SurfaceUnits
11-26-06, 04:15 PM
After an impressive season that saw him claim the 2006 Star Mazda Championship, 17-year-old Adrian Carrio will get a chance to prove that he's ready to compete in the 2007 Champ Car Atlantic Championship.
Carrio won the 12-race Star Mazda title producing two wins and six poles en route to the series championship and as a reward for his performance in he'll get a chance to test with the Forsythe Racing Atlantic team at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California.
Officials from the Champ Car Atlantic Championship, Mazda North America and the Star Mazda Championship announced the official testing programme for the Star Mazda champion last May, formalising the developmental relationship that's existed between Atlantic and the Star series over the past several years.
While Carrio will become the first driver to take advantage of the champion's testing programme, he's certainly not the first Star Mazda racer to eye a move up to Atlantics after excelling in the Star system.
Raphael Matos, the 2005 Star Mazda champion, just completed a very successful rookie season in Atlantics that saw him claim fourth in the '06 series title chase. Matos joined other notable Star Mazda graduates Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe and Robbie Pecorari in making a smooth transition from the Star cars into the Atlantic machines this season.
"I am really excited to be able to drive the Atlantic car with one of the best teams not only in the series, but in Champ Car as well," said Carrio. "I believe that the Star Mazda Championship and all of the competition that is there has made me ready for the next step. I am also excited to show what I can bring as a driver to the Atlantic series and follow the path of people like Raphael Matos and other former Star series competitors."
After travelling to Indianapolis next week to meet with the Forsythe team and get fitted for a seat in his new test ride, Carrio will tackle the three-mile, 15-turn Thunderhill track at the end of the month.
"Ace did a fantastic job this season and we're happy to work with Mazda to give him an opportunity to show what he can do in an Atlantic car," said Vicki O'Connor, Managing Director of the Champ Car Atlantic Championship. "As many of our teams are looking at prospective drivers for next season, I'm sure there will be plenty of people paying close attention to this test because we all saw just how impressive the Star Mazda drivers were in Atlantic action this year."
As part of the ongoing relationship with Star Mazda, and to further help foster the Mazda motorsports development programme, Champ Car has also agreed to wave all entry and competition fees for the Star Mazda champion if they race in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship the season after winning the title.
"We are gratified that Mazda and Champ Car are giving this reward to our champion," said Gary Rodrigues, President of the Star Mazda Championship. "We are confident that Ace will represent us admirably, in the tradition of the many Star Mazda graduates that have preceded him to Champ Car Atlantic success. He ran a textbook campaign to win the Star Mazda Championship. Champ Car Atlantic is the logical next step in his motorsports career. The Star Mazda community will most certainly be cheering for him."
http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~FA--Star-Mazda-champ-Carrio-to-test-with-Forsythe-~cid~3~id~140478.htm
Carrio won the 12-race Star Mazda title producing two wins and six poles en route to the series championship and as a reward for his performance in he'll get a chance to test with the Forsythe Racing Atlantic team at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California.
Officials from the Champ Car Atlantic Championship, Mazda North America and the Star Mazda Championship announced the official testing programme for the Star Mazda champion last May, formalising the developmental relationship that's existed between Atlantic and the Star series over the past several years.
While Carrio will become the first driver to take advantage of the champion's testing programme, he's certainly not the first Star Mazda racer to eye a move up to Atlantics after excelling in the Star system.
Raphael Matos, the 2005 Star Mazda champion, just completed a very successful rookie season in Atlantics that saw him claim fourth in the '06 series title chase. Matos joined other notable Star Mazda graduates Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe and Robbie Pecorari in making a smooth transition from the Star cars into the Atlantic machines this season.
"I am really excited to be able to drive the Atlantic car with one of the best teams not only in the series, but in Champ Car as well," said Carrio. "I believe that the Star Mazda Championship and all of the competition that is there has made me ready for the next step. I am also excited to show what I can bring as a driver to the Atlantic series and follow the path of people like Raphael Matos and other former Star series competitors."
After travelling to Indianapolis next week to meet with the Forsythe team and get fitted for a seat in his new test ride, Carrio will tackle the three-mile, 15-turn Thunderhill track at the end of the month.
"Ace did a fantastic job this season and we're happy to work with Mazda to give him an opportunity to show what he can do in an Atlantic car," said Vicki O'Connor, Managing Director of the Champ Car Atlantic Championship. "As many of our teams are looking at prospective drivers for next season, I'm sure there will be plenty of people paying close attention to this test because we all saw just how impressive the Star Mazda drivers were in Atlantic action this year."
As part of the ongoing relationship with Star Mazda, and to further help foster the Mazda motorsports development programme, Champ Car has also agreed to wave all entry and competition fees for the Star Mazda champion if they race in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship the season after winning the title.
"We are gratified that Mazda and Champ Car are giving this reward to our champion," said Gary Rodrigues, President of the Star Mazda Championship. "We are confident that Ace will represent us admirably, in the tradition of the many Star Mazda graduates that have preceded him to Champ Car Atlantic success. He ran a textbook campaign to win the Star Mazda Championship. Champ Car Atlantic is the logical next step in his motorsports career. The Star Mazda community will most certainly be cheering for him."
http://www.crash.net/news_view~t~FA--Star-Mazda-champ-Carrio-to-test-with-Forsythe-~cid~3~id~140478.htm