MEDIA RELEASE- For Immediate Release, November 6

PROTECNICA RACING’S BREAKTHROUGH FORMULA 3 WIN

A win and a third place finish in today’s two races at Eastern Creek Raceway in the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship for the CAMS Gold Star was the ideal result for Protecnica Racing’s Chris Alajajian, who entered the weekend the aim of reducing the gap to second in the championship.

In practice and qualifying, the team made steady progress with the car, and in qualifying Alajajian secured a pair of fifth place starts.

‘The Chris’ quickly improved on that again in the opening race, when he moved to fourth place in the run to the first corner. He slotted in behind Trimble, before the Jack Hillermans Smash Dallara F304 Renault-Sodemo got nervous off a kerb on lap two and sent the 19 year-old into a spin.

Despite a quick recovery, he dropped to seventh, leaving Alajajian to begin his charge back through the field. Within five laps he was back up to fourth, and began to hunt down Trimble again.

On lap ten, Alajajian set a new Formula 3 lap record at Eastern Creek with a time of 1:25.2280 around the 3.93km circuit, which also him a bonus championship point. The next lap, he passed Trimble, moving into third place where he would finish the race.

“I got onto a kerb and the car got loose and spun,” said Alajajian. “It put me off a bit and cost us a bit of time. It’s a bit of a shame because we were the fastest car out there and the car was great, but third is still a good result.”

Quick reflexes were needed off the line in race two, to avoid the stalled car of polesitter Neil McFadyen. Alajajian avoided the car, and slotted into third place. This became the lead of the race, when first placed Trimble and second placed Ian Dyk both spun off at turn nine on lap two.

Alajajian then proceeded to build an advantage over second placed Aaron Caratti and take the win by almost five seconds. He received the winners trophy from none other than 1980 World Formula 1 Champion Alan Jones, who is the Australian seat holder in the A1 Grand Prix of Nations, and Australian Formula 3 patron.

“If that car had hair, it would be bald by now... it was that close,” Alajajian said of missing the stalled McFadyen at the start of the race. “Once were in the lead, our aim was to keep setting consistent times and monitor the gap to Aaron.

“The car setup was great, the work the guys have done on the car has paid off and the Bilstein shocks were excellent. It was quick all race, looked after its tyres and stayed very consistent right up until the end.

“So I just kept it consistent, cool and calm and collected the win.”

It is Alajajian’s second Formula 3 race win of the year, and Protecnica Racing’s first in their fourth F3 race meeting, continuing the team’s impressive adaptation to open wheel competition. Protecnica Racing also assert themselves as one of the most versatile race teams in Australia, having now won races in three different national championships in 2005.

In addition to today’s win, Alajajian has also claimed race wins driving a Subaru WRX STi in the Australian Performance Car Championship and team owner Scott Anderson has steered a Holden Commodore to success in the Australian Production Car Championship.

“The team have done a great job, I can’t speak highly enough of them,” said Sydneysider Alajajian.

“Everything they do, they do it well. They have never done Formula 3 before and are racing against teams which have year’s worth of Formula 3 experience between their crew members.

“And they aren't just racing against the other teams, they are competitive and we won our first race today. It’s awesome.”

At the end of the weekend, Alajajian remains third in the championship on 151 points. He entered the round forty points behind second placed Trimble, but leaves with the reduced deficit of seventeen points. Similarly, he has also increased his gap to fourth placed Chris Gilmour to thirty.

“We came into this weekend with a big aim of getting up to second in the championship and this weekend was a good start. Now we come back here to race on home soil again in a month.”

The final round of the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship for the CAMS Gold Star will also be held at Eastern Creek, on December 2-4.

Protecnica Racing thanks the ongoing support of Jack Hillermans Smash, Elf Oil, Scuderia Veloce Motors, Nudie, Workflow Systems, Bilstein, Moody Kiddell & Partners, Heasman Steering, Travel Café, Disc Brakes Australia, Hawk Performance, Monza Mens Boutique and H & R Springs.

For more about Chris Alajajian, check out www.TheChris.com.au

Eastern Creek Race 1 Results;
1. Ian Dyk
2. Neil McFadyen
3. Chris Alajajian

Eastern Creek Race 2 Results;
1. Chris Alajajian
2. Aaron Caratti
3. Chris Gilmour

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Media Resources ::

Protecnica Racing's Chris Alajajian with his Australian Formula 3 winners trophy on the A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia podium, following his race two success at Eastern Creek. (Copyright free for editorial use, click for high-res)
After success on the race track, Protecnica Racing's Chris Alajajian relaxes with some friends. (Copyright free for editorial use, click for high-res)