Richie Hearn Brings Team to Native California

Richie Hearn Brings Team to Native California

  

 

SONOMA, Calif., July 13, 2004 - Richie Hearn got his racing start
dominating the karting scene in California. This weekend, the five-time
Indianapolis 500-starter will bring his two-race old Star Mazda team to
Infineon Raceway for its first race on Hearn's native soil. The No. 70
Showtime/ Samsung/ Skip Barber Star Mazda driven by Raphael Matos, of
Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has been an immediate contender in the open
wheel, formula car series this year. The Las Vegas-based team earned a
top-five in the team's debut at Mid-Ohio, qualified fourth at Lime Rock
Park and was running in the top-five there before an accident sent the
team back to Vegas for substantial repairs. The Mazda-powered machine
suffered significant damage to the nose and right rear of the car while
less severe damage occurred to the left side of the car. The Hearn
Motorsports crew worked overtime to prepare the car for Saturday's
45-minute Pro Formula Mazda Series' event. Hearn is confident that Matos
will return the Showtime/ Samsung/ Skip Barber Mazda to the top of the
running order at the 2.53 mile, 12-turn road course in the heart of the
Napa Valley here in Sonoma, Calif. Matos and Hearn will get their first
opportunity to work together at Infineon Raceway during Wednesday's test
day.

 

The Grand Prix of Sonoma event will be televised August 1 on SPEED at 2
pm (EDT). The New England Grand Prix event, raced on July 3, can be also
be seen on SPEED at 2 pm (EDT) on July 18. 

 

Richie Hearn, team owner/manager: "Getting to come back to California
with my own team is pretty exciting. It's a dream come true for sure.
We'll have a lot of friends and family at Sonoma so there is a little
more pressure on us as a team. Plus we have to get back up front.
Raphael has been doing a great job for us and the combination of driver
and team is really coming together. The team worked very hard to get the
car ready to go this weekend and it is 100%. So, we are all very eager
to get to Sonoma and get back to where we have worked to be, at the top
of the field."

 

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.

 

 

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 Digital images and complete bio information available upon request.
Editors, please do not publish any contact information other than web
sites.  Thank you. 

 

Contact: Tom Moore, Hearn Motorsports, Inc.: 615-778-1614 (office),
404-229-3703 (cell), tom@darkhorsecom.com