Hearn Motorsports To Debut at Mid-Ohio

Hearn Motorsports To Debut at Mid-Ohio

  

 


LAS VEGAS, June 21, 2004 - Richie Hearn took "off" the month of May to
make his fifth career Indianapolis 500 start. He now pulls his full
focus back to his new Pro Formula Mazda Series team in preparation for
the remaining nine races of the season. The 13-turn, 2.25-mile Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course will play host to the debut of Hearn Motorsports and
its young Brazilian driver, Raphael Matos (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) in
the one-make, "spec" car series. Since its announcement at the 12 Hours
of Sebring in March, Hearn Motorsports has completed the acquisition of
all the key components required to run a championship caliber team and
undertaken an intensive testing program. Hearn has settled on the No. 70
for his inaugural season as a car owner. The number is meaningful to the
California-native as it adorned his machines throughout his successful
karting career.  

 

Hearn, the 1995 Toyota Atlantics champion and winner of the 1996 Las
Vegas 500 IndyCar race, is taking his first foray into team ownership of
any kind. Matos is the 2003 Formula Dodge National Champion and 2002
rookie of the year in that series who has been competing, and winning,
in American motorsports since 2002. Hearn Motorsports will take their
green flag as a team when Star Mazda practice opens on Thursday, June
24th for the American Le Mans Series at Mid-Ohio race weekend. The race
will be broadcast on SPEED on July 11, at noon eastern time. 

 

Richie Hearn, team owner/manager: "Things are definitely coming
together. We now have all of the pieces we need to go racing. But, more
importantly, we have most of the pieces that we need to be a
championship-level team. We are being realistic. We have a lot to learn
but, we also have a team capable of winning. Raphael has really
impressed me in testing and I am eager to get him on the track in a
race. Now, we, as a team, just need some more experience in Star Mazda.
This isn't an easy place to compete. There are a lot of strong teams
here that really know these cars and we know we have our work cut out
for us. Mid-Ohio has always been one of my favorite tracks to race on
and I am anxious to start-up my team ownership there. Mid-Ohio just
feels right."

 


For more on Hearn Motorsports and its 2004 Pro Formula Mazda Series'
effort please visit  <http://www.hearnmotorsports.com/>
www.richiehearn.com. To learn about Raphael Matos, visit his bilingual
site at  <http://www.rafamatos.com/> www.rafamatos.com. For information
on the Star Mazda Series, please visit  <http://www.starmazda.com/>
www.starmazda.com.