Road America Friday practice notes

Matos sets pace in friday practice at Road America

Friday, August 20, 2004. Elkhart Lake, WI. Hot off his first pole position and podium finish of the season two weeks ago at Mosport International Raceway, Raphael Matos, of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, set the fastest time of the day at Road America ahead of Round Eight of the Star Mazda Series North American Championship presented by Goodyear.

Matos, driving the Showtime/Samsung/Skip Barber Mazda prepared by IndyCar driver Richie Hearn's new team, lapped the 4.048-mile circuit in 2:05.050, edging out Michael McDowell in the Drive4USA/Sparco/Star Race Cars Mazda by twenty-nine hundredths of a second.

Setting the third fastest time of the day, before the single qualifying session on Saturday morning, was series points leader Daniel DiLeo, of Toronto, Canada, who posted a time of 2:05.535, edging out defending series champion Luis Schiavo, from Caracas, Venezuela, who set a time of 2:05.601.

With forty drivers entered for the event, the Star Mazda Series will present the largest field of any professional open-wheel racing series in North America this season, and continue the successful debut season of the new Pro Formula Mazda. The Pro Formula Mazda features a carbon fiber chassis powered by the Mazda "Renesis" Rotary engine.

Qualifying for Saturday's race is scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM Central Time with the race scheduled to start at 3:05 PM Central Time. For more information please visit www.starmazda.com.

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