Hearn Motorsports Makes Last Minute Mosport Driver Adjustment - Local Di Leo to Drive

Hearn Motorsports Makes Last Minute Mosport Driver Adjustment

Ontario Native Marco Di Leo to Drive in Formula BMW Finale

 

BOWMANVILLE, Ont., August 30, 2006 - Hearn Motorsports will make a last
minute adjustment to its driver lineup at this weekend's Formula BMW USA
Series season-finale. Markham, Ontario native Marco Di Leo will race a
second Hearn entry as teammate to Ryan Phinny (Carmel Valley, Calif.) at
Mosport International Raceway. The track is just 20 minutes from Di Leo's
home. Richie Hearn (Henderson, NV) made the agreement to run Di Leo in the
No. 99 Hearn Motorsports BMW at the two-race weekend when regular team
driver Jules Duc (Los Gatos, Calif.) was forced to make a last-minute
cancellation from Rounds 13 and 14. Duc's No. 12 Duc Housing Partners/Hearn
Motorsports BMW will not see action this weekend.

 

"We're sorry Jules couldn't make this race due to a personal conflict," said
Hearn. "He had a good drive at Denver and I think he would have had a good
race here. He likes the faster tracks and that is what this is.

We're happy to be running Marco. I know his brother Dan and he is a good
driver and Marco has shown that he can win races in Skip Barber. This is a
home race for him and we think he'll do a good job. We're looking forward to
him running upfront. Hopefully, he and Ryan will be there running in the
top-five at the end."

 

Di Leo is currently ranked second, 20 points out of the lead, in the Skip
Barber National point standings with four races remaining in 2006. This will
be Di Leo's first race in the Formula BMW USA Series. This is the first
season in which Hearn, himself a standout professional open wheel racer, has
entered a team in Formula BMW. It is the team's three year history it
competed in the Star Mazda series in 2004 and 2005. Hearn entries have
captured one victory, two podiums and one pole position at the famous
Canadian track.

 

Ryan Phinny will be fighting for his second podium finish of the season in
the No. 16 Baja Cantina/Hearn Motorsports BMW at Mosport. Phinny earned the
first Formula BMW podium for Hearn Motorsports in Denver at Round 12. He and
Di Leo will have two opportunities this weekend at the 2.549-mile, 10-turn
track to add to the successful rookie season. 

 

Testing for Mosport begins on Thursday, August 31, while the first official
practice for the two events will be held on Friday, September 1 at 10:05 AM
(ET). Qualifying for Round 13 will take place at 3:55 PM, Friday. Qualifying
for the final 30-minute race will begin at 9:35 AM on Saturday. Round 13
will take place on Saturday at 4:25 PM. The season-finale, Round 14, takes
the green flag at 1:20 PM, Sunday, September 3.

 

For more on Hearn Motorsports please visit www.HearnMotorsports.com
<http://www.hearnmotorsports.com/> . 

To learn more about the Formula BMW USA Series, click on
www.FormulaBMWUSA.com <http://www.formulabmwusa.com/> . 

Additional information on Ryan Phinny can be found at
www.RyanPhinnyMotorsports.com <http://www.ryanphinnymotorsports.com/> . 

Jules Duc can be found on the web at www.DucMotorsports.com
<http://www.ducmotorsports.com/>