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TEENAGE TEARAWAYS SET FOR BATHURST DEBUTS
WHILE THE BATHURST Motor Festival showcases an incredibly diverse array of cars and drivers across the 332 entrants received for the Event, it is a group of teenagers who will be perhaps the most excited for the coming long weekend.A group of incredibly talented youthful young drivers from around Australia will get their first laps of the famous Mount Panorama circuit at the Festival this Easter.Four young stars aged 18 or under will compete in the third round of the F3 Australian Drivers Championship, whilst 16-year-old racer Liam McAdam will be the youngest of the lot when he takes to the track in a Production Sports Car Series Mazda MX-5.Little older is 17-year-old Chelsea Angelo, who says tackling the Mountain in a Formula 3 car for the first time amounts to a ‘dream come true’.Brisbane teenager McAdam will be one of the youngest ever drivers to tackle the Mountain when he makes his Bathurst debut this weekend, fresh from a successful outing in the Wakefield Park 300 race earlier this year.McAdam will dovetail racing the Mazda with a campaign in the Australian Formula Ford Series this year in a schedule set to take in more than 20 races. Such is his dedication to becoming a professional driver, he has split his year 12 studies over two years to allow for the busy schedule that includes 9 Events in the first semester alone.Meanwhile, the rookie field competing in Australia’s fastest racing cars is one of the strongest the championship has ever seen, with a group of young rising stars all keen to make the biggest impact possible this weekend.Mackay driver Roland Legge, who recently turned 17, and Victorian High School student Chelsea Angelo – also 17 – are the youngest in the field with Cooma driver Chris Anthony and Melbourne Karter Ricky Capo only a year older.Angelo, fresh from two seasons of competitive Australian Formula Ford competition, currently leads the Formula 3 National Class after strong performances at the opening pair of rounds in Adelaide and at Sandown, respectively.The OzStaff Racing Dallara driver says she can’t wait for the opportunity to get her first laps of the Mountain.”It’s actually going to be my first time to Bathurst, so I’m very excited to be going there in one of Australia’s quickest cars,” Angelo said.”You could say it is a little daunting, but actually I’m just very excited. I have been practicing and preparing for it a lot. I have spent a lot of time on iRacing (online simulation game) practicing, and also training getting stronger both physically and mentally.”A lot of people are surprised when I tell them I have never been there.. it’s a very big deal for me because I have been looking forward to going there since I was a little kid. It’s a dream coming true.”Roland Legge actually raced a Formula 3 car before he could legally drive alone on the road, having only achieved his Provisional road car license last week on turning 17.The karting champion moved directly to Australia’s fastest racing cars from Karts at the start of this year, improving dramatically each time he got behind the wheel – to the point where he won his class at the series’ most recent round in Melbourne.Cooma driver Chris Anthony currently sits third in the CAMS Gold Star standings after two rounds thanks to a series of impressive performances in his Team BRM Dallara. Anthony is also the reigning NSW Formula Ford Champion. Capo qualified on the front row of his Formula 3 debut on the streets of Adelaide, and has shown impressive pace in just two full meetings of car racing, following his graduation from karts.The Bathurst Motor Festival will be held across the April 18-20 long weekend at Mount Panorama, Bathurst. Volunteers to assist in the operation of the Event are still being sought; interested parties can visit www.bathurstmotorfestival.com.au and click the ‘officials and volunteers’ tab to find more info. Entry to the Bathurst Motor Festival is by Bank Note donation with all proceeds going towards official Event charity, Legacy.An Event-record 332 entries have been received for the April 18-20 weekend.