After a trio of oval-track races that saw top young drivers from around the world battling wheel-to-wheel at speeds up to 150 mph, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear returns this weekend to the legendary, 10 turn, 2.4-mile road course at Mosport International Raceway for Round 6 of the 11-race 2011 season at the Mobil1 Presents the Grand Prix of Mosport.
Two of those oval races, Round 4 at the Milwaukee Mile and Round 5 at Iowa Speedway, were won by Sage Karam driving the #88 Andretti Autosport / MAZDASPEED / Comfort Revolution Mazda. The other two-race winner so far this season, Connor De Phillippi, won the season-opener at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg as well as the first of the three ovals, the Night Before the 500 at Lucas Oil Raceway. Karam and De Phillippi are currently 2nd and 3rd in the championship battle. Leading the points with one win and a series of consistently high finishes is French racer Tristan Vautier, driver of the #5 JDC Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda.
There will be an international gathering of young talent with drivers from eight different countries on the grid for the Series' traditional F1-style standing start on Sunday, July 24 at 8:00 am. Last year's winner was Conor Daly; this was the last of his record-setting seven wins on his way to the series championship. The Star Mazda lap record for Mosport, a 1:14.169, was set by Adrian Carrio in 2006.
Hot young drivers to watch this weekend include seven drivers who competed in this event last year, including Connor De Phillippi, winner of two races so far this season and currently 3rd in the championship. He finished 3rd here last year. His teammate, Nick Andries, driving the #81 Team Pelfrey / Lithionics Battery / GS610 Brake Fluid / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda, finished 11th here last year, but is currently 4th in the 2011 championship with three podium finishes, one pole and one fast lap of the race. Team Pelfrey was an IndyCar team from 1998 – 2001 and noted for giving young drivers their 'big break.' Team owner Dale Pelfrey is planning a return to IndyCar competition with his current duo of drivers.
Providing the Team Pelfrey duo with their sharpest competition will be French driver Tristan Vautier, who finished 4th in this race last year and currently leads the Star Mazda championship battle. Other contenders with Star Mazda experience at Mosport include Chris Miller (#85 JDC Motorsports / Miller Milling / Red Line Oil Mazda), J.V. Horto (#18 Juncos Racing / Programa Leilões Mazda), Carlos Linares (#20 Linares Racing / Mindeporte Mazda) and the lone female driver in the field, Bogota, Colombia racer Tatiana Calderon (#10 Juncos Racing / JAC Motors Mazda).
Rookies with a 2011 record that recommends close attention include Sage Karam, the 2010 USF2000 champion and Mazda Road to Indy scholarship winner (right), as well as Irish racer Patrick McKenna, runner up in the 2010 USF2000 championship, now driving the #48 Team GDT / Motorsport Ireland / Irish Sports Council / General Data Tech Mazda. Other top contenders include Chilean racer Martin Scuncio (5th in the championship with two podium finishes and a pole) driving the #60 Juncos Racing / Bia Comunicaciones / Cable Del Pacifico Mazda and Gustavo Menezes, an international karting champion who made the jump directly to Star Mazda and scored his first podium finish in Round 5 on the Iowa Speedway oval. He drives the #28 Juncos Racing / Truecar / Safety Park Mazda.
On track action at Mosport begins with a 'promoter test day' on Thursday, July 21, with the Star Mazda Championship cars and drivers on track from 8:25 - 9:00 am and again from 5:15 - 5:45 pm. The first official practice session takes place 10:45 - 11:30 am, Friday, July 22, with qualifying scheduled from 8:40 - 9:25 am Saturday, July 23. The 45-minute Round 6 of the 2011 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will get the green light for the series' traditional and spectacular standing start at 8:00 am Sunday, July 24. The next event on the schedule is a double-header, Rounds 7 & 8, with Indy Lights, at the GP3R at Trois-Rivières, August 5-7.
