AIM's Ostella 7th - Pegram 2nd in Expert Class
For a PDF version of this release, www.aimautosport.com/media/20100628_New_Jersey_race_2.pdf AIM's Ostella 7th, Pegram 2nd in Expert Class AIM Autosport rebounds in 2nd New Jersey race Millville, New Jersey (2010.06.28) AIM Autosport celebrated a successful outing at New Jersey Motorsports Park yesterday afternoon as David Ostella finished 7th in a Star Mazda Championship race. AMA Superbike competitor Larry Pegram finished 2nd in the Expert Class (16th overall) while Walt Bowlin, driving the third AIM Autosport entry, fell far behind after contact necessitated repairs. Qualifying for the afternoon race took place in morning and David secured a 9th-place start for his Global Precast car with a lap of 1m-16.761s at 101.770mph. He was in the midst of a closely-matched pack in which 6th to 12th were separated by just 0.209s. Larry and Walt qualified 21st and 22nd, respectively. Both felt comfortable with the performance of their Tampa Bay Jaw Surgery cars, but needed to be more aggressive during qualifying runs. The race started at 3:05pm, the middle of a hot afternoon, with the track temperatures sitting at around 120ºF. David got away quickly, passing one car at the start and another by the first corner. As the field came around to complete the first lap, David was up to 6th. For Larry and Walt, things did not go as well. The first lap saw Larry spin, while Walt was involved in a collision and suffered damage to his front wing and steering system. Larry fell behind the pack and continued but Walt had to head back to the pits where the AIM Autosport crew started repairs. David hung on to 6th place, but the hot track got to his tires, gradually affecting his pace. On lap 12, he slipped to 7th when Jorge Goncalvez took advantage of the situation. Unable to fight back, yet having the measure of those behind, David adjusted his pace to manage his tires to the finish. Following his spin, Larry soon caught the tail-enders and began working his way up the order. After dispatching some stragglers in the first few laps, he spent 16-laps reeling in the group ahead. He gained a place on lap 19, another on lap 23 and one more on lap 24 to claim 16th place. At this point the gap to the next group of cars looked insurmountable, but Larry kept pushing. He didn’t catch them, but their advantage was much smaller when time expired and the checkered fag came out. Walt ran a pretty lonely race after stopping for repairs. His car felt good, thanks to the crew’s handiwork, and the lap times were comparable to his Masters Class competitors, but there was no way of making up the 3-lap deficit. Continuing all the way to the checkered flag, Walt gained some much-needed time at the wheel—after missing much of the season due to a broken collarbone—and picked up some points for his efforts. Following today’s race, AIM’s full time driver, David, lies 11th in the Driver Standings, while AIM Autosport holds 5th in the Team Championship. The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear now has a few weeks off before a pair of races at Joliet, Illinois, July 31 and August 1. ### Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear The 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear features an 11- weekend, 13-race schedule, most on major race weekends with American Le Mans and the Indy Racing League. Rising stars from around the world compete for prizes valued at $1.5 million and benefit from two driver development programs, including the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder and the Indy Racing League's 'Road to Indy' program. Series alumni include Indy Car stars Marco Andretti, Graham Rahal and Raphael Matos; rising NASCAR drivers Michael McDowell, Scott Speed and Colin Braun; and prototype racers Dane Cameron and Guy Cosmo. For more information about the Star Mazda Championship visit www.starmazda.com . AIM Autosport Established in 1995, AIM Autosport’s mandate is to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners. Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose- built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario. AIM fields the No. 61 Ford Riley with drivers Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The team also competes in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 Series powered by Mazda. Both series are an integral part of the new Road to Indy driver development series. AIM won the 2008 Star Mazda Championship with driver John Edwards. For more information about AIM Autosport, visit www.aimautosport.com . For additional information or photos, please contact Mark Jackson 416.891.0261 media@aimautosport.com