Planes vs trains

I was enjoying reading Alex Kirby's editorial in the new edition of Tree News when he bobs up on the BBC website with a planes vs. trains story.

Rocket Radio Splashdown Party

Back in the UK briefly to attend the Rocket Radio Splashdown Party, to celebrate a successful season of Rocket Radio 2002.
Big thanks to everyone who made it a success. Flying back to the big country tomorrow. Looking forward to a mega 2003. Could this be the year?

Gommendy wins the 49th Macau Grand Prix

Tristan Gommendy, the French F3 Champion, has won the F3 Macau Grand Prix driving a Dallara F302 Renault-Sodemo for the ASM Team. He worked his way relentlessly through the field after Heikki Kovalainen took the lead in the 15 lap final. In a race of incidents and accidents he showed great skill making a pass at 160 mph round the outside at Mandarin Oriental bend and going on to take the lead from Kovalainen, who finished second.
Japanese drivers Takashi Kogure, Katsuyuki Hiranaka and Hiroki Yoshimoto were third, fourth and fifth while Dutchman Robert Doornbos was sixth. Paolo Montin lost his chance by stalling on the startline when on pole position and later crashing out of the race at Lisboa Bend. Shinya Sato crashed right at the end of the race losing sixth at the last gasp.
This was a classic victory for Gommendy - Formula One talent scouts will be watching his progress. A great Macau Grand Prix that will be remembered in years to come.

Rutter wins Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix

Michael Rutter from Great Britain has won the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix riding his 998cc Ducati. Rutter headed a clean sweep of the top six by British riders in the 36th running of this event. Victory celebrations included massive burnouts in the paddock by participating riders.
The top six were Michael Rutter, John McGuinness on a Honda, David Jefferies (Suzuki), Gus Scott (Suzuki), Brian Morrison (Suzuki), Pete Jennings (Suzuki).

Huisman happy repeat winner

The winner of the Guia race Duncan Huisman continued the recent run of family form in the race. Two years ago it was brother Patrick winning the Guia race and last year it was Duncan's turn. Today he repeated the feat - "I'm often mistaken for my brother. It doesn't matter. I'm a bit quicker than him."
Huisman said "The car was really perfect. I had a good rhythm. The safety car didn't help. The car was sliding like hell in the first few corners after that."
Nicola Larini in second place said "I had a problem in the qualifying race, I changed my setup but there was no time to repair the car. It was impossible to win. I was just waiting for Huisman to make a mistake. It was not right."

Huisman wins Guia race in Macau

Duncan Huisman from Holland has won the two-leg Guia touring car race here in Macau in his Carly Motors BMW 320i. Second overall was Nicola Larini in his Alfa Romeo 147. Larini tried all he knew to get in the slipstream of Huisman on the long Macau straight but was unable to mount a challenge at the end. The race featured a 160 mph crash by Macau driver Andre Couto whose tyres were starting to go away - finally he hit the wall at Mandarin Oriental in spectacular fashion bringing his day to a premature close. British driver Anthony Davidson moved up to third from fifth on the grid in his Honda Civic but dropped back later ending his chances against the tyre barrier at the Lisboa Bend. He eventually finished fourteenth.
The top six were Huisman, Larini, Engstler, Taniguchi, Harrison, and Scharmach.

Success for Hong Kong driver in Bathurst 24 Hours

The BMW Z3 M Coupe of Hong Kong driver Matthew Marsh, VJ Angelo, Ric Shaw and Ross Buckingham has finished fifth overall and first in class in the Bathurst 24 Hours.
Matthew Marsh reports from the podium that they have won the Bathurst Trophy. Well done.

Huisman in front in first leg of Guia

Dutchman Duncan Huisman has won the first leg of the Guia Touring car race here in Macau. Driving a BMW 320i for Carly Motors Huisman led team-mate Andre Couto, from Macau driving in his first touring car event, all the way in this 12 lap event. Couto had to contend with attacks from Alfa team drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Nicola Larini. Tarquini hit the wall and eventually retired while Larini came home a close third in his Alfa Romeo 147.

Marsh in fifth at Bathurst race

Report from Matthew Marsh running in the Bathurst 24 Hours motor race in Australia - "Car running in fifth place with one hour to go, we are looking for fourth. I've been admonished by the team manager for getting too excited and over-revving the engine. Night racing at Mount Panorama absolutely mega."

Montin wins leg one of Macau GP

Paolo Montin of Italy has won the first leg of the Macau Grand Prix. This race determines the all-important starting positions for the final to be held later today.
In second place was Tristan Gommendy of France with Macau returnee Narain Karthikeyan from India in third. Heikki Kovalainen, Yuji Ide and Kousuke Matsuura completed the top six.

More from Bathurst

The BMW of Matthew Marsh has started the race and is running in fourteeenth place - it failed to appear on the timing screens for the first two laps but this problem has now been rectified.

Montin starts Macau Grand Prix from pole

Paolo Montin from Italy has secured pole position for the Macau Grand Prix to be held on Sunday. The race is run in two heats with the first event determining the starting positions for the all-important final race. On a blustery day the time of 2 mins 14.995 secs was fast enough for Montin to start the race from the front. Next up was Tristan Gommendy from France with the Japanese driver Kousuke Matsuura in third.

Matsuura On Provisional Pole

Japanese Kousuke Matsuura grabbed provisional pole position for the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix in the final minute of Thursday's opening qualifying session.

The Prema Powerteam driver, who finished runner-up in this year's German Formula 3 series, had been in contention for the top spot all the way through the 45-minute session as the times tumbled. And he did not let a brief red flag session affect his concentration as he made the most of the stoppage to capitalise on the fastest track conditions in the closing seconds.

The red flag had been brought out following two unconnected accidents. Local driver Lei Kit Meng badly damaged his car after hitting the barriers backwards, while Alan van de Merwe put his Carlin Motorsport Dallara F302 sideways into the armco at Dona Maria Bend.

Japanese Yuji Ide left it until his final lap to secure second place on the grid, 0.818 seconds behind his compatriot, while Australian driver James Courtney proved one of the sensations of the day as he grabbed provisional third spot in the closing seconds on his first visit to Macau.

The former Jaguar Formula 1 test driver, who finished runner-up in this year's British F3 championship, said: “I was really starting to push towards the end. I had been fairly quick all day but I didn't really want to go off so I wasn't taking any risks. But the red flag session really helped because it allowed me to make an improvement to my set-up and that really helped. On my final lap I knew I could take bigger chances, and it really paid off.”

Italian Paolo Montin, who had been quickest in the morning session, had no complaints about his session despite ending up only fourth. “At the end, when all the best times were done, I was running alone and just getting my set-up right for tomorrow,” explained the TOM’S driver. “I didn't use any new tyres so I could save them for final qualifying. I am pretty happy.”

Heikki Kovalainen complained of feeling slightly unwell during the session but ended up fifth fastest. “I don't know what I've got, but I should be alright by tomorrow,” said the Finn. “My car was fine, but the red flag caught me out because I had just put on some new tyres. I was also caught out by traffic on my best laps but I think it has been a good day.”

French Formula 3 champion Tristan Gommendy ruined his chances of grabbing provisional pole position when he brushed the wall at the exit of R. Bend and damaged his left rear wheel. He ended up sixth overall after challenging for the top spot for much of the session.

Japanese Tatsuya Kataoka, who drives for Swiss Racing Team, damaged his car after crashing into the barriers on the exit of Dona Maria Bend and again on the entry to the Melco Hairpin. Cristiano Citron also crashed his Target Racing car into the barriers.

Macau Grand Prix

Now in Macau at the Grand Prix - Formula Three qualifying underway. Receiving text messages from Matthew Marsh who is racing in the Bathurst 24 Hours down in Australia.