Julian: I am youngest winner!

Nelson Angelo Piquet's claim to fames as being the youngest winner in the British Formula Three Championship is under threat from a driver all but the real enthusiasts appear to have forgotten - Elton Julian.

Following reports that the Brazilian had beaten the 18-year old Mike Thackwell's record by winning on his first appearance at Knockhill last weekend, Julian contacted Crash.Net to press his claim to the 'honour', following his victory at Thruxton back over a decade ago. The American was also 17 years of age at the time - the same as Piquet Jr - and believes that he is, in fact, a few weeks younger than the Brazilian phenom.

"To correct the fact that Nelson Piquet is not the youngest driver to win an F3 race in England, I was born on 16 August 1974 and won at Thruxton on 5 May 1992," Julian told Crash, "I am younger by a few weeks."

The difference between the pair is, indeed, less than a month, with Julian 17 years and almost nine months old when he took his first series win, and Piquet midway through the tenth month of his 18th year.

Julian's win at the Hampshire speedbowl came in trying circumstances, following the recent death of Alan Docking Racing team-mate Marcel Albers at the same venue. Despite many thinking he may have a psychological problem revisiting the circuit, the American took pole position before indulging in one of the best F3 races Thruxton had witnessed.

Despite making a good getaway at the green light, the Ralt driver found himself embroiled in a slipstreaming scrap with the likes of Gil de Ferran, Jason Plato - in the unique Van Diemen chassis - Mikke van Hool and Paul Evans. Lap after lap, the order changed, before Julian came out on top, ahead of de Ferran and Class B frontrunner Hilton Cowie, who had overcome the differences in machinery to lead overall at one point.

From F3, Julian made a brief foray into the FIA F3000 series with Omegaland and Nordic, before returning to his native United States.