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After several years the Mazda open-wheel championship replaced its race-proven and reliable Star Mazda with a new model.
Beginning in 2004, competitors would be racing a Pro Formula Mazda.
The Pro Formula Mazda is manufactured by the Van Diemen / Elan Motorsports Technologies group. The chassis is a carbon-fiber tub with fiberglass bodywork. The front and rear suspension is a pushrod setup with two-way adjustable shock absorbers. Stopping the Pro Formula Mazda are four-piston calipers with vented rotors. It is powered by a 240-horsepower Renesis Mazda engine, also used in the road-going version of the Mazda RX-8. Bolted to the motor is a six-speed sequential transmission with a no-lift shift. The opening round of the 2006 Pro Formula Mazda Championship was held at Sebring International Raceway and ended in mid-October at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
In addition to the overall title, championships were on the line for:
Round eight of the 2006 Pro Formula Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear was held at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Drivers would compete on the eleven-turn 1.53-mile temporary street circuit for thirty-six-laps.
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The pace lap and thirty-one competitors enter Trois-Rivieres's final turn for the start of round eight of the 2006 Pro Formula Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. On the pole in the No. 38 Northwest Autosport Pro Formula Mazda of Ryan Justice. Sharing the front row with Justice is the second fastest qualifier, Matt Varsha, driving the No. 45 Racers Edge Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda. |
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Matt Varsha, motorsports broadcaster Bob Varsha's son, drove the No. 45 Racers Edge Motorsports Pro Formula Mazda. In the two events before Trois-Rivieres, Vasha had twenty-fifth and twenty-third place finishes. Round eight provided him with an opportunity to redeem himself. Varsha was second fastest in qualifying and beat Ryan Justice to corner one. He would lead flag-to-flag for his first series win. |
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The race ended under yellow and finishing 0.196 seconds behind the winner, Matt Vasha, was Mike Potekhen. This was Potekhen's fourth podium result of the season, which included victories at Milwaukee and Portland. At Trois-Rivieres, he qualified sixth in the No. 53 Apex Racing Pro Formula Mazda. Potekhen jumped into second at the start and held the position to the checkered flag. |
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The points leader for much of the season has been Adrian Carrio. His record includes five podiums, of which two are victories. At Trois-Rivieres, Carrio was fourth fastest during the qualifying session in the No. 14 Rockford Fosgate-sponsored Pro Formula Mazda. Problems for Logan Gomez during the race allowed Carrio to inherit a third-place finish. He now holds a thirteen-point lead over Mike Potekhen in the title chase. |
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The rookie Kevin Lacroix has been delivering some solid results. He did not start the season opener at Sebring International Raceway. Still, in the seven events preceding Trois-Rivieres, Lacroix has finished on the podium four times and is a contender for the championship. He put the No. 74 John Walko Racing Pro Formula Mazda eighth on the starting grid at round eight. After thirty-six laps, he crossed the finish line in fourth. |
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Finishing fifth at Trois-Rivieres was Ron White. The newcomer was having a season with mixed results. He collected a sixth-place result at Milwaukee and a fifth at Montreal. However, White was excluded for an impound violation at Miller Motorsports Park after finishing second. Driving the No. 69 Ron White Racing Pro Formula Mazda, he qualified and finished in the fifth position. |
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| FINISH | START | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | RETIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Matt Varsha | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 2 | 4 | Mike Potekhen | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 3 | 6 | Adrian Carrio | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 4 | 8 | Kevin Lacroix | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 5 | 5 | Ron White | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 6 | 1 | Ryan Justice | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 7 | 21 | Ramiro Scuncio | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 8 | 17 | Doug Peterson | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 9 | 24 | Ken Losch | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 10 | 16 | Jay Poscente | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 11 | 15 | John Faulkner | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 12 | 23 | Dan Tomlin III | Pro Formula Mazda | 36 | - |
| 13 | 22 | Marc Arseneau | Pro Formula Mazda | 35 | - |
| 14 | 20 | Francois Bellemare | Pro Formula Mazda | 35 | - |
| 15 | 31 | Dan Tomlin Jr. | Pro Formula Mazda | 35 | - |
| 16 | 3 | Logan Gomez | Pro Formula Mazda | 32 | - |
| 17 | 11 | Tom Sutherland | Pro Formula Mazda | 29 | - |
| 18 | 10 | Gerardo Bonilla | Pro Formula Mazda | 29 | - |
| 19 | 26 | Andrew Prendeville | Pro Formula Mazda | 29 | - |
| 20 | 12 | Mark Wilkins | Pro Formula Mazda | 26 | - |
| 21 | 27 | Jon Brownson | Pro Formula Mazda | 26 | - |
| 22 | 14 | Russell Walker | Pro Formula Mazda | 25 | - |
| 23 | 7 | Brian Thienes | Pro Formula Mazda | 23 | - |
| 24 | 19 | John Pew | Pro Formula Mazda | 23 | - |
| 25 | 29 | Jep Thornton | Pro Formula Mazda | 9 | - |
| 26 | 18 | Browning Williams | Pro Formula Mazda | 9 | - |
| 27 | 25 | Thomas Wieringa | Pro Formula Mazda | 3 | - |
| 28 | 30 | Christopher Guerrieri | Pro Formula Mazda | 3 | - |
| 29 | 9 | Rob Bunker | Pro Formula Mazda | 0 | - |
| 30 | 28 | Nur Ali | Pro Formula Mazda | 0 | Did Not Start |
| 31 | 13 | Charles Anti | Pro Formula Mazda | 0 | Excluded |
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