Zak Lobko has confirmed he will be a title challenger after the opening round of the 2023 Australian Formula Ford Series at Morgan Park Raceway in Queensland this weekend.
Lobko scored his maiden national-level pole position and race win at Morgan Park, enjoying a perfect Saturday and outstanding start to his title attack.
On Sunday, Lobko claimed a third and second place finish, battling closely with the leading pack to sit second outright in the points in the first of the seven round series.
It was also a round of positive results for all three CHE Racing drivers, with Lachlan Strickland and Imogen Radburn proving fast in their Mygales.
Strickland made an impressive debut for CHE Racing, qualifying fourth and finishing fifth in the opening race of the season.
In Race 2, Strickland was involved in an incident while running sixth, dropping him back to 12th, but came back strong in the final race to take ninth place. Overall, he showed he has the pace to be a threat for podium finishes in 2023.
Imogen Radburn also enjoyed her best results at the national Formula Ford level, finishing her weekend with a 10th place finish in Race 3.
Radburn qualified 18th and moved up the order in every race, finishing 16th, 13th and 10th in the three races.
The Australian Formula Ford Series ventures to Sydney Motorsport Park for Round 2 on April 14-16.
QUOTES
Zak Lobko
“We had a good weekend, qualifying P1 and winning the first race was definitely the highlight,” said Lobko.
“It was really good to get that first win and start the season on the right foot.
“To be sitting second in the title is a very positive start and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.
“I’m keen for the next round in Sydney. It’s my home race so I’m looking forward to racing in front of my family.
“Massive thanks to CHE Racing for setting up the car this weekend, everyone getting around me and making the car quick.”
Lachlan Strickland
“It was a good weekend, a lot of learning on and off track with the data, working with engineers and then racing on track,” said Strickland.
“Qualifying was good. I started Race 1 from fourth, finished fifth, had some contact in Race 2, but got away with it with no damage.
“It was an intense race weekend. It was a shame I had a little incident, but overall, I was happy with the car pace.”
Imogen Radburn
“We started with some good practice sessions on Friday and we were able to improve,” said Radburn.
“With five minutes to go in qualifying, I lost second gear, so that was that done for that. I could have pushed further, but these things happen.
“In Race 1, I had another gearbox issue, and off the start I got swamped with no first gear, but we managed to fight back, passing a few drivers and finishing 16th.
“In Race 2, I did some motocross on the exit of Turn 3, but the car was all good and we moved up to 13th, so that was very positive.
“It was great to claim my first top 10 in the last race too. It shows that we are moving forward and it’s all going in the right direction.”
