Occhipinti back to add weight to Astuti challenge.

Ricky Occhipinti is back the Kumho Tyres Australian F3 Championship - and he wants to throw a spanner into works of the already-established frontrunners at Phillip Island this weekend.

The 2006 National Class champion has confirmed that he will return to the series after nine months on the sidelines, having agreed to join the race-winning Astuti Motorsport team for round three of the series, where he hopes to tackle the established pacesetters in the series at one of his favourite circuits. The 22-year old dominated last year's category for 2001 model cars with his family-run Formula Uno Racing outfit, but received some support from the Astuti camp throughout the season. He will drive the #10 Whispers Studio/Formula Uno Motors Dallara-Renault F304 in the Gold Star class at the weekend.

Melbourne-based Astuti are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, having dominated the recent Oran Park round with Britain's Charlie Hollings, lifting the interloper into second in the championship, and Occhipinti admits that he can't wait to get back on track.

"There is no doubt that it's going to be a great weekend," he enthused, "Sam and Tony Astuti run a very professional team and, with Charlie as a team-mate, I think the weekend will be about learning as much as possible so I can hopefully throw a spanner in the works on Sunday!"

Occhipinti's last competitive outing in an F3 car came at the 4.46km Phillip Island circuit last season, where he outpaced a number of this year's current championship contenders in his National Class machinery.

"It's a track I know well," he admitted, "However, without having sat in a '04 F3 car - and taking into account that the frontrunners this year have done plenty of miles - I think our goals are very realistic."

Should he want to succeed this weekend, Occhipinti will have to defeat a host of young talent, as an 18-car field readies to tackle the high-speed Phillip Island circuit.

Current championship protagonists Tim Macrow, Hollings, Leanne Tander, Stuart Kostera and James Winslow will all be looking to assert their claim to the title in the third round, whilst the likes of Mat Sofi and Italian Marco Mapelli will be looking for strong runs after tough weekends at Oran Park.

Phillip Island will also mark the championship debut of young Mathew Radisich, the nephew of V8 Supercar ace Paul. The 18-year old made his F3 debut at the non-championship Australian Grand Prix support races in Melbourne in March, and will be looking to continue the strong progress towards the front of the field that he was able to show in his debut.

In this year's National Class, championship rivals Chris Barry and Lauren Gray will continue their season-long battle for class supremacy, while John Boothman and Daniel Schulz join the strong entry. Rod Anderson, Greg Hunter and '06 champ Graeme Holmes will fight out the battle in the Trophy Class.