• Round three of the 2005 Ford Racing Formula Ford Championship produced three different race winners over the three races. Race one was won by Queenslander Shannon O’Brien (O’Brien Motorsport Van Diemen RF03), who also led over the line in race two. Due to technical irregularities, O’Brien was excluded from the race results, elevating New Zealander Jason Liefting (Project Motorsports Spectrum 010b) into first place. And race three was won by Victorian Shane Price, driving the Caltex Havoline Spectrum 010b.
• Local driver David Sieders (Sonic Motor Racing Services All-Trans Deals on Wheels Van Diemen RF04) took overall points with third, fifth and second placings over the three races. Sieders collected 41 points (including one point for claiming pole position in qualifying), ahead of Shane Price on 40 points, and third placegetter West Australian Dean Fiore (Sonic Motor Racing Services Landscape Developments Van Diemen RF04) on 32 points.
• Championship leader after three rounds remains Daniel Elliott (Fastlane Racing Van Diemen RF05) who survived an off-track excursion in race three to finish in tenth place adding 25 points to his championship tally after securing two fourth places in the first two races. Elliott leads the championship on 147 points ahead of Price on 102 points and Sieders on 93 points.

• David Sieders took pole position for race one at Round Three of the 2005 Ford Racing Australian Formula Ford Championship at Eastern Creek Raceway with a fastest lap of 1:37.3286.
• Sieders was joined on the front row of the grid by Sonic Motor Racing Services teammate Dean Fiore. His time of 1:37.7312 was a fraction ahead of newly crowned New Zealand Formula Ford champion Shannon O’Brien on a time of 1:37.8481. The Queenslander was driving his championship-winning O’Brien Motorsport Van Diemen RF03 and expected to make only a few minor suspension adjustments prior to the first race.
• Fourth on the grid was Victorian Shane Price with a time of 1:38.1929. Sharing third row was NSW Bosch Batteries Spectrum 010 driver Anthony Preston (1:38.3388) and championship leader West Australian Daniel Elliott.

• Shannon O’Brien took the honours in race one, his first Australian national championship race win. On the way to the chequered flag, O’Brien set a new lap record of 1:37.6831, breaking the record of 1:37.6300 set by Don Griffith in a Reynard 89 back in 1990.
• The 26-year-old Queenslander had lined up third on the grid, behind pole-sitter David Sieders and his Sonic teammate Dean Fiore.
• Fiore led off the line but was overtaken by Sieders on the entry to turn one. Sieders and Fiore fought for the lead through the early laps, eventually being overtaken by O’Brien who led over the line on lap three, retaining his lead for the remainder of the race.
• Sieders and Fiore kept the grandstand crowd entertained slip-streaming each other down the straight, seeking the ‘slingshot’ into turn one. Fiore prevailed, slotting into second behind O’Brien.
• On lap eight a missed gear at turn three resulted in a number of drivers having to take evasive action with Andrew Thompson’s car ending up stranded in the middle of the track. The incident brought out the red flag with results being called at the completion of the previous lap.
• After keeping close company throughout the race Daniel Elliott claimed fourth place, ahead of Jason Liefting in fifth.
• Reigning New South Wales state champion Joel Spychala (Mid Coast Ford Van Diemen RF04) filled sixth place, ahead of Shane Price in seventh.
• Ben Guest, who currently sits in second place in the New South Wales championship, finished in eighth spot driving his Ben Guest Motorsport Van Diemen RF01. Ninth spot was Byron Bay driver Andrew Thompson (Latitude Development Group Spectrum 010). Rounding off the top ten was fellow Spectrum 010 driver Victorian Lee Holdsworth (TTM Group/Project Motorsports).

• Race one winner Shannon O’Brien and Fastlane Racing’s Nathan Caratti were excluded from the results of race two when their cars were found to be over the maximum allowed width, elevating Jason Liefting to take the race win ahead of Dean Fiore in second and Shane Price in third place.
• Liefting was among a tight-knit group of drivers battling furiously for position throughout the race. The large group included Fiore, Price, Elliott, Sieders, Spychala, Guest, Martin and Victorian driver Dale Wood (Andy’s Earth Movers G-Force Mygale SJ04), and their positions on the track were changing constantly.
• A ‘heart-in-mouth’ moment occurred on lap nine as Price, Elliott and Spychala took the entry to turn one three-wide; Spychala prevailed over Elliott, slotting in behind Price by turn three.
• On the final lap Liefting led Fiore out of turn 12 onto the straight. Fiore was in Liefting’s slipstream endeavouring to secure the slingshot over the line but Liefting was able to hang on, finishing just a fifth of a second ahead of Fiore.
• Fourth, fifth and sixth placings were taken by Elliott, Sieders and Spychala respectively, with just tenths of a second between them. Guest took seventh place ahead of current state championship leader John Martin in eighth. Ninth spot was taken by Wood with the final point being allocated to Anthony Preston driving the Bosch Batteries Spectrum 010.

• Jason Liefting and Dean Fiore lined up on the front row of the grid for the start of race three. Fiore got the holeshot and led the field into turn one. As they came over the line for the first time Fiore was in front with Liefting and Elliott jostling for position behind him on the entry into turn one.
• Liefting and Elliott touched, resulting in Liefting leaving the track and unable to rejoin the field. Elliott also ran off but was able to regain the bitumen, eventually working his way through the field to finish in tenth position, adding another point to his championship tally.
• With Liefting’s demise John Martin was slotted into third place behind Fiore and Price. He was able to hold position for the remainder of the race resisting the pressure being applied by the chasing Anthony Preston.
• Laps six, seven and eight were run under safety car conditions after two cars ended up in the gravel trap on turn nine.
• When the race resumed Fiore continued to resist the efforts of Price to get past until, on turn 12 on the last lap, when their cars came together. Fiore spun allowing Price to get through to take the chequered flag.
• In second place was Sieders, followed by Martin in third. Guest claimed fourth position, ahead of Lee Holdsworth and CAMS Rising Star driver Brett Hobson (Spectrum 010b). Dale Wood, driving the Andy’s Earthmovers G-Force Mygale SJ04 was seventh, Joel Spychala in eighth, Andrew Thompson in ninth and Daniel Elliott tenth.

MAY 30, 2005: FORMULA FORD CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS TABLE CHANGE

• A stewards’ decision has resulted in a change in the championship points table after round three of the 2005 Ford Racing Formula Ford Championship at Eastern Creek Raceway last weekend (May 27-29). As a result of an incident at Turn 12 on the last lap of race three, race winner Victorian driver Shane Price (Caltex Havoline Spectrum 010b) has been stripped of 10 championship points.
• Overall round three winner New South Wales driver David Sieders (Sonic Motor Racing Services All-Trans/Deals on Wheels Van Diemen RF04) now sits in second position in the championship on 93 points, behind West Australian Daniel Elliott (Fastlane Racing Van Diemen RF05) on 147 points.
• Confirmation is being sought on the Formula Ford lap record at Eastern Creek. Race one winner Shannon O’Brien (O’Brien Motorsport Van Diemen RF03) was credited with setting a new lap record of 1:37.6831. However, the previous lap record, set back in 1991, was listed at 1:37.6300.