Sy, Peña sustain big runs in AF3

ROSARIO, Batangas — Tyson Sy and Dado Peña continued to show the way in practice runs Friday, raising hopes a Filipino driver would score a big victory in the opening round of the 2006 Asian Formula Three series beginning today at the Batangas Racing Circuit here.

For the second straight day, Sy logged the fastest lap time of one minute 28.182 at the 3.4-kilometer circuit, with Peña, of Team Goddard, not far behind at 1:28.226.

The rest of the drivers, including the foreign contingent, were not far behind going into the qualifying series this morning. The elims will determine the grid positions for the opening round later in the afternoon.

Briton James Winslow of JA Motorports was third in the morning practice runs with a time of 1:29.063, followed by Irishman Ali Jackson of Aran Racing (1:29.358), Speedtech’s Moreno Soeprapto (1:29.605), Briton Dillon Battistini of JA Motorsports (1:29.729), last year’s runner-up Irishman John O’Hara of Aran Racing (1:29.868), Team Indonesia’s Joson F3’s Bagoes Hermanto (1:32.18) and brother Satrio Hermanto (1:32.51).

Team Goddard’s Michelle Bumgarner, trying her hands in AF3 after dominating last year’s karting series, clocked 1:32.997 while fellow lady driver Gaby de la Merced of Speedtech Asia, another newcomer, clocked 1:34.703. JP Tuason of Tuason Racing School logged 1:35.577. (More on Bumgarner on A-29)

Another Filipino, 2003 champion Pepon Marave, failed to join the rest in morning practice runs, his car still in the pit being repaired by mechanics after it was hit in practice by Jackson last Thursday.

Although the races are fast shaping up to be a duel between the two 18-year-old Pinoy riders, Peña said he expects the other drivers to push a little harder, especially during the qualifying session of the series backed by PLDT myDSL, PLDT MyPAD, Yokohama Tires, Lima City Hotel, Denso Spark Plugs, Big Shot Billiards, Suzuki, Oxy Enhanced Water, Ford, Tuason Racing School and Mossimo.

Highlights of the opening round will be shown on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The next two rounds Sunday will be broadcast live. Racing enthusiasts can log on to www.asianf3.net for regular updates.

"I and Tyson are really close but I’m quite shocked why the other drivers are a little far off," said Pena, who clocked the fastest lap time of 1:28.6 in practice runs later in the afternoon

"But you’ll never know. I think they’ll come out fast later and close the gap," he said, adding: "I think I can push harder. There’s still a couple of seconds in the driver, a couple of seconds in the car. I’m sure come qualifying and the first race, we’ll be in a good position."

All cars will run with new tires for the qualifying run and this should translate into faster times, with Sy, fourth overall last year and winner of two rounds in Indonesia, confident he can still improve his clocking.

"Kaya pa. Mas magiging maganda pa ‘yung time sa mga susunod na labas," said Sy, adding he would aim for at least second on the starting grid.

"As long as I’m in the front row, walang masyadong problema. I’ll just take it from there," he said.

Winslow, third overall last year, is also confident he would come up with better times, especially in the qualifying session.

"We’re still gonna improve and I think we can get into the top two," said Winslow, explaining he expects to go faster by around eight tenths of a second when he runs with new tires.

"I’m pushing it hard later. In practice it is important to have that consistency and give the right feedback to the engineers," he said.

O’Hara struggled in the morning practice run but came up with a second-best clocking of 1:29.1 later in the afternoon.

"I’m driving like an old woman right now. I hope to be back to my old self soon," he said.

Bumgarner and De la Merced, seeing action in the promotions class, had a fine day under the searing hot sun although the latter had some transmission problems in the latter laps.

"I have a lot of confidence in my team. The car should be good for the next sessions," said De la Merced, adding that she is gunning for a personal best of 1:30.00 after earlier posting 1:33 flat.