New Jersey Double Beckons Hacquard

Vancouver, Canada September 10, 2008 – The 2008 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear gave Canada’s Taylor Hacquard the challenge of a flat-out August schedule, with three consecutive race weekends, and now following a welcomed two-week break the 18-year-old returns to action with Rounds 9 and 10 hosted at Millville’s New Jersey Motorsports Park this weekend, Friday 12th – Sunday 14th September.

The New Jersey event is only the second double-header race meeting on the 12-round Star Mazda schedule with the previous one, hosted at Portland International Raceway in Oregon, falling at the end of July. The Portland double proved to be a successful outing for Hacquard with the open-wheel rookie scoring a pair of top-ten finishes, including his highest placing of the season to-date, a fifth place effort in Round 4.

Taylor, who pilots the #15 Wolfe Auto Group/World Speed Motorsports entry, will be keen for a strong showing at the all-new 2.25-mile New Jersey Motorsports Park after a frustrating retirement in Canada last time out at Mosport International Raceway. His race exit, due to an oil-leak, was preceded by a significant qualifying crash earlier in the day but it failed to stop the determined teenager or the relentless World Speed Motorsports crew from making the grid for the race. Taylor’s exit marked only the third time in eight starts this season that he’s failed to record a top-ten finish

“I don’t think we should have any problems getting up to speed this weekend,” stated a confident Hacquard. “I’m keen to put the disappointment of the Mosport meeting behind me and I’ve shown in the past that I can rebound from that type of situation. The New Jersey track is pretty much new to everyone competing this weekend so that helps level the playing field a little. The fact that it’s a double-header meeting simply means I get two cracks at it to hopefully get a pair of decent finishes.

“I’ve been learning each time I’m in the car this season and that will continue as we head into the final races of the year. I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be sitting as high as tenth in the championship at this stage of my rookie season so I’m definitely happy with how things are progressing. August was a busy race month and I’m feeling pretty refreshed now heading to New Jersey. Hopefully the time off and our preparation between races will pay off this weekend!”