Star Mazda Press release
Conor Daly led flag-toflag from the pole to dominate the second annual Star Mazda Pizza Ranch 100 at the 7/8ths-mile Iowa Speedway.
Daly extends his lead in the championship battle to 216 points. The one yellow flag during the 100-lap race had no measurable effect on the race as competitors – even those a lap down -- raced three-wide in an oval track battle royal that had IRL officials on their feet and, up in Race Control, 4-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears smiling like a proud parent.
The only other drivers to win four Star Mazda Championship races in a row all won the championship and went on to stellar motorsports careers, including Joey Hand (1999), Michael McDowell (2004) and Raphael Matos (2005).
Also smiling, and justifiably so, was James Exline, owner of Team Apex, an experienced team in their first season of Star Mazda competition and showing some serious strength as their drivers finished 2nd and 3rd. Venezuelan driver Jorge Goncalvez, who qualified 5th in the #9 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda brought it home in second place, just a bit over a second behind Daly. He is now 7th in the championship with 150 points.
Brazilian Joao Victor Horto, who started next to Conor Daly on the front row in his #18 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda, scored a 3rd-place finish. He moves up from 4th in the championship to third with 165 points.
Race result:
1. Conor Daly – 100 laps in 42’53’’893
2. Jorge Goncalvez + 1’’003
3. Joao Horto + 4’’786
4. Connor De Phillippi + 10’’171
5. Anders Krohn + 15’’165
6. Nick Andries + 16’’237
7. Caio Lara + 1 lap
8. Tristan Vautier + 2 laps
9. J.W. Roberts + 6 laps
10. Rusty Mitchell + 7 laps
etc.
Championship:
1. Conor Daly 216 pts, 2. Anders Krohn 171, 3. Joao Horto 165, 4. Mikael Grenier 163, 5. Connor De Phillippi, etc.
Conor Daly led flag-toflag from the pole to dominate the second annual Star Mazda Pizza Ranch 100 at the 7/8ths-mile Iowa Speedway.
Daly extends his lead in the championship battle to 216 points. The one yellow flag during the 100-lap race had no measurable effect on the race as competitors – even those a lap down -- raced three-wide in an oval track battle royal that had IRL officials on their feet and, up in Race Control, 4-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears smiling like a proud parent.
The only other drivers to win four Star Mazda Championship races in a row all won the championship and went on to stellar motorsports careers, including Joey Hand (1999), Michael McDowell (2004) and Raphael Matos (2005).
Also smiling, and justifiably so, was James Exline, owner of Team Apex, an experienced team in their first season of Star Mazda competition and showing some serious strength as their drivers finished 2nd and 3rd. Venezuelan driver Jorge Goncalvez, who qualified 5th in the #9 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda brought it home in second place, just a bit over a second behind Daly. He is now 7th in the championship with 150 points.
Brazilian Joao Victor Horto, who started next to Conor Daly on the front row in his #18 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda, scored a 3rd-place finish. He moves up from 4th in the championship to third with 165 points.
Race result:
1. Conor Daly – 100 laps in 42’53’’893
2. Jorge Goncalvez + 1’’003
3. Joao Horto + 4’’786
4. Connor De Phillippi + 10’’171
5. Anders Krohn + 15’’165
6. Nick Andries + 16’’237
7. Caio Lara + 1 lap
8. Tristan Vautier + 2 laps
9. J.W. Roberts + 6 laps
10. Rusty Mitchell + 7 laps
etc.
Championship:
1. Conor Daly 216 pts, 2. Anders Krohn 171, 3. Joao Horto 165, 4. Mikael Grenier 163, 5. Connor De Phillippi, etc.