Michael Potekhen rolls to victory on the Milwaukee Mile

June 3, 2006. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Michael Potekhen jumped into the lead on lap 28 and never looked back, guiding his #53 Apex Racing Centerpoint Communities Mazda to victory today in Round Four of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear, held this afternoon at the historic Milwaukee Mile as part of the Champ Car World Series Time Warner Cable Road Runner 225 weekend activities. Championship points leader Daniel Herrington, finished second in today's 100-lap event, 0.243 seconds behind the leader in his #3 AIM Autosport Bluetooth Mazda. Finishing third to complete the podium was Robbie Pecorari, driving the #8 John Walko Racing Maxwell Paper Products Mazda.

"The Apex Racing Team has really come together these past few races and the results for both myself my team owner Ken Losch, who finished sixth today, prove it," Potekhen explained. "When you're racing on an oval 90% of the success comes down to the car setup and my car was working perfectly today. Having experience with oval racing also helped give me the upper hand over Daniel and other drivers that might not have that experience. In the closing laps my spotter was giving me the gap over the radio and while he was closing in at the end I was able to manage the gap to the finish."

Herrington had his hands full chasing down Potekhen, the Winston-Salem, North Carolina resident working his way from seventh on the grid, passing Pecorari for third place on lap 39 and getting past pole position winner Adrian Carrio for second place nine laps later. "My car was working really well today and we were closing on Michael in the final laps but I'm not sure if I could've got around him," Herrington explained. "My car was a little loose throughout the session but it was also fast and the caution flags also helped us close the gap a couple of times as I worked through the field."

Finishing on the podium was a perfect ending for Pecorari, a last minute replacement when regular driver Ross Smith fell ill, who was able to slip past Carrio on the final lap to take the last podium spot. "It looked like Adrian got held up by lap traffic coming out of turn two on the final lap and I made an all or nothing move to the inside as we came to turn three and was able to make it onto the podium," Pecorari said. "I have to thank the Smith family, Maxwell Paper Products and John Walko Racing for giving me the opportunity to come here this weekend and step in when Ross couldn't make it, what better way to say thanks than a podium finish."

With a quarter of the season complete Herrington maintains his place on top of the championship with 153 points. Carrio, who finished fourth on the day, holds onto second place with 145 points and Potekhen slips into sole possession of third place with 142 points.

In the Expert Championship, for drivers aged 30-44, Gerardo Bonilla captured the class victory in his #9 Carmela Sausages Andersen Racing Team Mazda and holds first place with 71 points. Brian Thienes finished second on track and holds second place with 58 points and Dan Tomlin III sits third with 54 points. In the Masters Championship, for drivers aged 45 and older, Ken Losch, driving the #52 Apex Racing Centerpoint Communities Mazda was the class winner finishing sixth overall, and moves into first place with 63 points. John Pew falls to second place with 60 points and Doug Peterson holds onto third with 53 points.

In the Team Championship AIM Autosport remains in first with 77 points while World Speed Motorsports is second with 74 points. Apex Racing makes a huge leap in the points, rising from seventh to third with 71 points overall.

The series now heads north to Canada to take part in the Formula One Grand Prix of Canada weekend at the Gilles Villeneuve Circuit in Montreal for Round Five of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear on June 23-24. Round Four from the Milwaukee is scheduled to air at 1:00 PM Eastern Time on Sunday, June 181th. For more information please visit www.starmazda.com.