PRESS RELEASE: JULY 10, 2005

PRICE CLAIMS HIS FIRST ROUND WIN

Victorian Shane Price, driving the Caltex Havoline Spectrum 010b, took the honours at round three of the 2005 Ford Racing Australian Formula Ford championship at Eastern Creek this weekend, with a third in race one and wins in races two and three. David Sieders, driving the Sonic Motor Racing Services/All-Trans Deals on Wheels Van Diemen RF04 claimed second overall with a win and two second placings. Sieders also claimed pole position in qualifying, adding an additional point to his championship tally. New Zealander Jason Liefting, driving the Project Motorsports Spectrum 010b was third overall, with a second and two fourth placings.

RACE 1, Saturday, 3.30 pm, 10 Laps: SIEDERS LEADS THE WAY

When the lights turned green Shane Price got away in front of the pack to lead into turn one for the first time, followed by David Sieders and Daniel Elliott (Fastlane Racing Van Diemen RF05).

At turn eight Price hit some oil on the track and ran off, and had slipped back to 13th position by the time the cars crossed the start/finish line for the first time. Sieders continued on to lead every lap after fighting off the dogged pursuit of Jason Liefting (Project Motorsports Spectrum 010b) who briefly led on lap two.

Price recovered from his off-track excursion and worked his way steadily through the pack to eventually take third place ahead of Nathan Caratti who had made up six places from his starting position.

It was a race of attrition for some of the pre-race favourites, including championship leader Daniel Elliott. A holed radiator and subsequent overheating engine resulted in his first DNF for the season. He was joined on the sidelines by Paul Laskazeski (CAMS Rising Star Spectrum 010b) after mechanical problems. Laskazeski had made an impressive national series debut, running in second place behind Sieders for four laps before his car’s demise.

Dean Fiore’s race also ended in pit lane as a result of a holed radiator on his Sonic Motor Racing Services/Landscape Developments Van Diemen RF04. Lee Holdsworth (TTM Group/Project Motorsports Spectrum 010) missed a gearchange as he came out of turn 12 on lap one. He spent the rest of the race parked beside the concrete wall on the front straight. As a result, Laskazeski, Fiore, Elliott and Holdsworth will line up on the last two rows of the grid for race two.

RACE 2, Sunday, 11.10 am, 10 Laps: PRICE TAKES THE WIN AHEAD OF SIEDERS

David Sieders and Jason Liefting were side-by-side going into turn one for the first time but Sieders’ inside line saw him head into turn two ahead of the New Zealander, followed closely by a freight train of cars led by Shane Price. An incident on turn nine involving Nathan Caratti and Mark McNally left McNally’s car stranded in the middle of the corner and brought the safety car out onto the track.

After two laps under safety car conditions the field was tightly bunched and as the safety car left the circuit for the restart a number of cars tangled, leaving Preston, Elliott and Doulman parked by the side of the track. The remainder of the field continued on, with Sieders leading Price and Liefting. On lap three Price overtook Sieders and maintained his lead to the end of the race, despite Sieders’ efforts to retake the front spot.

The big mover through the field was Lee Holdsworth who had started race two from 16th position on the grid. Holdsworth had moved up to fifth position on lap five and was challenging third-placed Brett Hobson. On lap seven Holdsworth overtook Hobson as they crossed the line for the start of the next lap and maintained his third position through to the end of the race.

RACE 3, Sunday, 4.00 pm, 10 Laps: PRICE’S SECOND RACE WIN FOR THE ROUND

Shane Price and David Sieders, both chasing the overall round win, put on an enthralling display of the best of Formula Ford racing. Sieders led over the line on lap one but as the pair headed into turn one at the start of lap two Price went around the outside to take the lead for the first time.

On lap nine Sieders passed Price at turn two and was leading the charge out of turn 12 when he ran wide and his right-hand wheels clipped the dirt. The vital time lost enabled Price to regain the lead and he went on to take the win.

Daniel Elliott, who had started from 14th position on the grid following his race two DNF, worked his way through the field, tacking onto the back of the dice for third position involving Jason Liefting and Lee Holdsworth. On lap eight Elliott passed Holdsworth on the exit of turn two and on the final lap he was snatched third place from Liefting just metres from the finish line.