The battle for the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship is closer than ever after Leanne Tander and Nathan Caratti won the two races at Mallala Raceway over the weekend.
Starting 27 points behind leader James Winslow before the round, Tander's race one win vaulted her to within ten points of the revised lead, whilst Team BRM driver
Caratti's race two triumph put him back in front overall, having originally led after the opening round at Eastern Creek in early February.
As a result, the top four drivers in the title race are now covered by just eight points, with Caratti leading the way on 93 and Neil McFadyen (89), Winslow (86) and Tander (85) giving chase.
It was a great weekend, Tander enthused, [Race one] was the perfect race for us. The car was excellent and it allowed me to do what I needed to do to keep the win. I've said often that I need to win races to win the championship and that's what I've done two rounds in a row. It's pleasing that I've won here I've now won at two tracks that I've never won at before, which is great. With Phillip Island next, things are looking good for us.
On a day that dawned wet, but stayed dry throughout, Tander led race one from pole position after fending off a solid attack from Caratti during the 14-lap duration. Behind the two leaders, National class driver and F3 returnee Karl Reindler finished third after holding off a pack of potentially faster Championship cars that were unable to pass, including those of Nick Percat, Mat Sofi and McFadyen.
McFadyen had held Sofi off for the majority of the race, but eventually succumbed as Sofi found a way through heading into the final corner of the final lap to record his best finish of the season.
Tander, meanwhile, became the first driver this season to win twice, five different drivers having won the first five races this season. Reindler was the National Class winner, ahead of class points leader Chris Gilmour and new Piccola Scuderia driver Justin Tate.
