CONWAY AIMING FOR SECOND IN BRITISH F3 CHAMPIONSHIP

British Formula 3 Championship
Rounds 19 & 20
Mondello Park , Ireland

Sevenoaks racing driver Mike Conway is confident he can make inroads towards taking second in the British Formula 3 Championship at this weekend's penultimate race meeting at Ireland's Mondello Park (Sept 17/18).

The British F3 title was sealed by Portuguese driver Alvaro Parente last time out at Germany's Nurburgring circuit, but 22-year old ace Conway, currently third in the points, is certain that the runner-up spot is not beyond his reach this year.

Fortec Motorsport driver Conway needs to overhaul American Charlie Kimball in the points in order to secure second in the championship, which would be a superb achievement in his first season of F3 racing. Conway won the Formula Renault UK Championship title last year with the Fortec team.

Mondello Park is a tight and very twisty circuit - it is likened by some to an outsized kart track - and Conway believes he and his team have already worked out a good set-up for the characteristics of the circuit.

"We know our car is good around Mondello Park ," said Conway . "It's a tricky circuit because it's so twisty and there are so many slow corners. It means you've got to have the balance on the car right between speed and downforce for the tight bends."

Conway is 31 points behind Kimball with Mondello Park and Silverstone left in the championship, and the Kent man knows he must aim as high as possible in every race from now on.

"I have to go all out for the win each time I get in the car," he explained. "It's not that I've not been doing that already but now I've got a definite target to aim at. Having the title sewn up takes the pressure off in a way because I'm not going to be worrying about where Alvaro is.

"If I finish second in the championship at my first attempt it will still be very good for me. It might even decide what I do next year - we're looking at another year of F3 but if I finish as runner-up maybe there could be something else I could do."

Conway 's weekend will start on Saturday morning with first qualifying. The weekend's two races will take place on Sunday (Sept 18).

Media contact: Andy Bothwell 07944 651166