Will S5000 Signal Last Lap For Formula 3 In Oz?

S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship, SMSP. (C)

    Since 1957 Motorsport Australia (formerly Confederation of Australian Motorsport or CAMS) have presided over one of Australia's longest running motorsport championships, the Australian Drivers' Championship. This championship is attained by the driver who wins the series of the top complying open wheel category as determined by Motorsport Australia. They are awarded the prestigious Gold Star. In the past the Gold Star has been contested in categories such as  Formula Libre, Australian Formula 1 and Australian Formula 2, Formula Holden and Formula Brabham. Not only international drivers but the best home grown talent have vied  for Gold Star honours. Many have gone on to forge remarkable international careers. Past winners include such illustrious names like Lex Davison, Stan Jones, 4 time winners Bib Stillwell and Alfredo Costanzo, John Bowe, Mark Skaife, Paul Stokell, David Brabham, Will Power and Scott Dixon. From 2005 to 2014 Formula 3 has been the disputed category with drivers like Tim Macrow, Ben Barker and most recently Simon Hodge enjoying the winning spoils.
    Unfortunately dwindling entries in Formula 3 were the catalyst for shelving the Gold Star at the end of 2014. However in 2021, Motorsport Australia have resurrected the Australian Drivers' Championship and deemed the new S5000 series worthy of the Gold Star. S5000 is a modern take of F5000 which ran in the 1970's, attracting the then current F1 drivers "Down Under" in the F1 off season to battle for the coveted Tasman Cup. Big banger 5 litre V8 open wheelers producing around 560bhp with big rubber focussing on mechanical grip with minimal aerodynamics. They look the part. They sound the part and they've got the speed to match. The recent Sydney Motorsport Park round crowned Joey Mawson of Team BRM the latest recipient of the Gold Star. 
​    So where does this leave Formula 3? Coinciding with the cessation of the Gold Star, in 2015, Motorsport Australia commenced with great fanfare the start of the FIA sanctioned Formula 4 championship. A worthy stepping stone for young drivers wishing to progress their burgeoning careers from karting to open wheelers. A fantastic introduction to wings and slicks racing. Despite our best efforts to promote Formula 3, petitioning for a support bill at the Australian F1 Grand Prix or a return to Mt Panorama, we questioned whether both categories could co-exist. Formula 4's entry numbers never quite fulfilled Motorsport Australia's ambitions. Fast forward 5 years and Formula 4 is now defunct in Australia, yet still prominent in Europe, UK, Asia, USA and South America. The knock on effect to Formula 3 in Australia is that numbers dwindled further and the category receives virtually no multimedia exposure.  
    Now with S5000 being the complying category for the Gold Star, will it be endorsed in a fashion that guarantees its longevity? Are we to see these thunderous machines for years to come? Well, they've made an excellent start with a support
card for the Australian F1 GP, supporting some Supercar events and featuring as part of the Motorsport Australia Championships which are streamed live and on free-to-air TV. Now for the 2021-2022 forthcoming season we have a series within a series, the International Triple Header. Desiring to attract some international drivers we have 3 events in 3 weeks, the Australian F1 GP, the inaugural Bathurst International at Mt Panorama and the Gold Coast 500 as part of the Supercars finale. As exciting as this is, has anyone remembered that Formula 3 are still contesting their championship during the Gold Coast weekend at The Bend in South Australia? You see our point?
    We've asked the question before, but we'll ask it again. Are there simply too many different motorsport categories in Australia? With S5000 moving from strength to strength, will the repercussion be that Formula 3 in Australia be no longer seen as a viable stepping stone and be shown the blue flag and lapped into oblivion?
​    Yours with maximum downforce and low drag. Chao....            

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