Ryan Dalziel - King of the Hill?

The last time Knockhill, in Fife, played host to the British Formula 3 Championship Scottish racing star Ryan Dalziel wasn't even born.

The Scottish venue last hosted the F3 series, traditionally the proving ground for future Formula One talent, in 1975. Patrick Neve from Belgium won the event and went on to secure a drive with the Williams Formula One team. Seven years later Ryan Dalziel was born.

Next weekend's return to Knockhill (Sunday 19 August) will see a similar group of hungry young racers competing in the British F3 series, none more so than 19 year-old Ryan Dalziel from Lanarkshire.

As the only Scottish driver competing in the championship Ryan will be looking to play 'home advantage' and secure the support of the Scottish crowd as he takes on a field comprising drivers from Australia, England, Germany, Japan and the United States to name a few.

In the 26 years since F3 last visited Scotland the reputation of the series has continued to grow with such luminaries as Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, David Coulthard and Jenson Button being the best know British talents to emerge from the series. Other well-known Formula One names to graduate from the series include double world champion Mika Hakkinen, Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Dalziel, driving the No.28 F3 car for Duma Racing, will be looking to repeat his Knockhill success from last season where he won the Formula Renault race. On that occasion he out-raced current Sauber F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen to the chequered flag with England's Tom Sisley completing the podium.

Ryan's debut racing cars at Knockhill proved somewhat more dramatic than last year's win. Driving for Team DFR in the 1999 Formula Vauxhall Championship, Ryan spectacularly barrel rolled his Van Diemen chassis after coming into contact with another car heading towards Taylors Hairpin. Fortunately for Ryan he emerged unscathed but his car was a write off.

In his first season of racing cars Dalziel captured the runner-up position in the British Formula Vauxhall Championship and he was subsequently awarded the Ecurie Ecosse Trophy, given to the most impressive Scottish driver of the year. In 2000 he impressed as a 'rookie' in the British Formula Renault Championship. A regular visitor to the podium he again claimed the runner-up position in the championship and was nominated for the second successive year in the prestigious McLaren Autosport Young Driver awards.

At the end of 2000 the Scotsman signed with CSS Stellar Management Ltd and in doing so joined his fellow Scots, U.S. based Champ Car racer Dario Franchitti and Toyota F1 test driver Allan McNish, as a client of the London based group.

In what has been an eventful 2001, Dalziel has missed out on a couple of rounds due to changing teams and then he was forced out of the recent Brands Hatch meeting due to a bout of tonsillitis and measles. Ryan will be looking to start a successful conclusion to his first season in F3 at Knockhill.

Some impressive on track performances, including a fourth place finish at the British Grand Prix support race, have seen Dalziel prove his potential and with eight rounds remaining the young Scot will be looking to finish the season in the top ten of the championship.

Speaking on his return to Knockhill he enthused: "I'm really looking forward to competing in Scotland again. In my two previous races I think I've provided my fare share of action and excitement. Winning last year was a tremendous feeling, it was my first victory of the season and made even sweeter because it was in front of my home support. As the local boy I know I'll be under a degree of pressure to repeat my win from last season. I would like to think I can achieve this and I'm hoping for the same level as support as I received in 2000"

"Next weekend's race will prove fairly exciting as we have no previous circuit knowledge with an F3 car," Dalziel added. "Quite a few of the drivers have raced there before in the junior formulas but we'll all be out to prove we can adapt quickly in F3. I'm testing in Wales this week with my team, Duma Racing, in order to improve the set-up of the car and be as prepared as we can for our trip north of the border."