TWICE THE BEST MAN, FINALLY THE GROOM - - BREAKTHROUGH VICTORY FOR CHARLES HALL IN ROUND THREE OF THE STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE GLEN

Watkins Glen, NY (June 7, 2008) – After serving notice in the most emphatic possible way, including 2nd-place finishes in the first two races of the season and the fastest times in every practice leading up to Round Three of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, Englishman Charles Hall finally broke through for his first victory at Watkins Glen.

Starting from the outside of the front row, Hall followed pole-sitter Alex Ardoin into the first turn and through the esses.  Coming on to the back straight, he got a tow from Ardoin and sling-shot his #77 Andersen Racing/Blimpie/ AccentBanking.com/Pardoes Solicitors/Allied Mazda past, leading every lap all the way to the checkered flag.

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EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED – ALEX ARDOIN WIN THE POLE FOR
ROUND THREE OF THE STAR MAZDA CHAMPIONSHIP AT WATKINS GLEN

Watkins Glen, NY (June 6, 2008) – Louisiana driver Alex Ardoin has re-established himself as a force to be reckoned with by winning the pole for Round Three of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at Watkins Glen this weekend. His lap of 1:46.223 in the #51 Mundill/Oral & Facial Surgery Center/Performance Drink/ Twister Trailer Mazda was 0.152 seconds clear of the 2nd-place car of British driver Charles Hall, who led every practice session in the #77 Andersen Racing/Blimpie/ AccentBanking.com/Pardoes Solicitors/Allied Mazda. Hall finished 2nd in both Round One and Round Two, and is currently 2nd in the championship.

Ardoin’s last pole position was at Trois Rivières during the 2007 Star Mazda Championship season, and he won the season-engine race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca to finish 6th in the championship. He finished 4th in the 2008 season-opener at Sebring but endured a disastrous weekend at Miller Motorsports Park, persevering to finish 10th in a car that started the weekend with a small fire and ultimately had to be re-built from the ground up – including a new chassis – before the race. He is currently 5th in the championship.

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ANDERSEN RACING DUO OF HALL AND DEMPSEY LEAD FINAL PRACTICE SESSION AT WATKINS GLEN

Watkins Glen, NY (June 6, 2008) -- Andersen Racing Team's European driver contingent of Charles Hall and Peter Dempsey, from Sheffield, United Kingdom, and Ashbourne, Ireland respectively, topped the charts at Watkins Glen in the final practice session for Round Three of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.

Driving the #77 Blimpie sponsored Pro Formula Mazda, Hall bettered his morning fast lap with a lap of 1:46.425 (117.378 MPH) around the 3.4-mile circuit, while Dempsey claimed the second spot with a time of 1:46.730 (117.043 MPH) in the Trojan.ie Andersen Racing Pro Formula Mazda.

Alex Ardoin, who posted the second fastest time in the morning session, was third fastest in the final session with a lap of 1:46.954 (116.798 MPH) in the #51 Oral and Facial Surgery Mundill Racing Pro Formula Mazda.

Qualifying for Round Three of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is scheduled to get underway at 4:10 PM Eastern Time.

CHARLES HALL PACES FIRST STAR MAZDA OFFICIAL PRACTICE SESSION AT WATKINS GLEN

Watkins Glen, NY (June 6, 2008) -- Official Practice for Round Three for the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear kicked off the day's activities at Watkins Glen for the Sahlen's Six Hours at the Glen race weekend, and Charles Hall, from Sheffield, United Kingdom, topped the time sheets with a time of 1:46.560 (117.230 MPH) in the #77 Blimpie Andersen Racing Team Pro Formula Mazda.

Sunny skies greeted the field of 23 drivers taking to the historic 3.4-mile circuit for the first of two forty-five minute sessions ahead of a late afternoon qualifying session.

Hall was followed by Mundill Racing driver Alex Ardoin with a time of 1:46.747 (117.024 MPH) in the #51 Oral and Facial Surgery Center Pro Formula Mazda, while Ernesto Otero, from Rio De Janiero, Brazil posted the third fastest time in the #18 JDC Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda.

Round 1 race winner and championship points leader Joel Miller was sixth fastest in the session while Miller Motorsports Park race winner John Edwards brought out the session's only red flag after contacting the turn eleven tirewall halfway through the session.

Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear practice is scheduled to resume at 11:40 AM Eastern Time.

SMALL SURPRISES – THE USUAL SUSPECTS, THOUGH IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ORDER, TOP THE TIME SHEETS IN STAR MAZDA TEST DAY AT THE GLEN

Watkins Glen, NY (June 4, 2008) -- The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is making its debut at Watkins Glen International this weekend as a support race for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen Rolex Series event.   Today’s Star Mazda-only testing session at the legendary racetrack saw the usual suspects, though in a slightly different order, emerge at the top of the time sheets. 

On an overcast day with intermittent sprinkles that dampened the track and caused a number of red flags in the afternoon, 22 of the 24-car field began finding the fast way around The Glen’s 3.4-mile, 11-turn road course.  In the 3-hour morning session, Englishman Charles Hall, who was on his way to Formula One before a devastating street car crash de-railed his career, demonstrated that he’s back on track by topping the time sheet with a lap of 1:45.651 (118.238 mph) in his Andersen Racing/Blimpie/ AccentBanking.com/Pardoes Solicitors/Allied Mazda.  Hall finished second in both Round 1 of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship at Sebring and Round 2 at Miller Motorsports Park and sits second in the championship points battle.

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DUELING FOR DOMINANCE -- Two drivers have dominated the first two races of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship and bring their battle to The Glen this weekend

It’s unusual in a ‘spec’ series like the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear where all the cars are identical for a driver to dominate a race -- and still more unusual for it to happen twice, with two different drivers.  But so it has, and those two drivers will continue their battle this weekend as a lead-in to the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.

Round One, the season-opener at Sebring in March, was a showcase for the talent of Joel Miller, the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder driver who qualified on the pole and won the race by the unheard-of margin of almost seven seconds.  Not that his victory was unexpected; Miller dominated the 2007 Skip Barber Pro Series and his prize for winning the championship was a fully-sponsored ride, paid for by Mazda, in the Star Mazda Championship.  He had a more problematic race at Round Two at Miller Motorsports Park three weeks ago, when a rear-wheel hub failed causing him to crash in qualifying -- though he still started 2nd and finished 3rd -- but he comes to Watkins Glen still leading the championship and looking to re-establish his winning ways in the #20 JDC Motorsports/Mazda/K&N Air Filters Mazda.

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AT SPEED IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEGEND – Teams and drivers of the Star Mazda Championship race for the first time at Watkins Glen International

Round Three of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear takes place June 4 – 7 at the legendary Watkins Glen International.  Although Star Mazda race cars have competed at the track in various events over the years, this will be the first Star Mazda Championship event ever held at The Glen, a track that over the years has hosted some of the greatest names in open-wheel racing, from Jimmy Clark to Mario Andretti.

Teams will begin moving in to the facility on Tuesday, June 2, with on-track activities commencing with a Star Mazda-only test day on Wednesday, June 4.  There will be two three-hour sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, with an hour in between for lunch.  Star Mazda cars and drivers will be on track again Thursday for two sessions in the morning.  The track will be closed in the afternoon to allow Grand-Am transporters into the track.  Star Mazda practice and qualify take place Friday, June 6, with the race scheduled to take the green flag at 9:05 am Saturday morning.  The race will air on SPEED at 11:00 am ET, Saturday, June 21.

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