Goodyear Racing Iowa race notes

DEMPSEY WINS STAR MAZDA RACE ON IOWA OVAL

NEWTON, Iowa (July 13, 2009) -- Peter Dempsey started up front and shook off all challengers to win the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear Pizza Ranch 100 at Iowa Speedway.

Dempsey might be the series' top oval racer. He is certainly among the most successful this season. The Championship, for high-tech open wheeled cars, is largely contested on road racing circuits but this season the program includes the 7/8-mile venue at Iowa and, last month, the famed Milwaukee Mile. Dempsey finished fourth at Milwaukee.

Goodyear is the exclusive tire provider for the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Goodyear Racing's unparalleled heritage in both road racing and oval track competition gives the tiremaker a large bank of experience to call upon when developing a line of tires for a series.

That institutional knowledge and the reliability of Goodyear's manufacturing consistency come in to play when race teams face unfamiliar challenges, such as the Star Mazda Challenge teams did this season when approaching oval races.

Dempsey's win at Iowa was his second of the season. He started the Iowa race second in the standings and the win vaulted him to the championship lead.

Conor Daly finished second, followed by David Ostella, Rusty Mitchell and Adam Christodoulou. Christodoulou trails Dempsey by nine points in the title hunt.

Toshihiro Deki was the top finisher among the Expert Class for drivers aged 30 and above.

More information about Goodyear Racing is available at www.racegoodyear.com. More information about the Star Mazda Challenge presented by Goodyear is available at www.starmazda.com.

-credit: goodyear racing