2008 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title which was contested concurrently with the 2008 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship. The championship winner was awarded the 2008 CAMS Gold Star. The 2008 championship was the 52nd Australian Drivers' Championship and the fourth to be contested with open wheel racing cars constructed in accordance with FIA Formula 3 regulations. The season began on 3 February 2008 at Eastern Creek Raceway and finished on 21 September at Symmons Plains Raceway after eight rounds across four different states with two races per round.
2008 Australian Drivers' Championship | |||
Previous: | 2007 | Next: | 2009 |
The series was won by a British driver for the second time in three years, with James Winslow victorious after a season long battle with Leanne Tander, who was runner up by only a few points for the second year in a row. Chris Gilmour won the National Class from Irish driver Lee Farrell, while Andrew Mill clinched the Trophy Class with a round in hand.
Class structure
Drivers competed in three classes:
- Championship Class – restricted to cars constructed in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 regulations that applied between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2007
- National Class – restricted to cars constructed in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 regulations that applied between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2004
- Trophy Class – restricted to cars constructed in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 regulations that applied between 1 January 1995 and 31 December 2001 [1]
Points system
Championship points were awarded on a 20–15–12–10–8–6–4–3–2–1 basis to the top ten classified finishers in the Championship Class in each race. An additional point was awarded to the driver gaining the Championship Class pole position for each race and a further additional point was awarded to the driver setting the fastest lap in the Championship class in each race. To secure the "fastest lap" point the driver must have been declared finisher for that race.[1]
The same point-score system was also used for both the National Class and the Trophy Class.[1]
Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed during the 2008 Australian Formula 3 season. The listing relates to both the 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship and to the non-championship Indy F3 Challenge races.
Team | Class | Chassis | Engine | No | Driver |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Scud Racing | National | Dallara F301 | Spiess-Opel | 1 | Tim Macrow |
Trophy | 25 | Justin Tate Roman Krumins | |||
Championship | Dallara F307 | HWA-Mercedes-Benz | 35 | Stuart Kostera | |
National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 89 | Mathew Radisich | |
Team BRM | Championship | Dallara F307 | HWA-Mercedes-Benz | 1 | James Winslow |
3 | James Winslow John Magro Chris Alajajian Zahir Ali * | ||||
4 | Earl Bamber Nick Percat James Winslow | ||||
5 | Nathan Caratti | ||||
National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 6 | Lee Farrell | |
Championship | Dallara F307 | HWA-Mercedes-Benz | 9 | Ben Clucas | |
Transwest Racing | Championship | Dallara F307 | Mugen-Honda | 2 | Mat Sofi |
National | Dallara F304 | Mugen-Honda | 20 | James Crozier | |
R-Tek Motorsport Services | National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 7 | Chris Reindler Karl Reindler Carlos Huertas * |
Trophy | Dallara F301 | Spiess-Opel | 59 | Jesse Wakeman | |
Astuti Motorsport | Championship | Dallara F307 | Sodemo-Renault [2] | 11 | James Winslow Maher Algadrie Chris Alajajian |
Dallara F304 | Sodemo-Renault | 23 | Ray Chamberlain | ||
National | 24 | Daniel Schulz Ash Samadi Andrew Mill | |||
JB Motorsport | Trophy | Dallara F301 | Novamotor-Fiat | 12 | John Boothman Brian Sampson |
Property Solutions Group | Trophy | Dallara F301 | Spiess-Opel | 16 | Andrew Mill Kevin Miller |
Sodemo-Renault | 86 | Kevin Miller | |||
Gilmour Racing | National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 17 | Chris Gilmour |
Morcraft Homes | Championship | Dallara F307 | HWA-Mercedes-Benz | 18 | Steve Morcombe |
David Choon | Trophy | Dallara F396 | Mugen Honda | 19 | David Choon |
GKH Powdercoating | National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 21 | Graeme Holmes |
Chris Alajajian | Championship | Dallara F304 | Sodemo-Renault | 22 | Chris Alajajian |
Piccola Scuderia Corse | National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 26 | Daniel Cotton Troy Woodger John Whelan Justin Tate |
Championship | Dallara F307 | HWA-Mercedes-Benz | 27 | Neil McFadyen Justin Tate John Martin * | |
National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 28 | Ash Bettridge | |
Tandersport | National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 32 | Matthew Radisich |
Championship | Dallara F307 | HWA-Mercedes-Benz | 42 | Leanne Tander | |
National | Dallara F304 | Spiess-Opel | 52 | Chris Reindler Samantha Reid Ben Crighton | |
National Surgical | Trophy | Dallara F301 | 32 | Jon Mills | |
Hack, Anderson & Thomas | Trophy | Dallara F396 | Toyota | 37 | Rod Anderson |
Ausdeck Patios & Roofing | Trophy | Dallara F301 | 96 | Jonathan Grant * | |
'* - John Martin, Zahir Ali, Carlos Huertas & Jonathan Grant contested the non-championship Indy F3 Challenge races but did not contest rounds of the 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship.
Race Calendar
Round | Race | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning driver | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Eastern Creek Raceway[3] | 3 February | Leanne Tander | Neil McFadyen | Nathan Caratti | Team BRM |
2 | Nathan Caratti | race cancelled by heavy rain | |||||
2 | 1 | Adelaide Street Circuit[4] | 24 February | Neil McFadyen | Earl Bamber | Neil McFadyen | Piccola Scuderia Corse |
2 | Neil McFadyen | Ben Clucas | Ben Clucas | Team BRM | |||
3 | 1 | Oran Park Raceway[5] | 27 April | Neil McFadyen | Leanne Tander | Leanne Tander | Tandersport |
2 | Neil McFadyen | Nathan Caratti | James Winslow | Astuti Motorsport | |||
4 | 1 | Mallala Motor Sport Park[6] | 18 May | Leanne Tander | Nathan Caratti | Leanne Tander | Tandersport |
2 | Neil McFadyen | Leanne Tander | Nathan Caratti | Team BRM | |||
5 | 1 | Phillip Island[7] | 15 June | Leanne Tander | Mat Sofi | Nathan Caratti | Team BRM |
2 | James Winslow | Leanne Tander | James Winslow | Team BRM | |||
6 | 1 | Eastern Creek Raceway[8] | 13 July | Nathan Caratti | James Winslow | Leanne Tander | Tandersport |
2 | Nathan Caratti | Nathan Caratti | James Winslow | Team BRM | |||
7 | 1 | Phillip Island[9] | 10 August | Leanne Tander | James Winslow | James Winslow | Team BRM |
2 | James Winslow | James Winslow | Leanne Tander | Tandersport | |||
8 | 1 | Symmons Plains Raceway[10] | 21 September | Mathew Radisich | James Winslow | James Winslow | Team BRM |
2 | Tasmanian Super Prix | James Winslow | Nathan Caratti | Leanne Tander | Tandersport | ||
NC | 1 | Indy F3 Challenge[11] | 23 October | John Martin | John Martin | John Martin | Piccola Scuderia Corse |
2 | 24 October | progressive grid | John Martin | John Martin | Piccola Scuderia Corse | ||
3 | 25 October | John Martin | James Winslow | Team BRM | |||
Results and standings
Drivers championship
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Note: Race 2 of Round 1 was abandoned due to torrential rain and no points were awarded.[12]
Indy F3 Challenge
The Indy F3 Challenge was a three race support event for Australian Formula 3 cars at the 2008 Nikon Indy 300 meeting at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit. It was not a round of the 2008 Australian Drivers' Championship.
Pos. | Driver | Qualifying | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | John Martin | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 59 |
2 | James Winslow | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 50 |
3 | Leanne Tander | 5 | 4 | 3 | Ret | 22 |
4 | Chris Alajajian | 3 | 3 | 4 | Ret | 22 |
5 | Mat Sofi | 6 | Ret | 7 | 3 | 16 |
6 | Chris Gilmour | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 16 |
7 | Nathan Caratti | 4 | 5 | 5 | Ret | 16 |
8 | Jesse Wakeman | 11 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 10 |
9 | Zahir Ali | 9 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 10 |
10 | Steve Morcombe | 13 | 11 | 11 | 6 | 6 |
11 | Carlos Huertas | 7 | 6 | Ret | Ret | 6 |
12 | Jonathan Grant | 12 | Ret | 12 | 7 | 4 |
13 | Ben Crighton | 10 | 9 | 9 | Ret | 4 |
14 | Jon Mills | 15 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 3 |
15 | Kevin Miller | 14 | Ret | 13 | Ret | 0 |
References
- 2008 Australian Formula 3 Championship Sporting Regs Retrieved from webarchive.org on 9 May 2011
- Results, Round 3 2008, Oran Park Retrieved on 9 May 2011
- "Eastern Creek International Raceway 03/02/2008 2008 A1 GP". National Software. 3 February 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2008.
- "Adelaide Parklands Circuit 24/02/2008 2008 Clipsal 500 Adelaide". National Software. 24 February 2008. Archived from the original on 22 March 2008. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
- "Oran Park Raceway - South and Grand Prix 27/04/2008 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championship Round 2". National Software. 27 April 2008. Archived from the original on 1 May 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
- "Mallala Motorsport Park 18/05/2008 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships - Round 3". National Software. 18 May 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
- "Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 15/06/2008 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships 2008 - Round 4". National Software. 15 June 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
- "Eastern Creek International Raceway 13/07/2008 Shannons National Motor Racing Championship - Rnd 5". National Software. 13 July 2008. Archived from the original on 18 June 2008. Retrieved 13 July 2008.
- "Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit 10/08/2008 Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships 2008 - Round 6". National Software. 10 August 2008. Archived from the original on 7 March 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
- "Symmons Plains International Raceway 19/09/2008 Shannons Nationals Round 8 Symmons Plains Tasmania". National Software. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
- "Surfers Paradise Street Circuit 26/10/2008 Nikon Indy 300 - 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series -Rd 11". National Software. 26 November 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2008.
- Opes Prime Team BRM Dominates F3 season opener Retrieved on 9 May 2011