The brand new Australian Formula Open (AFO) will commence its first full season this weekend, as it joins the Motorsport Australia NSW Motor Race Championships at Winton Raceway.
 
A strong field of 21 competitors will contest the first round of the 2023 season, with a range of open wheelers across Formula 3, Formula 4, Formula Toyota / Renaults and other invited cars to feature in the category.
 
As for the field itself, a good mix of young rising stars and experienced campaigners are entered in the opening round, which is run in partnership with NSW Formula Race Car Association.
 
Some of the juniors for the event include Tim Boydle, Craig McLatchey, Mark Wilson and Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific Selection Program participant Kristian Janev – all of whom will be running in Formula 3s under the AGI Sport banner.

Tim Macrow Racing also has a pool of talent representing it, with karting graduate Winston Van Laarhoven, former Australia GT class winner Ryan How and World Time Attack podium getter Trent Grubel forming part of its line up.
 
A keen supporter of the category, Macrow has put up a fully funded test in one of his team’s S5000s and free entry into one of the S5000 Australian Drivers’ Championship rounds in 2024 as a reward for this year’s champion.


With the category also backed by RaceFuels, the Victorian-based fuel supplier has offered awards to the winners of the AFO 1 Class, which is open to outright cars and the AFO 4, which is open to Formula 4 cars.  
 
The opening round of the Australian Formula Open powered by RaceFuels Championship will have multiple official practice sessions, before qualifying and racing across Saturday and Sunday at Winton Raceway.
 
In addition to the Australian Formula Open, powered by RaceFuels, the race meeting will have a further five state-level series taking part.
 
The categories featuring in the opening round of the state-level championship include Formula Vee, Sports Sedans, Production Touring Cars, HQ Holdens and Formula Ford.
 
All but one category will enjoy the regular format of practice, qualifying and three races, with Production Touring Cars to have two eight-lap races on Saturday and two one-hour endurance races on Sunday.   
 
The action begins on Saturday morning with Formula Vee’s first practice session, while the Production Touring Cars' second shortened race at 3:40pm AEDT conclude proceedings for the day.
 
On Sunday, Formula Vee again starts the day with its second race at 9am while the Australian Formula Open wraps up the weekend at 2:55pm AEDT.
 
The Motorsport Australia NSW Motor Race Championship takes place at Winton Raceway on 4-5 March.