pack.

"It's really close this year, and it will be at Snetterton," said a confident Bacheta, who won the first single-seater race of his budding career at the Norfolk circuit last November in the FPA Autumn Trophy. "It's great fun though, and I'm really looking forward to the three races," added the 17-year-old, who said that the Brands Hatch races were 'the toughest of my career'.

Wilson also made his single-seater debut at Snetterton last year, and returns to East Anglia with the confidence of adding another victory to his stunning success at Brands Hatch. "It's given me much more confidence, as I know I can fight and beat the guys around me," said the Yorkshireman. "I think I can go to Snetterton and prove that my win at Brands wasn't a fluke. Last year Snetterton was my first meeting, so it was an incredibly steep learning curve, so coming back this year I can get straight on the pace from the start."

Bridgman, meanwhile, is targeting nothing less than three victories on Sunday, as the 21-year-old former Formula BMW UK champion sets about closing the 29-point deficit between himself and fellow Essex driver Bacheta. "Snetterton has always been a good track for me, so this weekend should be a great chance to assert myself over the rest of the field," said Tim. "Wilson and Bacheta obviously have previous experience from the Autumn Trophy last year, so they should be strong, but there's going to be a fair few others in the mix for the podium places as well."

Jack Clarke and Jolyon Palmer both impressed at Brands Hatch, the latter scoring his first FPA podium finish in Round 4 with a jaw-dropping move on Bridgman down Pilgrim's Drop. Both could well be in contention for their first victories over Sunday's trio of races. Jason Moore and Richard Kent could also figure, the karting duo providing some of the hardest racing of the Brands Hatch weekend. Alex Brundle will set out to overcome a difficult start to the season at his home circuit, while Russian youngster Ivan Lukasevich, who turned 16 on Wednesday, will make his FPA debut.

-credit: fpa