MOTORSPORT enthusiasts have yet another reason to see some circuit racing this weekend: The Philippine leg of the Asian Formula 3 (AF3) Series, which flags off tomorrow at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) in Rosario, Batangas.

The Castrol Philippine Asian Formula 3 Grand Prix will feature Rounds Five to Eight of the AF3 2007 to 2008 season, which happens on January 12 and 13.

“What makes this AF3 season different from the previous ones is that every team has a lineup of skilled drivers who will be driving really fast cars on more challenging circuits,” said Mark Goddard, Team Goddard principal and AF3 managing director, during a press conference held on Wednesday at the Atrium Hotel in Pasay City.

Contenders (Standing, from left) Fredrick Vervish of Belgium, Rafael Zuzuki of Brazil, Niall Quinn of Ireland and AF3 managing director Mark Goddard join (seated) the UK’s Matt Howsen, John O’Hara, Malcom Smith and AF3 director Edgen Dy-Liacco during the press briefing of the Castrol Philippine Asian Formula 3 Grand Prix held at a hotel in Pasay City on Wednesday. --NonieReyes

The drivers will race in Formula 3 cars that are powered by TOM’s 240-bhp 2.0L engines mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox and run on Dunlop excellent-grip slick tires. The cars use Dallara carbon-fiber chassis. “The cars will all have the same engine, configuration, platform, tires and other specifications, so what we really have here is a race of driver skill and teamwork,” said Matt Howson of the United Kingdom, who will be driving for PTRS Racing—one of five organizations competing for team points this weekend. The others are Speedtech Asia, Team Goddard, Aran Racing and Champ Motorsport. 

Completing the drivers’ entry list are Belgian Frederic Vervisch, Brazilian Rafael Suzuki, American David Julien and Briton Don Tacos of Team Goddard; Bahraini Hamad al-Fardan of GFH-Speedtech Asia; Mexican Arturo Gonzales, as well as Irishmen John O’Hara and Niall Quin of Aran Racing; and China’s Wei-Liang Chen and Hong Kong’s Paul Ip of PTRS.

The competitors described the BRC as a completely different and challenging racetrack, which means that spectators will find it worthwhile watching them race around it.  Official practice and qualifying is scheduled for today. Rounds Five and Six will be held tomorrow while the opening ceremony will precede Rounds Seven and Eight on Sunday. “There will be a post-race party and a bikini open contest after the final race event,” Goddard added.          

“This time we have this some kind of gap. We have no Filipino racers this season, unlike before when we had the likes of Tyson Sy, Dado Peńa, Michelle Bumgarner and Gaby de la Merced,” said Goddard.

Only two out of the eight drivers this season are Asian, namely, Wei-Lang and Al Fardan. Suzuki, though of Japanese descent, is a Brazilian national.

“We are still trying to contact Tyson Sy to ask if he could race in the Castrol AF3 Grand Prix,” said organizer Edgen Dy-Liacco. Sy has not confirmed his participation as of this writing.

Formula 3 is a steppingstone for drivers, teams and technical crews to Formula One. In the ladder of the world’s most expensive sport, Formula 3 is preceded by karting and junior formula such as Formula BMW and Formula Renault. After graduating from junior formula to Formula 3, it takes a matter of winning challenges and gaining experience before an aspiring driver graduates to Formula One. The overall champion of this series will be given a Formula One test with the Force India F1 team.

AF3 is one of the most cost-effective International Formula Series in the world. The AF3 2007-2008 Series started in November 2007 and will run through April this year. Rounds 1 and 2 were held on November 24 and 25, 2007, at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia. Rounds 3 and 4 ran on December 15 to 16, 2007, at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China.

The remainder of the series’s calendar will see Rounds 9 to 12 run on February 15 to 16 again at BRC, Rounds 13 to15 will return to the Zhuhai Circuit on March 15 and 16 before winding up in Sepang for Rounds 16 to18 on April 12 and 13.

After four rounds, Team Goddard is on top of the team standings. Leading the drivers’ points, meanwhile, is Vervisch with 75 points, followed by Al Fardan with 63 points; Suzuki with 47 points; Howson with 45 points; Gonzales with 34 points; and Julien with 24 points.

The Castrol Philippine AF3 Grand Prix is sponsored by Castrol Philippines, Pagcor, Lima City Hotel, Stoplight TV and Aeroeye Asia. The races and its highlights will be aired by Stoplight TV on Studio 23.

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AF3 Philippine Grand Prix at BRC this weekend

MOTORSPORT enthusiasts have yet another reason to see some circuit racing this weekend: The Philippine leg of the Asian Formula 3 (AF3) Series, which flags off tomorrow at the Batangas Racing Circuit (BRC) in Rosario, Batangas.