Gilmour Racing 2005 Season Review Part 1
Australian Formula 3
2005 had a satisfying end result for Gilmour Racing with Chris Gilmour finishing
fourth in the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship standings. However,
it was a turbulent year for the team with deep lows towards the start of the
season, but a strong improvement in the second half of the year.
Gilmour Racing spent the entire season handicapped with the older Dallara
F301 chassis, while the other leading competitors had the newer, and faster
F304 chassis. Nevertheless, Chris Gilmour made the best of his equipment and
was the highest finisher in the standings using the older model; the top-3
drivers each drove the newer cars.
I went into 2005 wanting to win the championship after having a great 2004
series, explained Chris Gilmour, But I knew we would struggle in the older
car and we didn't have a high budget again in 2005 - I think we did 2 test
days for the year, and that makes it hard
The season also saw Gilmour Racing suffer their biggest setback, with a shattered
car and a broken leg for Chris Gilmour at the Australian Grand Prix. The disaster
also showed the team the true meaning of character building. A new tub had
to be brought from overseas and assembled to make the car race-worthy in time
for the second round of the championship, straining the teams resources to
the limit, and Chris had to mend a broken leg. Amazingly the team achieved
all this and returned to the track, without missing a round, only six weeks
after the accident.
Chris Gilmour finished the season on 142 points - nearly twice as many as
his closest rival in fifth place. During the course of the season, Chris amassed
a total of five podium finishes, and was only 36 points shy of third position
in the championship standings.
Round-by-round review
Round 1: Wakefield Park - February 25-27
In a weekend marked by the immediate dominance of the new F304 chassis, Gilmour
Racing made a firm start to the season finishing the two races in sixth and
fourth respectively after qualifying in fifth for both. The team felt confident
that with a few changes to the car setup they could run at the front of the
Dallara F301s, and left Wakefield in fifth position in the standings.
Non-championship: Australian Grand Prix - March 3-6
2005 also saw the darkest moment in Gilmour Racings history. At the non-championship
round at the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park, Melbourne, Chris Gilmour
had a sickening accident when he was T-Boned in a race pelted with sudden
monsoon-like rain while Chris was stranded on slick tyres. The car was struck
between the suspension and the sidepod, and the monocoque was actually punctured,
leaving a large gash on the side of the tub which was ultimately not repairable.
Worse yet, during the accident a support hoop inside of the monocoque broke
directly over Chris Gilmours fibular on his right leg, causing a 10-centimetre
long facture in the bone.
I was just unlucky, Gilmour revealed. We went out on slicks, and at the time
thought that was the best thing to do but we were proven wrong, he explained.
What happened, happened and it couldn't be avoided. It just made me more determined
to get back in to the car again, he said.
With only six weeks until the second round of the championship at Mallala,
Gilmour Racing had to import a new monocoque from Japan and attach it to the
rear-end of the car, which had survived intact during the accident.
Round 2: Mallala - April 15-17
And yet, somehow, Gilmour Racing hit the track in time on Friday for first
practice. Chris only got off crutches for the first time right before practice,
and drove a Formula 3 car for the first time since the crash. If that was
not remarkable enough, Chris Gilmour then set the fastest time in Fridays
second practice session. Unfortunately the rest of the weekend did not go
quite as spectacularly, and Chris qualified sixth and seventh for Sundays
two races.
Race one then began as badly as possible with Chris stalling the car on the
start for the first time in his Formula 3 career. He recovered marvelously
though, storming through the field to finish in fifth. Chris almost stalled
again at the start of race two and dropped towards the back of the field.
However, once again he salvaged a strong result, also finishing the second
race in fifth position. Funnily enough, Gilmour Racing then left the Mallala
round continuing to sit in fifth position in the standings.
Round 3: Phillip Island - May 20-22
The next visit on the Gilmour Racing and Chris Gilmour itinerary was Philip
Island a first visit for the entire team for the technically daunting track.
The team had difficultly coming to grips with the circuit and at times felt
they were going backwards with setup rather than forwards, however Chris still
managed to place himself on fifth and seventh on the grid for the races.
During race one, Chris moved up into fourth, equaling his best result of the
season at the time. However, the real action occurred during the second race.
After an exhilarating dice with Leanne Tander for sixth position, which ended
with Chris passing Tander at the first corner at over 250km/hr, Gilmours race
came to an abrupt halt. The push rod in the master cylinder failed while Gilmour
was running towards the second corner. I thought I was going to kill myself,
exclaimed Gilmour at the time, But I reacted quickly to throw the car into
a spin and stop the car. The car ended in the gravel undamaged, but Chris
had to retire continuing to lay in fifth in the point standings.
Round 4: Queensland Raceway - July 1-3
The fourth round of the season marked Gilmour Racings home event at the fabled
Paperclip. Having tested at the track the team had high hopes for the round,
but was mildly disappointed with sixth place on the race one grid. On the
other hand, the qualification session for race two went much better, with
Chris Gilmour qualifying fourth. The start of the first race saw Gilmour leap
forward a position, and Chris then had a lonely race finishing a comfortable
fifth. The second race was much more hectic for the Queenslander, with a frenzied
start to the race. The race was marked with a three-way battle for third position
for much of the race. Chris moved up into fourth position and then dogged
Tim Macrow for third position, but was unable to make the pass. Chris Gilmour
crossed the line in fourth position for the third time in the season, and
left Queensland Raceway only a couple points shy of fourth position in the
championship.
Stay tuned for part two of the 2005 Gilmour Racing season review.
For all their support in 2005, Gilmour Racing would like to thank Identity
Plus, PM Lubricants, Revolution Racegear and Gilmour Developments.
For additional information about the team, please visit the Gilmour Racing
website at www.gilmourracing.com.
Contact Information:
Errol Gilmour: 0418 788448, GilmourErrolG@JohnDeere.com
Chris Gilmour: 0438 632459, gilmourracing@optusnet.com.au