AFTER DABBLING IN the MINI Challenge last year, John Magro will return to his open-wheel roots when he grids up for the first round of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers Championship at Wakefield Park, March 5 - 7.
Magro will drive an R-Tek Motorsport Dallara F304 entry in what will be his fourth championship round.
The 24-year-old North Queensland-based Mango farmer contested three rounds of the 2008 championship with Team BRM, and scored a career best fourth-place finish at the high-speed Phillip Island circuit.
Magro last raced at last year’s Gold Coast’s SuperGP, in a Formula Ford, and before that contested a round of the MINI Challenge on home turf at the Townsville 400.
“I’m really excited, it’s going to be great to get back in an F3 car and have a run,” Magro said.
“The cars are awesome to drive; there really isn’t anything else quite like them. I haven’t been in one for a little while but I’m certain that I will get up to speed quickly. Racing the Mini in Townsville and especially the Formula Ford on the Gold Coast ensured I needed to be precise and smooth, and that will serve me well at Wakefield.
“The last time I raced in Formula 3 I was close to the podium,” Magro added.
“I know the field will be very competitive and I’ll be in a different car but I’d like to think that I can mix it up with the leaders again.
“I know all the guys at R-Tek really well and I’m looking forward to working with them – a big thanks to the team for the opportunity.”
R-Tek Team Owner Ian Richards was pleased to have another young charger in one of his F304’s.
“John is a good young driver and showed us all that he can race one of these cars as well as anyone when he last competed in the series,” Richards said.
“We will be making sure we do everything we can to make sure John can have a strong weekend at Wakefield. The car is certainly capable of racing with the likes of Tom Tweedie (also in an F304) so we are looking forward to a great weekend.”
The first round of the 2010 Formula 3 Australian Drivers’ Championship will be the first to feature a brand-new three-race format, including two sprint races and a longer feature on Sunday afternoon.
The series will unveil a new website today (Monday, March 1st) and new sponsorship details for the forthcoming season.
The Wakefield Park event is the first of the 2010 Shannons Nationals, and includes a massive field of Sports Sedans, Commodore Cup and the MX-5 Challenge.
