THEY'RE COMING… AMERICAN OPEN WHEEL STARS CONNOR DE PHILLIPPI, SAGE KARAM AND ZACH VEACH FINISH 1-2-3 IN STAR MAZDA ROUND 5 AT THE 67th ANNUAL NIGHT BEFORE THE 500
Lucas Oil Raceway / Indianapolis / May 26 – On Carburetion Day at the Indy Motor Speedway, Tony George Jr. was asked by a member of the media, "So where are all the Americans in the field?"

His eloquent answer? "They're coming."

Indeed. And leading the charge are three of the top young American open wheel racers on the Mazda Road to Indy. In tonight's Round 5 of the 2012 of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear at the Night Before the 500, Californian Connor De Phillippi, winner of this event last year, won again from the PEAK pole, leading the entire way in his #2 Juncos Racing / ModSpace Racing / One24 Mazda.

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DE PHILLIPPI WINS PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE AWARD FOR STAR MAZDA ROUND 5
IN THE 67th ANNUAL NIGHT BEFORE THE 500 AT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY

Lucas Oil Raceway / Indianapolis / May 26 – Connor De Phillippi, winner of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear 'Night Before the 500' event last year at Lucas Oil Raceway, will again start from the pole in his #2 Juncos Racing / ModSpace Racing / One24 Mazda for tonight's Round 5 of the 2012 season in the 67th annual Night Before the 500 at Lucas Oil Raceway.

De Philippi, qualifying next to last in the reverse points qualifying order, turned a lap of 20.559 around the 0.686-mile oval; the time was considerably slower than his lap record 19.999 set in qualifying last year, but the 92-degree heat and glaring sun slowed the track down. Virtually all of the top qualifiers turned their best lap on Lap 1 of two flying laps.

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DE PHILLIPPI QUICKEST IN FRIDAY NIGHT STAR MAZDA PRACTICE SESSION AT LUCAS OIL RACEWAY

Lucas Oil Raceway / Indianapolis / May 25 – Connor De Phillippi, winner of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear 'Night Before the 500' event last year at Lucas Oil Raceway, again showed his strength on ovals, turning the quickest time in tonight's two-hour night practice session.

While just a tick slower than his lap record of 19.999-sec., set in qualifying for the 2011 race, his quick lap this evening, a 20.131 in his #2 Juncos Racing / ModSpace Racing / One24 Mazda, set him 0.151-sec. clear of 2nd-quick Sage Karam who turned a 20.282 in the #88 Andretti Autosport / Comfort Revolution Mazda. Karam, the 2011 Star Mazda 'Rookie of the Year,' won two of the three ovals on the schedule last season.

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A WELL ROUNDED EDUCATION -- STAR MAZDA DRIVERS ENTER A NEW PHASE OF THEIR ON-TRACK TRAINING WITH THE FIRST OF TWO OVALS IN A ROW THIS WEEKEND AT THE NIGHT BEFORE THE 500

Lucas Oil Raceway / Indianapolis / May 21 – Drivers in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear – a major part of the official IndyCar driver development series, the Mazda Road to Indy – benefit from a comprehensive education both on and off-track. At the first two events of the 2012 season, they experienced both the street circuit at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the natural-terrain road course in the Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park.

Additionally, at St. Pete, drivers went through Part 1 one of the Indy Summit, a series of classroom presentations designed to educate them in the modern realities of sponsorship, branding and marketing. Classes included a 'Business of Racing 101' seminar presented by top officials from Mazda Motorsports, media training, and a social marketing presentation by Star Mazda graduate James Hinchcliffe (the 2011 IndyCar 'Rookie of the Year' and front-row qualifier for the 2012 Indy 500).

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