Astuti Motorsport Media Release

Round 4 of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship for the CAMS Gold Star at Adelaide’s Mallala Motorsport Park will be looked back at by Astuti Motorsport driver Michael Trimble as a weekend where a troublesome race day prevented the fulfillment of early weekend promise.

However, another two podium finishes aboard the King Springs Renault-Sodemo Dallara F304 ensured Trimble walked away with a solid points haul, as the race for the 2006 CAMS Gold Star enters its second half.

Continuing his strong form from a test day at the circuit on Wednesday, Trimble topped the timesheets in Friday’s practice sessions with a time of 1:04.1336. When qualifying got underway on Saturday, a minor setup change before the first session had a negative impact on the car, with the Melbournian setting the third fastest time.

The setup was rectified for Qualifying 2 and Trimble improved to lap the 2.6km circuit in a time of 1:03.9312 - just 0.0416 seconds off pole position - to earn a front row starting position for the second race.

“The weekend started very well,” said Astuti Motorsport team owner Sam Astuti. “On Friday we were quickest, we ended the day with the car in great shape and everything was looking good.

“On Saturday morning it didn’t quite happen in the first session. The setup wasn’t exactly where we needed it and our times weren’t there. We made a change to the car for the next session and Michael went out and got second on the grid for Race 2, only missing pole by a very small margin.”

Sunday would prove to be a day where things just didn’t quite fall into place for the team, despite Trimble being competitive in each race. A holed radiator hurt his charge in Race 1 and the 21-year old finished third.

Trimble then controlled the opening 13 laps of Race 2 after a blistering start, until lapped traffic and a Safety Car period intervened. He ended the 20-lap race in second place behind Ben Clucas.

“In Race 1, we had a bit of a braking issue early on in the first couple of laps,” said Trimble. “We put a new set of pads in and for the first couple of laps I was locking left-fronts. Once that cleared up, the car was good for a couple of laps before the problem with the radiator came up.

“A rock or stone must’ve flicked up and put a hole in it and it started dropping water and coolant onto the left rear tyre, which made it a bit hairy. Once it lost all its fluid, the balance of the car returned.

"Fortunately it didn’t damage the engine at all and all we had to do for Race 2 was change the radiator. I got a great start and was leading the race, but I got held up by a backmarker in Turn 2 which allowed Ben to get a better run down to Turn 3 and get past. Then the Safety Car came out and we didn’t have a chance to get back past.”

Trimble maintains his second place in the championship standings. The next round of the Championship is at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on July 7-9.

Last December, Trimble was dominant at the venue. In his second drive with Astuti Motorsport, he won each race of the 2005 season finale from pole position.

For more information about Astuti Motorsport, head to the all-new www.astutimotorsport.com.

Astuti Motorsport thanks the support of Kings Springs, PWR Performance Products, Elf, Alcon and Revolution Racewear.

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Astuti Motorsport's Michael Trimble has added two more podium finishes to his 2006 season tally, with a third and a second place finish at Mallala Motorsport Park.

Driver of the Astuti Motorsport King Springs Renault-Sodemo Dallara F304, Michael Trimble sits second in the 2006 Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship for the CAMS Gold Star.