The Redcliffe Peninsula - Edition 2 Feb 2024 - Nick Crockford - Journalist
Evans racing to start season
The countdown is almost over for Kyle Evans, the 19-year-old Redcliffe racer who will start his first Australian Formula Open season from February 9-11.
Months of preparation will culminate on Friday when Evans climbs into his Gilmour Racing/KCK Racing 2011 Dallara Formula (F3) car at Sandown Raceway.
Friday's practice at the Melbourne track - considered a 'power circuit' with two straights almost 1 km long will be followed by races Saturday and Sunday.
Evans knows about speed, having hit 240km/h at Phillip Island last year, but is still working out how far he can push the F3 car which has "so much down force".
"I will probably be one of the most inexperienced drivers in the first race," he said, before heading down to Victoria.
"I'm still getting my head around this formula... it's a work in progress at the moment.
"But that doesn't worry me. I've got too much else to worry about, like focusing on what i have to do and aiming for those targets".
"Obviously I'd like to win it (the championship), but I think making the top three will be a reasonable target."
Evans was in Formula Ford last year when offered a "run" in a F3 car during a practice day and "wasn't expecting to be as quick as I was".
His first Open drive followed at the Phillip Island Grand Prix, in November, when he finished fifth, sixth, sixth in the three races.
Matthew and Donna Gilmour, of Gilmour Racing signed Evans for the 2024 Formula Open series, which has three point-scoring races in each round.