Eurasia Motorsport concluded the first half of the Formula Masters China Series (FMCS) at Taiwan’s Penbay International Circuit with strong points and top five finishes for its three drivers, Aidan Read, Sean Hudspeth and Kim Jeong Tae (3-5 July).
Taking to the Penbay International Circuit for qualifying on Saturday (4 July) morning for qualifying, Eurasia Motorsport’s trio of drivers, Read, Hudspeth and Jeong Tae, continued to explore both the limits of both track and car as part of the series’ first visit to the Taiwan circuit.
Sitting third in the Drivers’ standings after the opening two rounds at Sepang and the Shanghai International Circuit, Australia’s Read was quick to dial himself into the circuit to set the seventh fastest time of the session during the first part of qualifying, which determines the grid positions for the day’s later race, while teammates Hudspeth and Tae went tenth and 12th quickest respectively.
Lining-up in their respective grid positions for the first of the weekend’s three races, which was delayed by 15 minutes after a brief downpour before drying out quickly, Read became entangled in a five-way battle for the final step on the podium, as four seconds separated them over the line after the 12 lap contest, with Read coming home in fourth, eight tenths of a second behind third placed Nicholas Rowe.
Jeong Tae was the next Eurasia Motorsport driver to cross the line in tenth position to further his experience and knowledge within the premier single-seater series, as Hudspeth finished albeit three laps down.
The following day’s (5 July) two races were held in dry conditions, as, after starting fifth on the grid, Read reeled in Matthew Swanepoel of Arrows Racing, who had started in fourth, and snuck by him on the tight turn four, only to have the South African return the favour on the very next turn, before finishing down the order in 14th, one position ahead of Hudspeth.
Narrowly missing out on finishing inside the top ten for the second time was Jeong Tae, who continued to explore the limits of both car and circuit to finish 11th position.
In the weekend’s third and final race, all three drivers were looking round out the weekend in positive fashion, as the series witnessed one of the closest races in its history, after the top 13 drivers were covered by less than seven seconds, with positions constantly chopping and changing up-and-down the field.
All three drivers were embroiled in several battles throughout, as Read, who set his sights on a podium finish prior to the weekend, ran nose-to-tail with much of the field and was on course to spray the victory champagne, but was not able to make a move stick and settled for a strong fifth place finish. The young Australian has unfortunately dropped a position in the Drivers’ standings, but will look to reclaim that position when the championship enters the second half of the season in Malaysia in August.
Hudspeth was the next driver to come home in 11th position, two places ahead of teammate Jeong Tae to conclude a up-and-down weekend for the Asian outfit, which has bridged a gap to fourth placed Arrows Racing in the Team standings.
Eurasia Motorsport will return to racing action in the third instalment of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) at Austria’s picturesque Red Bull Ring (11-12 July).
