Andersen RacePark

10101 U.S. Highway 41 North

Palmetto, Fla. 34221

Tel.: (941) 723-3900

Fax: (941) 723-3992

E-mail: [email protected]

Web site: usf2000.com

Media inquiries:

Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications

ica, Calif. only led three laps but one of them was the last one, so he won a spe-

cial 30-minute exhibition race Sunday morning at Mazda Raceway that was

administered by the USF2000 National Championship. That series, which is pre-

sented by Cooper Tires and powered by Mazda, is part of both the Road to Indy

ladder system and the MAZDASPEED driver development program.

There were no USF2000 points up for grabs in this race or a similar one that will

be staged here on Sunday afternoon, but the action was so fierce one would

have thought the title was on the line.

Rarick, the 2004 SCCA Formula Ford champion, got the lead in the 17-lap race

after Martin Sala of Bogota, Columbia reported to the pits for a stop-and-go

sports, while Goikhberg is a member of JDC MotorSports.

Sala ended up second in the Championship class (seventh overall) for JDC MotorSports,

while Ardie Greenamyer was third in that division and tenth overall. The latter is from

Louisville, Ky. and he drives for AcceleRace Motorsports.

Another PR1 Motorsports driver, David Cheng of Sammamish, Wash. took the final

podium position in the National class as well as fourth overall. National class driver Bob

Negron of Negron Racing finished fifth overall and will take a special award from Staubli

home to Morgan Hill, Calif.

Polesitter Sage Karam of Nazareth, Pa. led the first five laps in his Andretti Autosport car

until both Goikhberg and Sala passed him on a restart working lap six. Karam and Veach

The lap charts show Goikhberg led laps 6-11; Sala topped the charts from laps 12-14 and

Rarick led the rest of the way. Rarickʼs margin of victory over Goikhberg was just 0.026

of a second.

Three cautions slowed the event.

Karam set the fastest lap of the race to win his second “Cooper Tires, Donʼt Give Up A

Thing Award” for the weekend. Heʼll start on the pole again in Sunday afternoonʼs race.

His fastest race lap was a new record at 1:25.301. Cheng set a similar record for the Na-

tional class with a 1:27.812.

Peter Thomas of San Juan Capistrano, Calif. won the Tilton Hard Charger Award for im-

proving the most positions. He started 15th and finished eighth in a National class car

Scott Rarick (first overall and National class winner): “I got the lead two laps from the end

when they black-flagged the 19.

“I had led the class from the start; I passed David Cheng, and then it was just a matter of

trying to manage cold tires on the restarts.

“The Cooper tires held up great. I have a Quicksilver-prepped Zetec engine.

Mikhail Goikhberg (second overall and Championship class winner): “I was thankful for

the restarts; they helped me.

“I got by Sage right before Turn 1. Then on the second restart I got the lead.

“Sage and I had a moment in Corner 2. My car didnʼt get damaged like his did. I fell back

but I was able to get back to the top again.

David Cheng (fourth overall and third in National class): “Scottie got a good jump on the

start. My lap times werenʼt quite up to his. Then I made a mistake in Turn 6 once and Miles

got me. But it was still a good race for us, and I want to thank my team, PR1 Motorsports.”

Martin Sala (seventh overall and second in Championship class): “It was a really crazy

race. Sage was leading, Mikhail was leading, and then I was leading. I got a black flag

though because they said I jumped the start. I didnʼt think I did, but that was the ruling.

“This was my first time here, and I love this track. I used rFactor to prepare, and it helped

a lot.

“Weʼll have new tires for this afternoonʼs race, which I think will give us an advantage over

the Andretti guys because they are going to run used tires I think.”

About Mazda:

On any given weekend there are more Mazdas on the road courses of America than any

other brand of vehicle. MX-5 Miata, RX-8, MAZDA3, MAZDA6, RX-7 and other vintage

Mazda models are all popular race cars because every Mazda has the soul of a sports car.

In fact, the largest road-racing class in the world is Spec Miata. With more than 2,500 first-

and second-generation Miatas tearing up Americaʼs racetracks, it the most-raced produc-

tion car in the world. Mazdaʼs involvement in motorsports extends to its relationship with

one of the worldʼs premier road courses, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.,

and the Skip Barber Schools for driving and racing.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in the United States in 2010, Mazda North American Op-

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company is a global company that specializes in the design, man-

ufacture, marketing and sales of passenger car and light truck tires and subsidiaries that

specialize in medium truck, motorcycle and racing tires. With headquarters in Findlay,

Ohio, Cooper Tire has manufacturing, sales, distribution, technical and design facilities

within its family of companies located in 10 countries around the world.

For more information visit Cooper Tire's Web site at coopertire.com.

About the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship

Powered by Mazda:

Many top drivers in the IZOD IndyCar Series and endurance sports car racing honed their

skills in F2000, and the Cooper Tires Presents the USF2000 National Championship Pow-

the seriesʼ drivers experience on all the different types of tracks they will face as they pro-

ceed up the ladder.

For more information visit USF2000.com.