Earlier this year we were able to catch up with Chris Gilmour after he broke his win drought at Morgan Park.  Chris went onto secure the Australian F3 crown and as such we were able to catch up with him again.  He is a great Champion and a driver the Series should be proud of.  Chris took six wins and a further nine podium positions for the season and ended up just eight points in front of Brit James Winslow in what was a tight Championship race.

Hi Chris, thanks for joining me.  A great F3 season, taking out the Championship in the final round – what have been some of the highlights of the year for you?

I think we had a lot of highlights but the bigger ones – we had three.  The round win at Morgan Park, to win all three races in front of my sponsors and the home crowd was definitely a feature.  I think last weekend in the feature race.  In the first two races, I don’t think we had the speed but in the Feature race we were back on par, taking it to Winslow.  Finally definitely Saturday’s race in Tasmania in front of a massive crowd an the V8 guys – to win in front of them was amazing.  The whole year has been a great year.

Coming into the final round, you were in a title battle with James Winslow.  It was a tight battle, coming down to just eight points in the end.

I was probably more nervous than anything.  It was a title that eluded me for a long time and getting that first one is always the hardest.  I don’t know, Saturday was just great – I went out there with a clear head in race 1.  Race 2 and race 3 were probably worst two races of the season.  I’m the first to admit that I wasn’t with it.  I thought I probably played it too safe and not raced at 110% like I should have.  I should have just gone out there and belted it out and gone for the win.  Instead I went for the points – it was close in the end, but we knew what we had to do and at the end of the day – we did it.

What does this now mean for your career in motorsport?

I don’t think it will do much for my career.  It is a question I have been asked a few times and unless you have the dollars behind you it is hard.  With the Fujitstu V8s or the Carrera Cup – I’m not going to do either as we don’t have the budget to do them.  I am at the stage of my life – I am married, I have a great business.  I love racing the open wheelers.  They are the best cars I have ever races – they are fast too.  I’ll do the first couple rounds of the F3 at Clipsal and Bathurst and if we have a good couple rounds there, we’ll look to defend our crown.  Honestly though, we aren’t looking too much at it yet.

How have you celebrated the Championship?

I had two hours sleep last night and back at the office straight away – so reality hits pretty hard!  We celebrated well last night  – my mum, dad, my wife.  Winning the Championship was more a personal goal than anything else.  Winning in anything whether it be F3, karts, Formula Ford was a goal and we achieved that yesterday.  We are very happy.

Motor racing is expensive – how do you fund your F3 efforts and how do you balance it with your professional life?

We have a couple minor sponsors but it is mainly family funded to be honest.  We have a private investor too who helped me out through my whole career – who is still on board.  Without his help, we wouldn’t have a car and we wouldn’t be racing.  Mum and dad have been a massive help.

I should have just gone out there and belted it out and gone for the win.  Instead I went for the points – it was close in the end, but we knew what we had to do and at the end of the day – we did it.

Finally, if you do continue – will you have the same car as 2011 or upgrade, as new cars will be available for the 2012 Australian F3 Championship?

We haven’t decided.  My dad has just retired from his work.  There is talk that we might bring in a newer ’08 model F3.  We own the ’07 model and we will keep that.  There is a chance that we might run a two-car team for next year.  We may put a young kid into one of the cars.  That is also on the cars.  Something that dad has always wanted to do is run his own team, and now he has the time to do that. We have the credentials with the Championship so that will help too.  We are not ruling anything out just yet.

Great – thanks for your time and congratulations on the Championship.

Thank-you.

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Australian F3 Championship from Morgan Park

Interview and article by Sam Tickell, November 2011