Formula 1 tunnel boat driver, Bob Trask , has made a dream start to his 2006 racing season. At the opening round of the 2006 Formula 1 Superboat series, Bob Trask took the chequered flag in all three Formula 1 heats staged on the Manning River , Taree.
In addition to running a full campaign on the seven rounds of the Australian Formula 1 Superboat series, Bob Trask will once again campaign his two boat TDC/Sea Quest race team, on the world Formula 1 circuit. The world circuit includes rounds in Europe , Asia and the Middle East.
The opening round of the Australian Formula 1 Superboat series was staged at Taree with a crack field of 14 F1 boats lining the start pontoon. In a result that he regarded as the most satisfying of his career, Bob Trask was a clear cut winner with three victories from three starts.
Indeed not only did Bob Trask win, he did so comfortably, almost lapping Australian F1 veteran Craig Bailey and TDC/Sea Quest team member and brother David Trask, over the 15 lap race distance. David Trask finished the weekend with frustrating trim problems which relegated him to third position overall.
"Between the last round of the world series and the first round here in Australia we did a lot of testing and development," Bob said.
"Former world and USA F1 champion Scott Gillman came to Brisbane and did some test work with the team. Scott took about 12 kg of ballast out of the nose of the boat, swapped props from a regular design to a rounded tip style and finally slowed the rate of in-trim on the race motor."
These tuning factors combined with Scott's hard driving technique showed that the GTR hull could go a lot harder; and that's exactly what occurred at Taree.
"It was total domination from the time the starters flag dropped until the chequered flag came out 15 laps later," Bob Trask said. "It was a very satisfying weekend where the boat handled superbly and the Mercury race engine was very strong and reliable."
"I feel very confident in this hull, the same one that I used on the 2005 world F1 circuit. As the water at Taree chopped up, the boat really came into its element running high and floating across the top of the water. We were easily pulling 225km/h (140 mph) down the straights.
The next round on the Australian F1 Superboat series is at Toukley (NSW) March 10 th and the first round of the UIM World F1 series is at Qatar April 15 th. |
