MAWER WINS ACTION-PACKED FIRST RACE – NEW LAP RECORD TO CARUSO
Habul taken to hospital after big shunt
Oran Park, 13 July, 2003

Race One at 11.35am took place in warm, sunny conditions at Oran Park. From the start, the race was packed with drama and incident. Marchy Lee in sixth place on the grid bogged down on the start line as the field streamed past and dropped back to 12th. Barton Mawer led the race into turn one, and James Cressey, who had made a brilliant start from fifth on the grid slotted into second. PSC’s Kenny Habul had also rocketed off the line, while Michael Caruso lost ground and was back in sixth place.

Contact between Kenny Habul and James Cressey on lap 1 saw Habul’s car airborne into the infield at turn 7. Fortunately, the car landed on its wheels, and while Habul was shaken and winded, he was not seriously injured. He was taken to the medical center at the track, and then to a local hospital for observation, complaining of soreness in the chest and ribs possibly caused by his seat belts.

James Cressey had also spun out as a result of the impact, but got his car back on the track, with his rear wing missing. The race continued, with Christian Jones moving into second place, and Karl Reindler up into third. Matt Fitzgerald was running fourth, with Hackett and Caruso in fifth and sixth.

PSC’s miserable race continued with Habul’s team mate this weekend, Marcus La Delle, misjudging his turn off the bridge, and losing his front wing. La Delle was out of the race.

In the Yokohama Trophy class, Chris Gilmour missed the start, and Graeme Holmes led the race from Chris Coombs and Rod Anderson. David Borg was running fourth. Maher Algadrie was also well back in the field with Jonathon Chan and Mark Rundle, who had started from pit lane after experiencing starter motor problems prior to the race.

Marchy Lee who had also fallen back through the field was driving a great race and had made up several places by lap 5 when he found himself behind the battling pair of Chris Coombs and Graeme Holmes. Caruso was catching the leaders fast and had moved up to fourth passing Fitzgerald and breaking the existing lap record with a stunning 1:03.9747 on lap five.

More drama followed when Jonathon Chan spun coming up the hill onto the main straight and Maher Algadri tried to go around him but ran out of room, and ended up colliding with the wall. This incident brought out the Safety Car for the next 3 laps. At the restart when racing resumed Mawer was still in the lead, with Jones second, and Reindler third. But Caruso was flying and soon took Reindler for third. Hackett and Fitzgerald were racing hard for fifth and sixth and went side-by-side into turn one, but Fitzgerald kept Hackett out. Marchy Lee was able to catch the pair of them and a three-way battle ensued.

Chris Coombs had a spin at turn 1, losing his second place in the Trophy Class. Chris Gilmour had driven hard and moved up through the field to be behind leader Graeme Holmes, who was followed by Rundle, Borg, Maddocks, Anderson, Chan and Boothman. On the second last lap, Boothman came into the pits when a fuel pressure warning light came on. He returned to the track, but finished two laps down.

Cressey meanwhile had been black flagged because of his rear wing damage, and came into pitlane where the damage was examined by the stewards who allowed him to continue to race. However, he was officially classified DNF, having only completed eleven laps of the sixteen lap race distance.

In the closing stages of the race, Peter Hackett finally managed to get by Fitzgerald to take fifth, and Caruso got by Jones for second. Marchy Lee tried hard to attack Fitzgerald, but was unable to find a way by before the chequered flag came out, and had to be content with seventh place.

The top four drivers all broke Hackett’s existing record of 1:05.0150 set in June 2000 and Michael Caruso now holds the new record of 1:03.9747.

In the Yokohama Trophy race Deniliquin driver, Graeme Holmes, was in for a well deserved win, followed by Gilmour, Borg, Maddocks, Anderson and Coombs.

Press Release, Australian F3-Association

RESULT