A new competition known as ‘Australian Formula Open – Powered by Racefuels’ will make its debut at this weekend’s Island Magic meeting.

Australian Formula Open (AFO), which counts two-time Gold Star winner Tim Macrow as category representative, will cater to a wide variety of wings and slicks race cars with engine capacity up to two litres.

Vehicles will be divided into three classes, with Class 1 the domain of Formula 3 cars, including some which have raced in European F3, and Class 2 including Formula 4 and Toyota Racing Series (FT50-spec) machinery.

According to organisers, they are working with Motorsport Australia on plans to run a six-round national series in 2023.

The field for this weekend at Phillip Island features 26 entries, making it one of the biggest such fields seen in Australia in years.

“I am very pleased to have our plans come to fruition,” said Macrow, who will soon retire from regular driving in order to concentrate on the business side of his race team.

“What started as a bunch of people wanting to get together and support local state rounds in an open-wheel formula, has now developed into something big with some structured classes.

“Our aim is to see as many cars as possible that are parked up in garages brought out and used as they should be, we are now providing a national platform for them to do so.

“It is humbling to see our hard work pay off which is demonstrated with such a strong field this weekend.”

Among the cars entered this weekend are an ex-Valtteri Bottas F311 Dallara which the 10-time Formula 1 race winner drove in his last F3 race at Macau, an ex-Romain Grosjean Dallara, and vehicles once fielded by teams such as Prema Racing, Double R Racing, Carlin, and Signatech.

The AFO class structure is as follows:

• Class 1: All Formula 3 machinery
  • Two constructors (Dallara, Mygale), several brands of engine (Mercedes, Volkswagen, Renault, Opel, Toyota) represented
• Class 2: All Formula 4, Toyota Racing Series, Formula Renault and earlier F3 machinery
• Class 3: Invited cars that are allowed to race at organisers’ discretion.
  • For example, ‘Free Formula’ chassis of both carbon and tubular frame construction, F1000 cars, and, in the future, the Hyper Racer

Experienced motorsport administrator Matt Baragwanath will manage the category.

“I am looking forward to delivering a professional, well executed and hotly contested championship next year which I think is what’s been missing for quite some time within this open wheel market,” said Baragwanath.

“It’s a privilege to be working with Tim on such an exciting project and bringing several of the ‘wings and slicks’ competitors together under one umbrella through both our respective relationships within the industry.

“The class system we have developed leaves it wide open for anyone to win the championship, as you don’t necessarily have to be the fastest car out there, but certainly consistency will play a big part.

“Some of the cars competing (particularly around Formula 3) are lap record holders at several of the circuits we will be going to which is exciting to be part of.”

Finer details of the 2023 AFO calendar are yet to be announced, but said it is said to be comprised of a mixture of Shannons Motorsport Australia, South Australian Motorsport Series, and locally-promoted state rounds.

Island Magic, which also includes the finale of the 2022 Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge season, starts this Friday.