July 22, 2006. Portland, Oregon.  Michael Potekhen, of Tempe, Arizona, narrowly avoided a first corner incident to drive on to victory in Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Portland International Raceway. Driving the #53 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda, Potekhen led every lap to beat Kevin Lacroix in his #74 John Walko Racing Uni-Select Auto Parts Mazda to the stripe by 2.289 seconds to earn his second victory of the season. Hometown hero Ryan Justice would complete the podium in his #38 Northwest Autosport J&M Body Shops Mazda.

"After the disappointment of last weekend and the early exit from that race it feels great to come back and win this weekend," a jubilant Potekhen expressed afterwards. "All the credit has to go to the team for giving me a great car. I was able to go out there and build a little gap and just manage my tires throughout the race to stay out in front for my second win. With this being a brand-new team early in the season we were a little behind the curve but now we have really hit our stride as the crew continue to learn things each weekend."

For the third consecutive weekend trouble struck on the opening lap as pole-sitter Adrian Carrio spun as the field of thirty-two cars entered the first turn at the start of the race, in the ensuing melee Carrio and seven other drivers had their races cut short. "Coming into the first corner on the start I got pinched down by Potekhen and I clipped the apex curbing trying to avoid contact and spun as a result," Carrio, the championship points leader entering the weekend, explained. "It was a disappointing way for the race to end after all the work my team had done to give me a pole winning and a car I'm sure was capable of winning the race."

While others were getting collected in the incident both Lacroix, who started in third place, and Justice, who lined up fifth on the grid, were able to slip through the chaos and continue the pursuit of the checkered flag. As laps clicked off Potekhen was able to open up a gap ont he duo as they battled for second place with Lacroix just holding off a hard-charging Justice to the finish line for his best finish of the season. "I'm very glad that there wasn't another lap because at that point Ryan was very fast and I was very slow," the seventeen-year old French-Canadian driver admitted. "This was another difficult race for some people and I managed to have my best finish of the season so I will leave here happy as we head to Trois-Rivieres in Quebec."

Lacroix may be looking forward to heading closer to home but Justice was relieved to finish on the podium in his hometown race. "We always have a big crowd out here for this race and I don't know if I put pressure on myself in the past but for some reason I've never been able to have a solid finish so I am very happy to deliver a podium finish today," Justice said. "I came in with a different approach this year and before the race didn't speak to many people so I'm looking forward to visiting with all our sponsors, friends and family. The start of the race was pretty crazy but I was able to follow Kevin through the first corner and avoid any contact and after that spent the race battling with Kevin for second place."

Despite getting knocked out of the race on the opening lap Carrio continues to lead the championship with 251 points overall. Potekhen was able to climb back into second place in the championship with 236 points as he becomes the second driver besides Carrio to win multiple races this season. Though he missed the opening round at Sebring International Raceway, Lacroix jumps into third place with 218 points after scoring his fourth podium finish in six races.

In the Expert Championship, for drivers aged 30-44, Gerardo Bonilla, of Orlando Florida, captured his fifth class victory in his #9 Andersen Racing Team NVG Residential Mazda, finishing sixth overall to stretch his championship points lead with 122 points. Brian Thienes, who was caught up in the first lap incident in #77 JDC Motorsports Thienes Engineering Mazda remains in second place in the championship with 94 points. Dan Tomlin III sits in third place in his #56 Team Tomlin Mazda with 82 points.

In the Masters Championship, for drivers aged 45 and older, Jay Poscente, of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, captured his first class victory of the season in the #85 AIM Autosport NDA Mazda, finishing twelfth overall. John Faulker, who finished second in class in his #93 Phenom Racing Group Molecule Mazda, climbs into the championship points lead with 97 points while John Pew, in the #15 Velocity Motorsports NVG Residential Mazda drops to second with 95 points. Ken Losch, teammate to race-winner Michael Potekhen, would finish third in class in his #52 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda to jump up into third in class with 94 points.

In the Team Championship John Walko Racing takes a one-point lead over World Speed Motorsports with 130 points to World Speed Motorsports' 129 points. AIM Autosport holds down third place in the team championship with 117 points.

Five races remain in the 2006 championship as the series now travels back into Canada in two weeks time as the series becomes the featured event at the Grand Prix of Trois-Rivieres for Round Eight of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on August 4-6. Round Seven from Portland is scheduled to air at 1:00 PM Eastern Time on Saturday, August 5th. For more information please visit www.starmazda.com

July 22, 2006. Portland, Oregon.  After waiting until the final seconds of qualifying at Miller Motorsports Park to capture the pole position one week ago Adrian Carrio came out swinging early at Portland International Raceway, posting the pole winning lap early in today's qualifying for Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Driving the #14 World Speed Motorsports Rockford Fosgate Mazda, the Monument, Colorado native lapped the 1.944-mile circuit in a time of 1:08.988 (102.487 MPH) to secure his second consecutive pole and third pole position this season. Joining Carrio on the front row for the second consecutive race will be Michael Potekhen who clocked a fast time of 1:09.045 (102.453 MPH).

"I may have left a tenth or two out there but I think we got just about everything out of the car this morning," the seventeen-year old Carrio revealed. "The car was working great, was really easy on the tires and it was nice to show that we could set the time to beat early in the session and watch it stand up. We are looking forward to the race this afternoon,."

In making his second consecutive front row start Potekhen hopes to avoid the troubles that cut his race short at Miller Motorsports Park. "Setting the second fastest time of the session shows that I could've been a bit more aggressive in the session but it still feels good to put the car back on the front row," the pilot of the #53 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda explained. "Everyone ont he team was disappointed after last weekend and we are taking a different approach to the start of the race this weekend."

Capturing the third spot on the grid was Rookie-of-the-Year contender Kevin Lacroix. Driving the #74 John Walko Racing Uni-Select Auto Parts Mazda, the St Eustache, Quebec resident lapped the circuit in 1:09.090 (102.366 MPH). Ron White will line up forth with a time of 1:09.299 (102.027 MPH) in his #69 Ron White Racing Fulton Valley Farms Mazda, while Portland-native Ryan Justice, who had set the fastest time earlier in the weekend, will start from fifth place after setting a time of 1:09.397 (101.969 MPH) in his #38 Northwest Autosport J&M Body Shops Mazda.

Thirty-two drivers posted times in the 45-minute qualifying session for this afternoon's 35-lap race, which is scheduled to get underway at 3:15 PM Pacific Daylight Time.

July 21, 2006. Portland, Oregon.  Star Mazda Championship points leader Adrian Carrio topped the time sheets this afternoon in final practice for Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Portland International Raceway. Driving the #14 World Speed Motorsports Rockford Fosgate Mazda, the 17-year old Carrio lapped the 1.944-mile circuit in a time of 1:10.040 (100.948 MPH) to edge out Ryan Justice in the #38 Northwest Autosport J&M Body Shops Mazda for the top spot by four-thousandths of a second. Kevin Lacroix was third fastest this afternoon, the St Eustache, Quebec native setting a time of 1:10.061 (100.918 MPH) in his #74 John Walko Racing Uni-Select Auto Parts Mazda.

Afternoon temperatures climbed above the century mark for the second practice session of the day and with track surface temperatures reaching 140 degrees the top drivers were unable to improve on their fast laps set in practice this morning, leaving Justice on top overall with the fastest time of the weekend at 1:09.246 (102.106 MPH).

Carrio, from Monument, Colorado, holds the second fastest time of the weekend, posting a time of 1:09.368 (101.926 MPH) in the first session, while Michael Potekhen, of Tempe, Arizona, driving the #53 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda is third fastest overall with a time of 1:09.456 (101.797 MPH).

Qualifying for Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is scheduled to get underway at 11:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time on Saturday, July 22.

July 21, 2006. Portland, Oregon.  Ryan Justice continued to top the time sheets at Portland International Raceway as he set the fastest time in this morning's first official practice session for Round Seven of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Driving the #38 Northwest Autosport J&M Body Shops Mazda, the Portland native lapped the 1.944-mile circuit in a time of 1:09.246 (102.106 MPH) in the first of two practice sessions on the day.

Championship points leader Adrian Carrio set the second fastest time of the 45-minute session, run under sunny skies and temperatures in the low seventies, posting a time of 1:09.368 (101.926 MPH) in the #14 World Speed Motorsports Rockford Fosgate Mazda. Michael Potekhen, driving the #53 Apex Racing Avenue Communities Mazda was third fastest overall with a time of 1:09.456 (101.797 MPH).

Practice for Round Six of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, being held this weekend in conjunction with the American Le Mans Series Portland Grand Prix, continues this afternoon at 1:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time with another 45-minute session.