The 2024 Giti Australian Formula Open season gets underway at Race Sandown this weekend, with a field of 14 cars to do battle across the weekend.
Leading the way is reigning champion Trent Grubel, who will don the #1 plate in 2024 as he looks to go back-to-back after an epic title fight last year.
Grubel will be joined by a number of his Tim Macrow Racing teammates, including last year’s third-place finisher Miles Bromley, podium getter Beau Russell and Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific and Oceania finalist, Ryan Macmillan, who makes the step up into AFO1 this year in the same Dallara F308 Ryan How steered to second place in 2023.
Purchase tickets for Race Sandown via motorsporttickets.com.au
Joining the Tim Macrow Racing quartet in the AFO1 class will be Ruff Racing’s Gerrit Ruff, Gilmour Racing’s Kyle Evens, George Kantzios of GK Racing and 99 Motorsport’s Ryan Astley, who will make a one-off return.
Three cars will form part of the AFO2 class, headlined by reigning class champion Matthew Roesler, and fellow Tatuus FT-50 drivers Matthew Woodland of TCM Race Services and Jetforms.com.au’s Christopher Slusarski.
Rounding out the entry list are a trio of circuit racing debutants in the AFO4 class, most notably Joanne Ciconte, who made it to the final four of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars Program in 2023.
Ciconte will be up against fellow Tim Macrow Racing teammate Jayden Hamilton and Isaac McNeill of Volante Rosso in the class, with all three teenagers making the step up from karting.
One of four categories in action during the Shannons SpeedSeries’ first event of the year, the Giti Australian Formula Open will have three races over the course of the weekend, the first of which will occur on Saturday afternoon before it both opens and closes Sunday’s action.
All three races will form part of the Shannons SpeedSeries’ live and free coverage on the 7plus stream.
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Race Sandown takes place at Sandown International Raceway on 9-11 February.
Race Sandown AFO Entry list
AFO1
1 – Trent Grubel, Tim Macrow Racing – Dallara F312
3 – Gerrit Ruff, Ruff Racing – Mygale M11
9 – Miles Bromley, Oil Baron Supply/Tim Macrow Racing – Dallara F308/11
17 – Kyle Evens, Gilmour Racing – Dallara F308/11
21 – Ryan Macmillan, SP Tools/Tim Macrow Racing – Dallara F308/11
22 – Beau Russell, RBG Property Services/Tim Macrow Racing – Dallara F308/11
23 – George Kantzios, GK Racing – Dallara F304
99 – Ryan Astley, 99 Motorsport – Dallara F308/11
AFO2
4 – Matthew Roesler, State Fleet Services – Tatuus FT-50
53 – Matthew Woodland, TCM Race Services – Tatuus FT-50
93 – Christopher Slusarski, Jetforms.com.au – Tatuus FT-50
AFO4
11 – Isaac McNeill, Evoheat/Volante Rosso – Tatuus T014
16 – Jayden Hamilton, Tim Macrow Racing – Mygale M14/F4
25 – Joanne Ciconte, Kaboodle/Tim Macrow Racing – Mygale M14/F4
