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| January 27, 2010 |
| PROgression: David Ostella Star Mazda Spring Training |
David Ostella has returned home to Maple, Ontario, after a very successful three-day test at Florida’s Sebring International Raceway over the weekend. Running in a familiar Star Mazda race car as a part of IMSA Spring Training, Ostella completed well over 100 laps in nearly seven hours of on-track action.
 | | David Ostella to take the Star Mazda start this weekend St. Petersburg, FLA (Photo: Todd McCall, Ontrack Promotions) |
“The test went great and we tried many set-up options as we worked to get everything we could out of the car,” Ostella said upon his return. “It was good to just work back into the groove of things and work toward being perfect on the track. My goal this year is to seriously contend for the championship and this was a good first step. Obviously the competition in the Star Mazda Championship is second to none, but if we can everything right, then I really think we are in with a shot.”
Climbing back into the cockpit for the first time since the Star Mazda season finale at Laguna Seca, Ostella logged serious mileage on Friday as he completed over fifty laps in a pair of sessions. More concerned with mileage than turning quick times on day one, the series’ sophomore turned a 2:04.4 in the morning session and cut to a 2:03.6 in the afternoon to end fifth fastest on day one.
Returning Saturday for another pair of sessions, the 18-year-old was sitting tenth with a 2:03.1 midway through the morning session before pitting for new rubber. His first flying lap afterward dropped his best time to a 2:02.7 and a lap later he turned a 2:02.3 second lap. Sure to drop to 2:01 on the next tour, full course yellows waved to slow the action. “I definitely think I could have gone faster with a little more time there, or a little more time in the session,” Ostella said of day two. “I was really beginning to string laps together.”
Back again Sunday morning, Ostella proved the point when he honed in on his best lap of the weekend on just his third flyer. He turned a 2:02.5 that lap, and a 2:02.4 two laps later. His seventh trip round the air strip put him P2 on the time sheets with a 2:01.8, and on lap nine Ostella turned his best of the weekend, a 2:01.820 second lap. Once again he was thwarted by yellows when reaching his stride, as a full-course caution waved a lap later and a second just two after that. Others would better the mark late in the session, and Ostella would end P5 Friday morning among 21 cars on course.
Ostella and the rest of the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear drivers will now await the season-opening event at Sebring on March 19th. David participated in ‘Spring Training’ thanks to continued support from Global Precast Intercontinental, Alpinestars and RAW Integrated Ltd. For more information and past racing results and details, please visit http://www.davidostella.com
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