Race Reports

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Oulton Park, 13/3/01: A resurgent Alan Docking Racing Team set the early pace at a sunny Oulton Park today. F3 new comer Paul Edwards made an early mark on a drying track in the Cheshire sunshine, and was not disappointed to end the morning in second place only 0.226s from Derek Hayes. The American racer was enjoying working with his new team, 'I'm very happy to be working with guy's with so much experience, the car is beautiful, reacting well to the changes and you get a feeling of confidence from it'.

At a time of growing US interest in Formula One, Edwards is making a name for himself as America's leading single seater racer in Europe. Edwards ended the day in seventh despite finding a further half a second in the afternoon.

Team mate Andy Priaulx was working hard on developing his set ups and while not overjoyed with ending the day in fifth the Guernseyman said 'This time of the year is all about getting the car right for the season to come, it is not a qualifying session'. This is key to Priaulx's approach, the detailed preparation providing him with a position to attack the front of the grid come qualifying day. An ability he demonstrated repeatedly last year when he found extra pace from an under powered machine.

There is no doubt however that the final forty minutes of the day were all about who was fastest. In the closing stages of the day Carlin Motorsport and the RC Prost Jnr Team got into a duel that saw the times tumble. Quick Nic Keisa ended the day fastest, but his talented team mate Ryan Dalziel was not far behind in fourth a very respectable six tenths off the front of the field. The young Scot won't see it that way of course.

Takuma Sato and team mate Anthony Davidson, both drivers part of the BAR F1 test program, were fast all day. Team boss Trevor Carlin was in buoyant mood saying 'these guys are special, I look up and down the pit lane and only perhaps Kiesa is as quick'. Carlin Motorsport have reason to be confident and there is no doubting Davidson's natural pace.

The big story of the day however was Derek Hayes beginning to get to grips with his new machine. He hit the top of the time sheets before the lunch break giving Manor a glimpse of the pace that Ulsterman is capable of. Hayes was quick all afternoon only losing out in the final run when a red flag stopped the session prematurely. When the racing is over at Silverstone on April 1st, we can expect Hayes to feature in the results.

As is often the case the first serious disappointment of the season has taken place before the racing has begun. Marc Hynes, 1999 British Formula Three Champion has lost his Pac West Indy Lights drive. On the eve of the first round in Mexico at the weekend Hynes was informed that his seat would be taken by Mario Dominguez. Marc was not bitter though 'The guy showed up with 1.3 million dollars, I can't compete with that'.

He was however deeply frustrated at having put so much time and effort into working in the US only to have it fall through at the last minute, when it is too late to find any good European drives. Neither was Hynes bitter about the fact that he beat both Jenson Button and Luciano Burti to the 1999 crown, both of whom have good F1 drives. As a well-known photographer said on hearing the news, 'it's a business, not a sport'.

In the Scholarship Class Michael Keohane continues to dominate the head of the time sheets. The Irishmen getting well in amongst the Championship Class runners in his Toyota powered Dallara, and going six tenths clear of Mark Mayall in second place and Kazuki Hoshino in third. Hoshino running in the third Carlin Motorsport entry.

Race Reports

Copyright RB4 Motorsport Report 2001

Copyright RB4 Motorsport Report 2001