Ace Carrio and World Speed Motorsports took off from the rest of the pack at the start of the Milwaukee Mile race. Carrio clicked off the fastest lap of the race, and put a lot of distance between the #14 Rockford Fosgate Pro Mazda and the rest of the pack.
The race went yellow twice, and Ace was able to retain the lead at the first yellow. At the second restart Ace got caught up in some lapped traffic and a few cars were able to get by before the end of the race.
The race was won by Michael Potekhen. With a quarter of the season complete Herrington maintains his place on top of the championship with 153 points. Carrio, who recieved third place points today, holds onto second place with 145 points and Potekhen slips into sole possession of third place with 142 points.
In the Team Championship AIM Autosport remains in first with 77 points while World Speed Motorsports is second with 74 points.
The team now heads north to Canada to take part in the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada weekend at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal for Round Five of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on June 23-24. In addition to Ace, WSM will run Jim Mashburn and Chris Cumming at this event. Round Four from the Milwaukee is scheduled to air at 1:00 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, June 18th. For more information please visit www.starmazda.com
Adrian Carrio Earns Pole Position at the Milwaukee Mile
Setting a blistering pace, Adrian Carrio, from Monument, Colorado, qualified out front for Round Four of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, lapping the famed Milwaukee Mile in his #14 World Speed Motorsports Rockford Fosgate Mazda in a time of 27.249 (136.343 MPH). Joining him on the front row will be Robbie Pecorari, of Aston, Pennsylvania, who posted a fast lap of 27.330 (135.939 MPH) in his Maxwell Paper Products Mazda.
“It’s great to qualify out front,” said Carrio, after earning his first series pole position. “I have to thank everyone on my team for preparing a great car. My engineer Mike Doyle has a track record here, engineering Case Montgomery to a victory in the Atlantic Series, so this is a good start to continuing that history.”
Pecorari, who finished second in the 2005 championship and tasted victory in the series’ only oval event at Pikes Peak International Raceway was also pleased with his qualifying performance as he fills in for Ross Smith in the #8 John Walko Racing Maxwell Paper Products Mazda. “This weekend came together quickly when the team learned that Ross had come down with an illness the day he was supposed to fly out here,” Pecorari explained. “It’s good to be able to repay them for this opportunity with a front-row start for today’s race.”
Michael Potekhen, who was fastest for most of the weekend in his #53 Apex Racing Centerpoint Communities Mazda, will line up third on the grid. The Tempe, Arizona resident was the final car to post a qualifying time, lapping the 1.032-mile circuit in a time of 27.361 (135.785 MPH). Championship points leader Daniel Herrington will line up seventh on the grid for this afternoon’s 100-lap event.
Round Four of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, being held this weekend at the Milwaukee Mile as part of the Champ Car World Series Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225 activities, is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM Central Time