AmPro Tools
Transwest Insurance Brokers Gemelle Ristorante Italiano Errea
1827
De Janeiro Fitness
Performance friction
Sniper
Total Developments
Luton Smash Repairs
Astuti Motorsport
Next Round:
Phillip Island GP Track
Phillip Island, VIC
May 15 - 17
www.formula3.com.au
Latest News
Photo: Mat Sofi in action at Wakefield Park
Image: By Dirk Klynsmith / F3A - Click to download hi-res for media use
Photo: Mat Sofi finsihed second at Wakefield and is now looking forward to Phillip Island
Image: By Dirk Klynsmith / F3A - Click to download hi-res for media use
Mat Sofi has scored his career-best Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship results at the weekend.
Sofi qualified second for both races at Goulburn’s Wakefield Park raceway and finished them in the same positions to firmly entrench himself in second position in the race for the Australian Drivers championship.
It was a storming performance from Sofi all weekend long as he topped his first session – practice one – before never finishing a session lower than second for the remainder of the weekend.
With Phillip Island fast approaching and the car and team seemingly working better than ever before, Sofi’s performances have seen him consolidate second in the championship ahead of a round where he expects to be a contender.
The biggest disappointment at Wakefield Park came in qualifying one – though one wouldn’t normally suggest loosing pole position by 0.3 of a second would be that bad.
Sofi had topped the session as the flag came out, but was pipped after the session had ended by Joey Foster by the smallest of margins.
Sofi then qualified second for race two and charged back to that same position in the first 20-lap race despite running wide at the first corner in treacherously slick conditions at the wintery Wakefield park circuit.
A comfortable second-race podium rounded out his best weekend ever and also set the No. 2 team up with a strong platform on which to challenge for the first race victory at the Island in three weeks time.
“What a weekend,” Said Sofi after climbing from the #2 AmPro tools / Errea / Transwest Racing Dallara F307 – Mercedes Benz.
“The only disappointing thing for us was losing the first pole by such a small margin. I had it – I was up by two tenths of a second but pushed too hard going down the hill and blew it, so that was a bit disappointing but aside from that the speed picked up quite a bit from the last meeting.
“The team have done a great job again and things are coming together very nicely. So far this year we have got better in every session we have run and each meeting we are closer to the front. It’s nice to score my career-best results here this weekend and I’m very motivated to build on this at the Island.
“We didn’t want to risk trying new things in the races and risking the position we were in, but I still think there is more to come; especially at Phillip Island where I have always run well at.
“I’m quietly confident that we can give it a bit of a shake down there.”
The next round of the Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship will be held at the Phillip island Grand Prix circuit between May 15 – 18.
The Wakefield Park round will be televised at 1pm on Sunday May 10th, as part of a two-hour Shannons Nationals show on SBS' Speedweek.
Mat Sofi and the #2 AmPro Tools Astuti Motorsport team are supported by the following sponsors: Transwest Insurance Brokers, Gemelle Ristorante Italiano, Errea, 1827, De Janeiro Fitness, Performance Friction Brakes, Sniper, Total Developments, Luton Smash Repairs, Shell Racing Solutions and Astuti Motorsport.
Stay tuned for more information about ‘The Family’, the Mat Sofi supporters club to be launched soon.
For more information head to www.mathewsofi.com or www.amproracing.com.au