The 2004 Australian Formula 3 Championship commenced on the streets of Adelaide last weekend and provided some of the most thrilling racing seen in years. Sydney youngster, Ian Dyk, driving the Selleys-backed Astuti Competition Dallara Spiess Opel took out Race 1 in convincing fashion, reeling off a succession of fastest laps including breaking the lap record a staggering four times. His new benchmark of 1:19.4959 for the 3.22km circuit is the fastest time ever set on the Adelaide Parkland circuit. Second in Race 1 went to Queensland Formula Ford star Chris Gilmour, whose Gilmour Racing Dallara Spiess Opel will be a force as the season progresses. 2003 Australian Formula 3 Rookie of the Year, Karl Reindler, has returned for 2004 with Team BRM. A fine third-placed finish in Race 1 ahead of team-mate Marcus Marshall proved that Reindler has lost none of his pace during the off-season. Others to put in impressive drives were Aircon Racing's new signing, Daniel Pappas, who, after starting from P5, muffed the start to find himself at the back of the field. Pappas provided some of the most exciting racing as he carved his way through the field to finish the race in fifth place. Meanwhile another rookie, NSW's John Pettit claimed a worthy sixth place in Race 1, driving the Bob Johns F3 Team Dallara Spiess Opel.

In the Yokohama Trophy class (Scholarship), Team BRM's Craig Rundle has the perfect start to the season by claiming pole position, winning Race 1 and setting fastest lap. He finished ahead of Cooltemp's Bevan Carrick and Scud Racing's Bill Maddocks.

If Saturday's Race 1 was the teaser, then Sunday's Race 2 delivered. A crowd of seventy-five thousand people were lucky enough to witness easily one of the finest F3 races ever held in this country. Chris Gilmour started from pole alongside Astuti Competition's Ian Dyk. Team BRM's Karl Reindler was once again third on the grid alongside Race Torque International's Aaron Caratti. The hard-charging Daniel Pappas lined up in fifth, next to Team BRM's temporary signing Marcus Marshall. Marshall is heading to Europe this year to compete in the Porsche Supercup and will be a name to watch to those who follow F1 in Europe.

Gilmour won the start from Reindler, Dyk and Caratti. Marshall slotted into fifth and Pappas sixth. The racing was close and intense, never more than a few car lengths between the top four until Dyk made his move. In second place by the end of Lap 1, Dyk slotted past race-leader Gilmour on Lap 2 and looked set to repeat his Race 1 domination by pulling out a small gap over Gilmour and Reindler. However, Caratti in his Dallara Renault Sodemo spun out of the race from fourth place, leaving the fifth-placed Marshall and sixth place David Borg nowhere to go. All three cars retired from the race and the ensuing wreckage brought out the Safety Car.

At the end of Lap 5, the Safety Car returned to the pits and Dyk once again set about putting a gap between himself and Gilmour. Team BRM's Karl Reindler meanwhile, took advantage of the dicing duo ahead of him and slipped past Gilmour into second place behind Dyk. Dyk and Reindler, two 18-year olds with a bright future ahead of them, then set about thrilling the huge Adelaide crowd. For lap after lap they diced nose-to-gearbox, Reindler taking the lead off Dyk on Lap 8. The Sydney youngster however, was not to be intimidated and stuck with Reindler, never more than a car-length behind the Perth-based Team BRM driver. On the final lap, the two were closer than ever and Dyk made his move into the tight Turn 11. He passed Reindler and looked set to hold on for victory but Reindler had other ideas and re-passed Dyk through the sweeping Turn 13. Dyk however, still refused to concede and came up alongside Reindler into the final corner, Turn 14. Emerging on to the start/finish straight side-by-side, it came down to a short drag to see who would finish on top. In the end, Reindler took the chequered flag by 2/10ths over Dyk, both drivers receiving a standing ovation from the huge crowd as they circled on their victory lap. Chris Gilmour finished third, some six seconds behind, while John Pettit capped off a fine debut weekend by finishing fourth ahead of Aircon Racing's Daniel Pappas and PHR Scuderia's Maher Algadrie.