EDMONTON, AB (July 24, 2010) - - The quest for the 2010 ‘Rookie of the Year” award took a positive step last week for Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing’s Simona De Silvestro, but the momentum needs to continue going forward if the award is to stay within her grasp. While having visited the 1.96 mile temporary street/airport course before in her career, the young IndyCar rookie now finds herself driving a new and a more powerful car. With 3 practice sessions this weekend, Simona was looking forward to using all of the experience gained and applying it for today’s qualifying session.

During the three practice sessions she continued to improve steadily, finishing up with a time of 1:02.9055 and without having to run new tires to achieve it, compared to the majority of other drivers. With a total of 65 laps, Simona was prepared and looking forward to today’s qualifying session

Simona ventured onto the track for qualifying and immediately shot up to the top of the time charts. Her times stayed among the top-5 spots but with 3 minutes of the 15-minute session remaining, Simona slid down to the 6th position. With seconds left, and on her last lap, she delighted on-lookers and shot straight up to the top of the timesheet with a fast lap time of 1:101:7385. The session ended with Simona topping her group, marking her best first round qualifying position this year. This was the second time she would advance into the 2nd round of qualifying in her rookie season. During the next round of qualifying, the team was looking to get her into the fast six, but knew they would be slightly hindered by having used both new sets of red option tires in the earlier session. Simona entered the timesheet in the 6th spot and slipped down to the 10th spot with time winding down. The team made some slight adjustments just before her final run and, as the time expired, Simona drove a very strong lap that was good enough for 7th spot, one tenth from 6th on her used red tires. For Simona this was her best qualifying effort thus far this year. She will also start the race tomorrow, as the top rookie.

Tomorrow’s Honda Indy Edmonton will be broadcast live at 5:00 pm EST on Versus television. Additional coverage is available at www.indycar.com for live timing and video, while radio coverage will be provided by the IMS Networks and Sirius Channel 221 and XM channel 145.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78: “It was a very good qualifying session and I think we can be happy with that, especially since we were up against the big teams. I think if we could have kept another set of tires we could have advanced further, but it is what it is and we will learn from this and take a 7th place starting position, which again we are excited about. A big thank you to the crew, my sponsors and the Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing organization.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Owner: “It was a great job by Simona and the team. We had the pace and she maximized it. We played cautious and used both sets of red tires in our first session, but it became clear that we had ample speed and if we had saved a set for the second session we would have been in the third and top six. One tenth off on used tires is pretty good and we are happy with seventh this time. Next time we will see!”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal: “This was very strong effort from Simona and the Team. She did an amazing job behind the wheel and rewarded us with our best qualifying position so far. As a team we have worked very hard, and its greatly satisfying when the driver delivers in this fashion. We are proud of her effort. We hope to take this strong starting position into tomorrow and garner a respectable finish.”

EDMONTON, AB (July 22, 2010) - - Just days after enjoying her best finish of
her young IndyCar career, a 9th place at last weekend’s Honda Indy Toronto,
Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing’s , Simona De Silvestro now turns her attention
to this weekend’s Honda Indy Edmonton.  The recent result helped Simona in her
chase for the 2010 “Rookie of the Year” and moved her up 1 position in the
Championship standings.  Simona and crew are looking forward to having another
good result this weekend and continue the positive momentum they left Toronto
with.

As was the case for the Toronto race, this weekend represents a return for
Simona to the Edmonton 1.96 mile temporary street/airport course.   Simona
raced here back in 2007 as part of a double-header Atlantic race.  She is
hoping that the experience gained at these two races will serve her well and
add to a successful event, and this time she’s piloting her No. 78 Stargate
Resistance Dallara/Honda entry.

This Sunday’s Honda Indy Edmonton will be broadcast live at 5:00 pm EST on
Versus television.  Additional coverage is available at [1]www.indycar.com for
live timing and video, while radio coverage will be provided by the IMS
Networks and Sirius Channel 221 and XM channel 145.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78: “Even though we struggled a bit at our last
race, we did leave there on a positive note with a great result and I’m hoping
that this weekend picks up where we left off in Toronto and  progress
throughout the weekend.  It’s going to be a long and difficult race and the
speeds are fast but I’m very excited about it and looking forward to hopefully
having another good weekend.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal: “Another great Canadian venue and
we’re looking forward to great fans and another food result.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal: “We hope to continue our
positive momentum from Toronto. The Edmonton track is a very demanding one and
we hope to be up to the challenge."

Indianapolis, IN (July 15, 2010)  –It’s been a challenging few races for IndyCar Series rookie Simona De Silvestro and Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew.  The past 3 races started with great promise only to end prematurely.  Regardless,  the 21 year old rookie has kept a positive outlook and  focus on finishing her rookie season strong as she remains in the hunt for IndyCar Series “rookie of the year”.    After a 2-week break, she returns to action this weekend for the Honda Indy Toronto. 

Piloting the No. 78 Stargate Resistance Dallara/Honda entry, Simona is looking forward to changing the recent tide of misfortune with a return to temporary street-course racing.  It’s been 13 weeks since the IndyCar Series had its last temporary street-course race at the streets of Long Beach and, while the high walls and tight nature of this type of racing circuit might be intimidating to some, Simona is eager for challenge.  The Toronto race is not new to Simona.  As part of the Champ Car Atlantic Series, she raced at the track in 2007 and finished 18th.   
This weekend’s Honda Indy Toronto, at Toronto, Ontario, CA will be broadcast live Sunday, July 18 at 12:30 pm EST on ABC television.  Additional coverage is available at www.indycar.com for live timing and video, while radio coverage will be provided by the IMS Networks and Sirius Channel 221 and XM channel 145.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78: “I’m very excited to be back to street course racing and especially happy to be back at Toronto.  The city is beautiful and the fans have always been embracing, so I am glad to be back.  We had some races that have not gone our way lately but we are ready to change that this weekend and hopefully, when all is said and done we will leave this weekend on a positive note.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal: “As a team we like this track, street courses and Toronto itself is a great city with keen fans. We are looking for a good result.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal: “Toronto is fantastic street circuit and it’s just a very well laid out event. We hope that we can have a good result here.”

FT WORTH, TX (June 5, 2010) – Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing’s driver Simona De Silvestro arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) with temperatures still in the high 90 degree mark.  She was looking forward to her 3rd oval race of the season after a successful debut at the Indy 500 a week earlier.  After qualifying last night, and a post qualifying practice session, all indications were that the Firestone 550K night race, held under the lights, would end with a high result for the young rookie driver, however a mid-race fiery crash would deny her that result, but it would leave her with a reminder of how dangerous racing is and the importance of needing a quick acting emergency response safety team.

As the Sun began to set at the Texas track, Simona took the green flag and quickly started becoming accustomed to the fast paced racing on the 1.5 mile track.  By lap # 19 she had made solid improvements and gained 5 positions.  Now, racing in the 21st position Simona set her sights forward and continued her march towards the front.  By lap #40 she was solidly in the 19th position and after the first round of pit stops she gained even more positions.  She eventually reached 16th and hovered between that and the 18th spot.  On lap # 99 the No 78 Stargate Resistance machine got loose on her which resulted in hard contact with the wall.  The crash and ensuing fire alarmed many and after several attempts to free her from her burning car she was finally freed as the fire fully engulfed her car.  After being taken to the track Medical Center , Simona was released.  Miraculously, other than burns to her right hand, Simona was released in good condition.

Simona’s official finishing position for the race was 24th.  Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing will head back to its Indianapolis headquarters and prepare for Round # 8, the Iowa Corn Indy 250 which will be held on June 20th at the Iowa Speedway.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “The car was a little loose for a couple of laps.  I was able to catch it a couple of times but this time it got away from me and I hit the wall.  The car caught on fire and it wasn’t really extinguishing. I feel bad for the guys because the car was pretty good.  Now I know what a loose car is like.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal – “That was a scary moment and we are glad she is alright. The safety crew should be ashamed of themselves."

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - “I am completely speechless on what transpired after our car hit the wall.   I am just glad Simona is ok despite that circus we saw. The team had done an amazing job and we seemed to have a good race going. It’s just very unfortunate how things ended and we hope to recover from this setback. I would like to thank all our sponsors, families, and friends for their prayers through our few anxious moments this evening.”

FT. WORTH, Texas. (June 4, 2010) -- Everything is bigger in Texas and for today that also included the temperature at the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS).  The field of IZOD IndyCar Series drivers arrived today at TMS and were immediately greeted by scorching temperatures that hovered around the 88 degree mark.  With Practice and Qualifying scheduled for today, in preparation for tomorrow’s Firestone 550K night race, it was going to be a challenge for Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing rookie driver Simona De Silvestro to combat the heat and focus on the sessions.  Never one to back down from a challenge, and having excelled at every challenge thrown at her in her rookie season thus far, Simona was ready to put her #78 Stargate Resistance car on the track for the day’s activities.

Having never run a single lap at TMS, Simona used most of the 1 hour practice session getting acquainted with the track.   Track time was limited by various yellow flags; however, Simona took full advantage of the down time by working with her engineer on setting up the car and understanding the track’s dynamics.  By the end of the session Simona had run 44 laps, with her fastest lap time of 212.719 mph being run on lap # 16, which put her 25th on the timesheets.

Qualifying saw the air temperature peak at around 95 degrees.  Qualifying in the 10th place order, she climbed into her #78 Dallara/Honda machine and hurried herself around the 1.5 mile steeped banked track.  She carved around the track with her first lap speed being 211.05 mph, while her second lap speed was 211.372 mph, her third lap speed was 211.339 mph and finally her last lap was clocked at 211.396 mph.  Her average lap speed was 211.289 mph, which put her in the 10th spot.  At the conclusion of qualifying, Simona’s qualification effort ended up being finalized in the 26th spot.

The day’s activities concluded when Simona participated in the day’s last practice session.  Running a total of 37 laps, she posted a fast speed of 212.741 mph which was good enough for 17th on the timesheets.

 The Firestone 550K race will be broadcast live on Versus at 8:00 pm (EST).  Live Timing and Scoring, along with Video feeds, will be provided at www.indycar.com.  In addition, the IMS Radio Network and XM Channel 145 and Sirius Channel 221 will be airing the race.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “It’s not the way we expected things to go today with our qualifying session, however, we are making the car better and better and I think the last practice session shows that.  We’ll have a competitive car for tomorrow’s race and I’m looking forward to my first race at this track.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal – “Having had quick performances so far this year, it is disappointing when you have a day like today. It is a reminder that we are still in a building year together. However, I am sure we will be much better in the race, as we started to see in this evening’s session.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - “It was tough day for us. With the very limited track time and Simona having never been here, we did not get off to a good start.  We had the ability to improve the car in the last session and that will certainly help for the race tomorrow.”

Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing Rookie Is Honored

SPEEDWAY, IN - (June 1, 2010) -- After a whirlwind 2 weeks of Pre-Indy 500 media activities, finally concluding it with a respectable 14th place finish, the momentum continues for Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing rookie driver Simona De Silvestro.  It was announced at the 2010 Indy 500 Awards Banquet that the talented 21 year old had been selected to be the recipient of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Award.

 

Simona follows last year’s award winner Alex Tagliani, as well as respected racers Mario and Michael Andretti, Rick Mears, Jacques Villeneuve, and Nigel Mansell as winners of the award. 

This year’s Indy 500 field included a deep and talented group of 6 rookies, 5 of which completed the long and grueling race.  Simona started the race in 22nd place and made progress throughout the race and slowly and methodically powered her #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/Entergy car through the field.  Using a combination of smart pit strategy and talented driving, Simona and her team garnered a 14th place finish, which represents her best finish of the year. This feat is heightened by the fact that this was only her 2nd oval in her young IZOD IndyCar Series career, it is the longest distance event on the calendar and it was also the hottest Indy 500 on record.
 

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “This is such an honor to be selected for this award.  I’m humbled and so grateful to those who saw it fit for me to earn this.  This whole Indy 500 experience has been so much fun and so rewarding.  I can’t thank enough my team, as well as my manager Imran Safiulla, HVM Racing’s Keith Wiggins, my sponsors, and my parents for all helping me get where I am today.  I will work my hardest this year to show that I am deserving of this award.”

 Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal – “This is great; she really deserves it and is clearly a popular winner.  This was the smoothest and best Indy 500 we have had in our short time of participation with this young Rookie.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - “This was completely well deserved.  I am ecstatic for Simona.  The team did an amazing job all month and gave her a shot at this award.  I want to congratulate Simona, along with every one of our team members, for this achievement."

 

SPEEDWAY, IN -  (May 31, 2010)  With hundreds of thousands seated in the grandstands, Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing rookie driver Simona De Silvestro arrived at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway looking to have a successful debut for the 94th annual running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.  As the cars began arriving on track for pre-race activities, the temperature soared above 90 degrees signifying a long and hot race. However the young rookie, who qualified in the 22nd position, was not about to let the sweltering weather  get in the way of her debut.

 As the green flag waved, Simona powered her #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/Entergy car around the track and immediately began picking up spots.  Slotting herself in the 20th position, Simona began pacing around the 2.5 mile circuit at competitive speeds.  While only her 2nd oval race, her performance did not show  her lack of experience on these types of circuits.  Throughout the race Simona hovered between the 13th and 22nd spots.  She made a total of 5 pit stops on laps 36, 67, 109, 143, and 163.  The 3 hour and 5 minute race wasn’t without its scary moments.  On lap # 150, while attempting to pass Simona on the outside, Brazilian Vitor Meira made contact with the turn #2 wall in front of De Silvestro.  Escaping unscathed, Simona put her focus on the last 50 laps of the race.  With one lap left to go, Simona battled for position with the car ahead and passed him for the 13th position as he ran out of fuel, but the caution had just come out for Mike Conway's horrific crash and therefore De Silvestro would end up being classified 14th.  Simona's respectable finish represents the best finish for a Swiss driver since Clay Regazzoni raced in the Indy 500 in 1977 when he finished 30th.

For Simona, the race, while taking a physical toll on her, provided another opportunity to gain valuable knowledge that will serve her in her future ovals, including next week’s Firestone 550k Weekend at the Texas Motorsport Speedway.
 
Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 – “This was the craziest race I have ever done!  I am happy where we ended up and I am honored to have competed in this truly historic race.  I am extremely proud and grateful for the Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew and personnel.  Everyone has worked so hard this month and I am glad we were able to race to a 14th place finish.  I’m also glad that we had a great race in front of the Nuclear Clean Air Energy and Entergy guests this weekend as well.  My thoughts are now on Texas and I’m looking forward to our night race there!”
 
Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal – “Great result for Simona and the team. We completed all 500 miles and finished on the lead lap. A true testament of Simona's ability and attitude as a rookie in her first Indy 500. A good month of May for the entire team.”
 
Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal – “This was a truly fantastic result. The team has done a tremendous job all month and Simona has rewarded us all with a very strong performance. She was able to complete all 200 laps and this was a great achievement for our young rookie; she has shown that she belongs in this very competitive field.   I would like to thank all our sponsors for their continued support and belief in our program."

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (May 16, 2010) --Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing rookie driver Simona De Silvestro turned another chapter in her professional racing career as preparation for her Indianapolis 500 debut effort officially began this weekend.  The twenty-one year old Swiss driver will attempt to qualify for the 2010 Indianapolis 500 next weekend, but before that happens Simona had to undergo and pass Rookie Orientation.   With the biggest race in her career only 2 weeks away, the effort to be one of the privileged few to race in the Indy 500 was at hand.

With dark clouds ever-present, the Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew rolled out the #78 Stargate Resistance/Nuclear Clean Air Energy/Entergy car onto the famed track Saturday morning, hoping to complete Rookie Orientation.  After having spent part of the morning riding along with legend Rick Mears, who assisted De Silvestro in getting acquainted with the track,  Simona took her first laps around the 2.5 miles of track and within a couple of laps she began getting comfortable and setting competitive lap  times.  After putting 20 laps under her, the rain arrived and soon halted all activity for the rest of the day.  At this point, Simona had completed three of the four phases of Rookie Orientation.  While disappointed at not having the whole day to complete more laps, Simona and the team were satisfied with the performance. 

Sunday allowed for more on-track time and Simona picked up where she had last left off.  After a couple of laps she had successfully completed the fourth and final phase of Rookie Orientation.  With showers forecasted for later in the day Simona continued on and took full advantage of the rookie practice session and ran a total of 68 laps with a sizeable improvement over the previous day's times.  At the conclusion of the event, Simona had laid down a fast lap time of 40.6559 with a top speed of 221.370 mph which put her 3rd fastest on the timesheet.  The time gave her the distinction of being the fastest of the rookies that had never raced at the track before.

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal - "Rookie orientation went well and once again Simona showed her relaxed and smooth style. We are very happy with her speed and that of the car at this stage. Now we move to the next, more serious stage of the event; preparation for qualifying.  We feel pretty confident."

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - "I'm happy that we successfully completed Rookie Orientation today and that it went very well.  I felt we ran some very strong laps, both in and out of traffic, and I felt really good accomplishing what we did this weekend.  It was very exciting driving here and I'm really enjoying this track, but I'm sure it's going to get more difficult as the days progress with more cars on the track and under traffic conditions, but I'm looking forward to the days ahead."

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - "We have successfully passed a critical stage of our debut effort at the prestigious IMS.  I am very pleased with the team's and Simona's preparation coming into this weekend and things have gone well.  There's a lot more progress we will have to make this coming week as we head for qualifying."

With adversity comes evolution and opportunity
Los Angeles, CA – (May, 11, 2010) -- With the cancellation of the 2010 Atlantic Championship season earlier this year, many of its teams were left with their cars and equipment, and not much else. The adversity of the cancelled season has led to the evolution of an exciting new program for the Team Stargate Worlds / US RaceTronics organization (TSGW/USRT).  After much planning, TSGW/USRT is happy to announce the launch of The Arrive and Drive Experience.

Rather than allowing their inventory of Atlantic Swift 016.a race cars to go rusty and ignored, Team Principals Shane Seneviratne and Imran Safiulla have launched a  new initiative aimed at their commercial partners and a broad spectrum of racing enthusiasts.  With the TSGW/USRT Arrive and Drive Experience you don't have to be a professional race car driver, in order to get to experience the thrill of racing these modern race cars. The program features self paced testing, which utilizes an advanced Pi Sigma data acquisition system with TSGW/USRT instructors on hand to evaluate and help the client’s performance.

Clients will drive a race car prepared Formula Atlantic Swift 016.a. at a professional racing level. The Cosworth 2.3 L engine produces 300 bhp at 8000 rpm and is capable of speeds over 175 mph.  From the carbon monocoque tub, the no- ift shift sequential gearbox, the PI Sigma data system with over 25 channels of data, and other incredible features, this car is built with both performance and driver safety in mind.  With the car weighing in at 1,250 lbs, it yields an impressive power-to-weight ratio. What all this means to the driver is, a 0-60 mph time well within 3.2 seconds and a 0-100 mph time in 6 seconds.  With over 2,000 lbs of downforce and cornering forces exceeding over 3g’s, the Formula Atlantic car’s minimum cornering speeds, and very efficient braking, will provide for a truly exhilarating experience.

“When the Atlantic Series decided to cancel the season, it left us in a bit of a bind for our junior program. We decided to develop a program that could create some new value for our existing/potential sponsors and give our racing fans a unique opportunity. There are a lot of driving experiences that exist in the marketplace but, none of them are able to simulate a true experience of an untamed modern race car,” states Seneviratne.  “With the availability of our Atlantic cars and our growing commercial platform with our Indy Car program, now is the perfect time to launch this exciting new initiative,” adds Safiulla.

Whether the goal is to experience driving a real race car or to improve your existing racing skills, this individually customized Formula Atlantic driving experience is custom tailored to address each client’s needs.  No prior racing experience is necessary.  All safety equipment, including a HANS device, will be provided during the session. All sessions will take place at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, California. This circuit is used by professional race teams throughout the country for driver and chassis development testing.

TSGW/USRT will offer 3 affordable options:

• Option A - $1950 :  4 five lap sessions, and 1 ten lap session.
• Option B - $2750:   6 five lap sessions, and 2 ten lap sessions.
• Option C - $4350: 10 five lap sessions, and 4 ten lap sessions.

For further information please contact the Team offices at 661-332-3876 or email: shane@usracetronics.com

KANSAS CITY, KS. (May 1, 2010) --Many eyes were on Simona De Silvestro this weekend as the young rookie entered her first oval track race attempt at this weekend's Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway.  With 4 road and street races already completed in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar series season, the Mont Sur Rolle, Switzerland native still had a question to answer; can she successfully complete her first oval race?  While it may have been a daunting task, especially for a rookie with very limited oval track experience; by the time the race was over Simona would go on to answer that question with a very clear, yes.

Having qualified in the 18th spot yesterday, Simona took the green flag with the goal of learning and gaining oval racing experience in mind.  She turned her first laps around the 1.5 mile track and started getting acquainted to the fast paced back and forth action of oval track racing.  Holding her own, Simona got as high as 12th and ran some very competitive laps while learning to race in traffic.  Simona pitted her No. 78 Stargate Resistance entry on laps 29, 74, 120, and 173. She would go on to finish in the 21st position, taking with her valuable experience to the next race, the most important race of her career: The 94th Annual Indianapolis 500, where she will attempt to qualify on May 22nd and 23rd.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - "The race went well and was pretty interesting especially in the first couple of laps when I started racing in a lot of traffic,  which for me was something very new,  and so I had to get used to that.  After  a couple of laps I started to get used to it and began learning about which lines to drive and eventually my times started picking up a bit.  I began to put up some competitive lap times and continued to do so throughout the whole race. In general, I learned a lot today and will be able to go back home and think about it.  I can't wait for the next race."   

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal - "Simona did everything we asked of her.  She continued to learn and did a very sensible job out there today considering it was her first oval race.  We are a little disappointed in that we lost 3 spots in the last stint, but we look forward to getting better at the next race and seeing her development continue further."

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - "We are quite happy with the overall weekend. Simona met most of our objectives coming into the weekend and we will leave here with valuable experience. Considering how new the ovals are to her, she faired very well. The finish didn't completely represent our race pace and we are encouraged heading into Indy."

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 29, 2010) -- Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing’s Simona De Silvestro prepares to enter the oval racing phase of her IZOD IndyCar Series debut with this weekend’s Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway.  The 21 year old, who has shown competitiveness this year on the road and street courses, makes the leap to the oval this weekend and is hopeful that the forward progress that she has thus far had as a rookie will continue when she challenges the 1.5 mile speedway.

De Silvestro will make her debut this weekend with the added benefit of having just completed a brief  test at the very same speedway.   As part of an all-rookie oval test day, which was originally scheduled for last week but was postponed due to rain, the Wednesday, April 28th test session was designed to allow this year’s crop of rookie drivers to become acclimated to oval track racing and begin to hone their oval racing skills.  Despite the gusty wind conditions, De Silvestro and the No. 78 Stargate Resistance Dallara Honda got up to speed quickly and by the end of the day had completed 85 incident free laps, signaling her readiness to compete at the oval.

The Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 at Kansas Speedway will be shown on Saturday, May 1st on ABC at 1:30 pm EST.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “My oval rookie test went very well, and though it was scary at first, I soon began to get comfortable and eventually enjoyed being out there.  Obviously racing on an oval is new to me so I will definitely use the opportunity to learn as much as I can, which I already started doing with the test.  With each session I was able to learn more about the car and its capabilities and its limits and I’ll gain more knowledge during the race.  The goal for this weekend is to finish and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal –  “We are very aware about Simona's lack of experience on the ovals. We have set ourselves with reasonable expectations and I'm confident in her ability to get comfortable and build towards the Indy 500."

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - “We now embark on a new challenge. Simona has had no oval racing experience in her career, but we are confident that she will learn quickly. We did get some running on an oval in our Indy Lights car and yesterday's rookie session would have also helped her get an eye in. We have realistic goals and hope to gain some valuable experience."

In addition to being a challenging track to compete in, the Toyota Grand Prix at Long Beach is known for its ability to teach young racers important lessons in racing, and that is exactly what Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing driver Simona De Silvestro received at the famed temporary street course.

 After qualifying in the 13th position yesterday, Simona would end up completing Sunday’s 85 lap race without the finishing position she would have liked, but she earned valuable experience and lessons that will continue to develop the young rookie as she progresses through this season.

After spending much of the morning doing press events and spending time with her family and friends, who traveled from Switzerland to show their support, Simona climbed into her No. 78 Stargate Resistance entry and took the green flag start. In the opening laps, she went down a couple of positions, but was never deterred and was able to pit on lap # 23 and on lap # 53 for fresh tires and fuel.

The fast pace race only had 5 caution laps so the blistering pace of the race kept young Simona busy. With the race coming to a close and now not having optimal balance on the car, Simona was able to preserve a 17th place finish.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “It was a tough race.  It didn’t really go our way today with the strategy and I struggled a bit coming off the hairpin turn today but, once again, I am constantly learning and will use that knowledge as I compete in many other races.  I know the importance of a good qualifying session and how it plays into this race and so many other things.  Now, I’ve completed my first Long Beach Grand Prix in the IZOD Indy Car series and I hope to be better as a result of the experience and use that in the future.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal –  “An uneventful race for us. No real opportunities and we spent the race in traffic. On the other hand, it was a long run and so more valuable experience for Simona. So we move to the next one.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal -“This was a tough weekend, yet again. Simona continues to learn and develop as a driver and this race has certainly given her some valuable experience.  We weren’t best during the race and got stuck behind a slower car for many laps, which resulted in a less than desired finish. We will get better." 

Birmingham, AL (April 11, 2010) - After a 13th place qualifying effort yesterday in preparation for today’s inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union at Barber Motorsports Park, Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing driver Simona De Silvestro arrived at the beautiful track today looking forward to a top-10 result for her 3rd career IZOD IndyCar Series start.  With qualifying position being critical at this track, the challenges for De Silvestro were high but the youngster was looking to overcome them.  

At the drop of the green flag De Silvestro slotted herself into 14th position.  The team had De Silvestro on a fuel conservation strategy and with that in mind De Silvestro was able to move up to the 5th spot by lap 11 after a yellow flag and ran strong in that position.   Her 2-pit stop strategy continued to play out throughout the race.  De Silvestro would pit on lap 22 and once again on lap 60.  She continued her fast pace while having her first experience of conserving fuel and staving off tough competitors.  With 5 laps left in the race, as she was defending the 11th spot from Ryan Hunter Reay, De Silvestro had a misstep in her downshift which caused her to spin the No. 78 Stargate Resistance Honda Dallara.  While the incident cost her some positions, an undeterred De Silvestro, having gone a lap down, stayed out on track and went on to finish the race in the 21st spot and still gained a wealth of knowledge and experience. 

The team will pack up and head to the sunny shores of the Pacific for Round 4 of the IZOD IndyCar Series season at the 36th Annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

 
Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “We had a pretty good race going there for a while.  We were trying to save fuel during the race, which is the first time I have ever had to do that.  I learned a lot.  We were running pretty well until I made an unfortunate mistake on my downshift. Needed 2nd gear but I downshifted too many times and it went to 1st and I spun.  I’m really disappointed for my guys who worked so hard all weekend to get to this point.  I want to thank them for that.  I won’t be making that mistake anymore.  Now we move on to another race and another chance for a better result.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal - “Once again we had a good race playing out.   We were competitive on a good strategy and Simona was doing a great job, while learning a new challenge of conserving fuel.  Final outcome is disappointing but we continue to see Simona develop and impress."

About HVM Racing:
HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.  In its nine years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Since joining the IRL Championship in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes with drivers E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos. For 2010 HVM Racing has partnered up with Team Stargate Worlds and driver Simona De Silvestro for its IndyCar program and also enters the Firestone Indy Lights with driver Junior Strous.  You can follow HVM Racing on twitter at www.twitter/HVMracing.com  and on facebook at www.facebook.com/HVMRacing

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds enters the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series in collaboration with HVM Racing. Simona De Silvestro will be the driver for the team, referred now as Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing. In the 2009 Atlantic Championship season De Silvestro won four races and four poles in the Atlantics, and led the most laps, thereby becoming the first woman in series history to lead those categories in a single season. The 2010 season marks the team’s 6thyear of competition in North American open wheel. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visitwww.teamstargateworlds.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found athttp://twitter.com/TeamSGWwhile the team’s Facebook page can be found athttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

Young Rookie Continues Forward Progress at Barber Motorsport Park

Birmingham, AL - (April 10, 2010) -- Swiss driver Simona De Silvestro and her Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing team showed up this morning for qualifying in preparation for tomorrow’s Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by Legacy Credit Union at Barber Motorsports.  With cool temperatures barely cracking the 60 degree mark, De Silvestro climbed into her No. 78 Stargate Resistance Honda Dallara hoping to solidify a strong starting spot for the third start of her IZOD IndyCar Series career.

As part of Qualifying Group #1, De Silvestro hit the track first and soon began her charge towards the first 6 positions which would allow her to advance onto the next round of qualifying.  With 3 timed laps completed, including dealing with traffic, she entered the pits, having the second quickest time, for a tire change.  Then a late session spin by Dan Wheldon and the ensuing full course caution cut down De Silvestro’s additional laps to a single lap on her new tires and that just wasn't good enough to improve on the time set earlier.  She would go on to a final qualifying position of 13th with her fastest lap being 01:11.0262 (116.577 mph).

The race will be presented live at 3 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS and will also air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel  211. Followers can also log on to www.indycar.com and follow the race via live timing and scoring along with a live video feed.

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal - “Such a frustrating qualifying. We can't make the usual racing excuses but we were in such good shape and we had the speed to be in the fast group. Unfortunately, the yellow for Weldon came out as we were leaving on new tires. It was actually our slow lap in traffic that determined our grid position. Now we have to do it in the race."

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I'm a bit disappointed. We had a very quick car and I could have broken into the fast twelve. We were comfortably in the top six until the yellow came out and I didn't get a run on my red tires. It’s overall a bit frustrating, but starting 13th is not too bad and I hope to have a good race tomorrow. Once again the team built me a fantastic car and one of these weekends it will all come together."

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal - “A very fast car and a driver driving it very well; that's what we had during qualifying, but a very frustrating outcome. Simona is continuing to take positive strides and the team is doing a great job supporting her. It’s still a fair starting position and we hope to have a good race.”

About HVM Racing:
HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.  In its nine years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Since joining the IRL Championship in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes with drivers E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos. For 2010 HVM Racing has partnered up with Team Stargate Worlds and driver Simona De Silvestro for its IndyCar program and also enters the Firestone Indy Lights with driver Junior Strous.  You can follow HVM Racing on twitter at www.twitter/HVMracing.com  and on facebook at www.facebook.com/HVMRacing

Indianapolis, Indiana (April 8, 2010) - With the Honda Grand Prix at St. Petersburg in the history books and the ensuing 2 week break coming to an end, Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing driver Simona De Silvestro returns to competition for this weekend’s inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama Presented by Legacy Credit Union at Barber Motorsports Park.  This marks her third career IZOD IndyCar Series start.  With 2 races under her belt the young Swiss driver is hoping for a strong finish this weekend.  

While Barber Motorsports Park may have never hosted an IndyCar Series race, De Silvestro and team are familiar with the scenic natural road course.  Back in February of this year, she was one of the many IndyCar drivers who participated in the series 2-day Open Test held there.  During that test De Silvestro and her No. 78 Stargate Resistance Honda Dallara machine logged 106 laps and used the opportunity to gather valuable feedback and experience.  She now looks forward to putting it all to use this weekend. 

The race will be presented live at 3 p.m. (ET) on VERSUS and will also air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 145 and Sirius channel 211. Followers can also log on to www.indycar.com and follow the race via live timing and scoring along with a live video feed. 

 Simona De Silvestro- Driver No. 78 – I’m really excited about getting back in the car again.  This will be the first time that I am racing at a track where I have previously tested at.  When we were here last we did pretty well and we gained a lot of valuable data.  It’s a track with a lot of elevation changes so it will be a fun race.  This weekend we will keep developing the car and working very hard.  I think we can leave here with a very good result there if all the pieces come together.” 

Keith Wiggins –HVM Racing Owner/ Team Principal -  ‘I am sure the weather will be much more enjoyable than at the test. Another positive is that we have actually tested here, so although the relevance for the chassis testing will be different with such different temperatures, Simona knows the track for the first time this year. So we are looking to continue building on our strong performances so far but with the difference that we want a strong finish to show for it. Let’s hope no one else spoils it again!.”

 Imran Safiulla –Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal - “This will be an inaugural race for IndyCar at Barber. We have had the luxury of having tested at the facility.  Simona has had a chance to get familiar with the circuit and as a team we were comfortable with the progress we made there.  We hope to continue the evolution of our program and have a productive weekend." 

Starting the race in the 14^th slot, De Silvestro took the green flag start and successfully made it through turn #1 and immediately worked herself into the 13^th spot. She maintained her blistering pace and by lap #13 she moved into 11^th. After a full course caution on lap #25 De Silvestro came into the pits and reentered the track in the 20^th spot. As the laps continued and the pit stops began to recycle positions, a top -10 finish was looking very promising for her as she was now solidly in the 10^th position. Graham Rahal attempted to fight for the position however, on lap # 73 in turn #1, he made contact with the rear of De Silvestro's Stargate Resistance car, causing it to spin. The time needed to restart the car, combined with the time needed to repair the broken front wing handicapped De Silvestro's ability to stay on the lead lap and otherwise have a top-10 finish. Despite the incident, De Silvestro stayed focused and rejoined the race after repairs were made and completed the race. She went on to record a 16^th place finish.

The Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew heads back to its Indianapolis headquarters and will now turn its attention to Round # 3 of the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorpsorts Park coming up in two weeks.

The Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew heads back to its Indianapolis headquarters and will now turn its attention on Round # 3 of the IZOD IndyCar Series race at Barber Motorpsorts Park coming up in two weeks.

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal - “Another roller coaster day at St. Petersburg. We had the right strategy again and Simona was once again driving an impressive race, destined for a high finish until contact from behind changed our fortunes. It will all come together soon.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I'm pretty happy with the race. We were fast and on the same pace as the lead cars. The Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew did a great job giving me the fast car that I had. I got unlucky though when Graham Rahal and I got together, so I'm disappointed in that respect. We will recover from that and be better in the next race. I do know that we took a big step forward this weekend and I am really looking forward to the next race.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Principal -“This was another mixed bag for us. The team built a very strong car and Simona drove it extremely well. We were running strong all race long until we were nudged. A very disappointing end, but once again, a very promising future. We will get stronger as a group and I am sure the results will come.”

About HVM Racing:
HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its nine years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Since joining the IRL Championship in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes with drivers E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos. For 2010 HVM Racing has partnered up with Team Stargate Worlds and driver Simona De Silvestro for its IndyCar program and also enters the Firestone Indy Lights with driver Junior Strous. You can follow HVM Racing on twitter at www.twitter/HVMracing.com and on facebook at www.facebook.com/HVMRacing

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds enters the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series in collaboration with HVM Racing. Simona De Silvestro will be the driver for the team, referred now as Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing. In the 2009 Atlantic Championship season De Silvestro won four races and four poles in the Atlantics, and led the most laps, thereby becoming the first woman in series history to lead those categories in a single season. The 2010 season marks the team’s 6^thyear of competition in North American open wheel. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visitwww.teamstargateworlds.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found athttp://twitter.com/TeamSGWwhile the team’s Facebook page can be found athttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

After what was an eventful, yet positive Saturday, Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing driver Simona De Silvestro returned Sunday looking to complete what was going to be a busy day's worth of work, which included a fourth practice session, qualifying and finally the Sao Paulo Indy 300 race. Track crews worked overnight to repair the slippery front stretch and hopes were high that the condition of the track would be substantially better.

After finishing the last practice session earlier in the morning in 5th, De Silvestro prepared herself for qualifying. With poise and confidence she climbed into her #78 Stargate Resistance car and began her first qualifying effort as part of the IZOD IndyCar Series. She was among the Round #1 session participants and focused all of her efforts on putting in some clean fast laps. Her times stayed between the 4^th and 5^th spots initially but she soon started hammering her lap times and quickly skyrocketed to 2nd place on the timesheets. The elated De Silvestro, who is in contention for Rookie of the Year, would finish in 2nd, which allowed her to continue on to Round #3 qualifying.

De Silvestro entered the Round # 3 timesheets in the 6^th position. As the other drivers began to pick up their game, De Silvestro picked up hers as well. With the front stretch more stable than it was yesterday De Silvestro took advantage and used as much track as she could and wrangled the 1,565 pound IndyCar around the course. She hovered between the 9^th and 12^th spots throughout the session, but with minutes left she made slight contact with the wall. The damage to the #78 Stargate Resistance car was minor and the Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew soon went to work on getting the car ready for the race. De Silvestro, while disappointed with the incident, was overall pleased with her 11^th place qualifying effort.

As the cars roared down the front stretch at the start of the race the dust made visibility nearly impossible, which resulted in a spectacular 5-car accident. De Silvestro managed to narrowly escape the wreckage and continued on. During the lengthy caution she would end up having to pit in order to address a flat right rear tire. She reentered the race track in 13^th and by lap #18 the young rookie had been relegated down to the 17^th position, as she had a full load of fuel to contend with. Her fortune would change when the yellow flag came out allowing all drivers to take their pit stops, with the exception of De Silvestro, who stayed out. The move allowed her to take the lead. This was the first lead of her career and a great opportunity for her to showcase her talent. Not since Graham Rahal at St. Petersburg in 2008 has a rookie led a lap in an IZOD IndyCar Series race that was their debut race. De Silvestro soon found herself fighting with Ryan Hunter-Reay and Dario Franchitti for the lead. The exciting battle came to an end when Mother Nature quickly turned and the skies over Sao Paulo opened up forcing all drivers back to their pits to put on their rain tires, however, De Silvestro stayed out. Unfortunately the pits would close, which resulted in her being forced to stay out on the racetrack for six laps during the downpour. She managed to do a brilliant job keeping control of the car under the treacherous wet conditions and eventually was able to pit and change her tires. After a 33 minute red flag period De Silvestro came back out but was once again bitten by bad luck. She began to experience rear suspension problems causing her to take a trip back to the pits to allow for repairs. Despite losing 3 laps, the undeterred De Silvestro flew back onto the course and completed the remaining laps. She would go on to finish the race in 16^th place.

The team will now prepare for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 28^th to be held in the streets of St. Petersburg, FL.

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “Despite the rear braking problems and the different things that happened during the race, it was a real good experience. I think we can be pretty competitive during the year and now we just have to continue to work real hard and I'm sure we'll go in the right direction. A big thank you to my Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing crew for working so hard and to everyone who had a part in getting me to this point. I am very grateful to them all.”

Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing Team Principal - “We started off pretty good obviously and we got into a pretty good position and looked very strong, but it went a bit against us when the rain came and the pits closed. It went downhill from there. It's a bit of a disappointing finish considering she was doing such a fantastic job.”

Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal - “We've seen the entire spectrum of what a first race weekend could have offered us. The whole team has done a fantastic job getting us here and Simona drove absolutely brilliantly. We had some good luck go our way and some that did not, including getting caught in the rain while the pits were closed and a mechanical issue that affected us towards the end, but all things being considered, I am proud of what we did here this weekend and I'm looking forward to what we can do at St. Petersburg.”

Shane Seneviratne, Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal - “Simona did an excellent job. It almost seems likes she's done this before even though it was her first race and despite all of the extreme conditions that were thrown at her. She did an extremely good job staying out on the course during the rain while the pits were closed. The Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing team did an excellent job. Michael Cannon and Simona worked so well together and leading this race, their very first together, is something everyone should be proud of.”

Coming to a new race track is always going to produce some challenges but you pair that up with a new driver and the challenges become much more, however, Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing and its driver Simona De Silvestro are more than up to the task and are eagerly looking forward to what's ahead at the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season opener at Sao Paulo, Brazil. While the team may be new in name, the personnel that make up the Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing organization have a combined talent pool that will serve the young rookie well this weekend.

With 2 very successful IndyCar testing sessions already under her belt, Simona De Silvestro will join her fellow competitors this weekend for her debut at the Sao Paulo Indy 300 and tackle the 2.6 mile temporary street course, which also has the distinction of having the longest straightaway in series history. While De Silvestro will have her hands full, the 21 year old resident of Scottsdale, Arizona will be in the capable hands of the experienced crew, which will be led by her engineer Michael Cannon and crew chief Daryl Fox. “This week the reality is setting in and it is really exciting. My goal this weekend is to finish the race and to soak up as much as I can and use what I learn to help me for the next race,” states De Silvestro. “I have worked very hard in the weeks leading to this race and I'm confident that the Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing guys have given me a competitive car for this weekend.”For HVM Racing Team Principal Keith Wiggins, the opportunity to race in Brazil is a welcomed return to a place he has been before. “I love Brazil and have spent a lot of time there as part of Formula One. It was always a place full of excitement,” states Wiggins. Personally, I am looking forward to the IndyCar race and I think it will be fantastic for the fans and the series. For our team, the focus has to be getting Simona comfortable, up to speed and to have a good clean race right up to the checkered flag in what will be a new and demanding environment for her. From there we can focus on building our competitiveness in the following races.”

For Team Stargate Worlds Team Principal Imran Safiulla the road to this point has been long and difficult but there is a sense that the efforts are now bearing fruit. “"We are heading into our first grand prix and it's surreal! There has been a lot of effort put into the program and we are excited as the team is now heading to Brazil. Simona has made a lot of strides in and out of the car. The Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing team has realistic expectations as she eases herself into her new role as a rookie in the Izod IndyCar series," Safiulla exclaims.

About HVM Racing:
HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its nine years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Since joining the IRL Championship in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes with drivers E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos.

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds enters the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series in collaboration with HVM Racing. Simona De Silvestro will be the driver for the team, referred now as Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing. In the 2009 Atlantic Championship season De Silvestro won four races and four poles in the Atlantics, and led the most laps, thereby becoming the first woman in series history to lead those categories in a single season. The 2010 season marks the team’s 6^th year of competition in North American open wheel. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.teamstargateworlds.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804 

Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing is very pleased to announce a multi-year partnership with Bernard Richards Manufacture (BRM), a worldwide leader in luxury timepieces.  In addition to becoming Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing’s official timepiece provider and Associate Sponsor for the team, the multi-faceted and unique partnership will allow BRM and Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing to take advantage of the synergies that all parties bring to the motorsports world.
 

One of the most exciting aspects to the partnership is that BRM has committed to producing 78 customized watches in honor of Simona De Silvestro and her #78 Stargate Resistance entry.  The limited edition model will have De Silvestro's signature emblazoned on the back and will be available to the general public for sale later this year.  “I am honored that BRM has chosen me and Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing for this extraordinary honor.  The watch is stunning, unique and its quality, as all of BRM's other watches, is unquestionable”, states an elated De Silvestro.
   

The sponsorship announcement comes on the heels of the newly announced partnership between Team Stargate Worlds and HVM Racing.  “We always enjoy partnering with organizations of quality that have a true appreciation and love for racing,” said Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing team owner.  “BRM is highly regarded in the racing world, so we’re proud to be working with them and thrilled they will be celebrating Simona’s rookie year in the series with a customized timepiece.”  

For his part, Imran Safiulla, Team Stargate Worlds’ Team Principal was elated with the newly cemented deal.  “This is a very prestigious relationship for us. We are very impressed with BRM's luxurious product line and most importantly their consistent creativity influenced from within the motor sports world. I would like to welcome Frederic and his organization into our racing family and look forward to a long and successful association," states Safiulla.  

BRM's customer will also benefit from this new partnership as a select few of its customers will get the rare opportunity to experience the passion and thrill of driving a real race car. B.R.M. and Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing have agreed to create the BRM Driver Experience.  Selected customers will get to experience the thrill of strapping themselves into one of the Team Stargate Worlds Atlantic Championship race cars and racing around the team's home track of Buttonwillow Raceway under the guidance, training, and support of the team.  "This was a much anticipated relationship for us.  We are very proud to be associated with a racing team like Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing, who represent a unique perspective. Our entire branding and product development revolve around the motorsports arena and to have a team and driver combination that they have, and who we feel are poised to make motorsports history, is a perfect fit. We look forward to a successful 2010 racing season in the IZOD IndyCar Series and beyond," States BRM North America Operations President, Frederic Gasser 

About Bernard Richards Manufacture (BRM) 
Bernard Richards Manufacture is named after its founder.   Filled with the latest machining tools and highly skilled technicians, the BRM workshop is a cutting-edge atelier that allows Richards to control every aspect of production for his handmade timepieces. Just as a sculpture begins as a formless block of stone, every BRM watch begins as a solid bar of metal, which is then cut expertly to exacting specifications. To maintain the meticulous level of quality that Richards demands BRM produces everything from screw and pushbuttons to crowns and lugs.  One of the watchmaker’s hallmarks is its exclusivity. Each month, BRM creates only 200 of its highly collectible, numbered timepieces.  For more information about BRM, please go to www.brm-manufacture.com   
 

About Team Stargate Worlds: 
Team Stargate Worlds enters the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series in collaboration with HVM Racing.  Simona De Silvestro will be the driver for the team, referred now as Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing.  In the 2009 Atlantic Championship season De Silvestro won four races and four poles in the Atlantics, and led the most laps, thereby becoming the first woman in series history to lead those categories in a single season. The 2010 season marks the team’s 6^th year of competition in North American open wheel.  For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.teamstargateworlds.com.  The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804 

In a collaborative effort with HVM Racing, Team Stargate Worlds will enter the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series with driver Simona De Silvestro. Known as Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing, the team will carry primary sponsorship from Stargate Resistance and associate sponsorship from Bernard Richards Manufacture (BRM), FireSky, Cheyenne Mountain Games, and Cardinal Technologies. De Silvestro and the # 78 entry will also lead the Do Not Text “N” Drive campaign which is designed to increase public awareness about the dangers of texting while driving.

Both groups partnered up and spent the offseason testing De Silvestro in both an Indy car and an Indy Lights car and by all measurements the tests were successful and more importantly, a glimpse of the promising possibilities. De Silvestro, who enters her 6th year in North American open-wheel racing stunned the open-wheel world in 2009 by winning 4 races in dominant fashion, earning 4 pole positions, and gathering an extraordinary 9 podium finishes in the 2009 Atlantic Championship season. She would go on to finish third in the series. Her success was not only impressive but it was also record breaking. De Silvestro was the first woman is series history to have earned the most wins, pole positions, and led the most laps in a single season. “Racing in the IndyCar series, alongside the class of competition that I will be racing with is a true honor. I am very grateful for this opportunity and for the type of team that I will have alongside me. I am equally grateful for the support that I have from my sponsors, family, friends and fans. I am very eager for my debut in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar season,” states the young 21 year old from Thun, Switzerland.

For Team Stargate Worlds, who also enters its 6th year of competition in North American open-wheel competition, this marks an substantial expansion of its operations. Led by team principals Shane Seneviratne and Imran Safiulla, the California based team looks forward to its new partnership with HVM Racing. “This is yet another significant step in Simona's career. We have had a very fortunate few years that have led us here and I could not imagine being able to form this new relationship with a better person than Keith. I am greatly appreciative of every single person and every company that has helped make this possible and look forward to a successful 2010,” states Safiulla.

For HVM Racing having De Silvestro as its driver is exciting and full of possibilities. “From the first day of the first test, we knew she could drive,” said Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing team principal and owner. “The longer we worked with her, the more she impressed us. I think she has a great future in this series. She made a lot of history in the Atlantic Championship and we expect her to make some waves in IndyCar now that she’s here.” The team will now turn its attention on its first race of the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season opener, the Saõ Paulo Indy 300, taking place in the streets of Saõ Paulo, Brazil on March 13 and 14.

About HVM Racing- HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its eight years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums since 2001. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned its drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. In 2008 with driver E.J. Viso, the team earned seven top-10 finishes, including a fourth at St. Petersburg in its inaugural year in the IRL Championship.

About Team Stargate Worlds: Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

The 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series testing season got off to a positive start when Team Stargate Worlds/HVM Racing concluded a two-day Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park in Huntsville, Ala., with driver Simona De Silvestro. The test marks the third time in which Team Stargate Worlds and HVM Racing have partnered up with De Silvestro in the cockpit and once again the recipe proved fruitful.

While frigid Alabama temperatures may have greeted the team on the first day, it wasn't going to deter the task at hand. De Silvestro was able to run some valuable learning laps, and by the end of the day had completed 48 successful laps with a best time of 01:12.8124 coming at Lap 36.

On Day 2 De Silvestro roared back on track and soon began carving her way around the 2.38-mile permanent road course. The experience and confidence gained during her previous day served her well and her speeds kept her amongst the more seasoned series veterans throughout the session. By the end of the day, De Silvestro had concluded 58 laps with a top speed of 01:11.335 which put her 16th on the timesheets.

This test was only De Silvestro’s second time in an IndyCar in her career with her first being in December at Sebring International Raceway under similar frigid conditions. By all measures, De Silvestro and her team accomplished the goals of the two-day event and continued to build on what was already a solid partnership between Team Stargate Worlds and HVM Racing. The team continues to put together the final details of its 2010 racing plans with announcements expected before the season opener in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 14.

Simona De Silvestro – Driver, No. 78 Stargate Resistance – “I had a little bit of a rough start in the beginning, but it was the first time I had been in an IndyCar on a fast track and it is something still very new to me. However, at the end of the day, the team and I gained a lot of knowledge and we accomplished our goals and in that respect I think we managed to have a very successful test. We used the opportunity to try some new things and I believe collectively as a group we are heading the right way. Overall I am so happy with everything and the team has helped me learn quite a lot and I look forward to learning more this season.”

Imran Safiulla - Team Stargate Worlds Principal – “On behalf of Shane (Shane Seneviratne) and I, the test did not start the way we would have liked and the poor weather conditions were the primary factor. However, it’s always about the recovery and Simona and the team did just that. We got some good laps in and she started to get comfortable. We do have a learning curve as a single-entry rookie, but we are very encouraged with what we have so far.”

Keith Wiggins – HVM Team Owner - “It was another good test for Simona and another demonstration of her talent and what lies ahead. With her approach and our support she will continue to improve and be a serious IndyCar contender.

About HVM Racing: HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its nine years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Since joining the IRL Championship in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes with drivers E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos.

About Team Stargate Worlds: Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804 

The long awaited 3rd person shooter game, which battles for control of the entire galaxy, is now here.  Order it at www.stargateresistance.com

Team Stargate Worlds is excited to announce that the first of a line of Stargate themed video games will be released on February 10th, 2010. Titled Stargate: Resistance, this third-person online game is set in the Stargate Universe. Players will join teams and fight other online users, and their teams, with the goal of controlling the galaxy across the various worlds. "I want to personally thank everyone for their enthusiasm and support. It's incredibly exciting to be releasing our first game as a studio, especially with such a great license," said Shane Hensley, President of the Studio. Stargate: Resistance has been highly anticipated in the online gaming world since the game was first announced back on December 2009. The game will be available (for now) only on the PC.

Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and FireSky both partnered up with Team Stargate Worlds and its drivers Simona De Silvestro and teammate Frankie Muniz for the 2009 Atlantic Championship season.

Please be sure to register now at http://www.stargateresistance.com/register/index.htm for all the latest news and updates on Stargate: Resistance. Our preorder announcement will be within the next two days. In conjunction with Direct2Drive some awesome will offer some awesome exclusive FREE content to those that purchase before launch.

As the holidays rapidly approach and 2009 draws to a close, 2009 Star Mazda champion Adam Christodoulou got his first taste of the Mazda-Cosworth-powered Swift 016.a utilized in the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda in a two-day test with Team Stargate Worlds at Buttonwillow Raceway on Thursday and Friday.

The 20-year-old British driver logged nearly 400 miles over the two days in cool weather conditions aboard the same No. 78 machine that Simona De Silvestro piloted to four victories and third in points in the 2009 Atlantic Championship. The team, which is based at Buttonwillow, reported that Christodoulou managed to work up to speed quickly and rarely put a wheel wrong over the two days.

“I was pleased,” said engineer Burke Harrison. “He was very consistent and obviously has a lot of raw talent. The conditions here weren't great. There was very little off-track drama at all and the feedback was good. We made progress on the balance of the car, especially the second day. I thought it was a very good test. That's the way I judge someone. We were trying stuff, we weren't just driving around, putting new tires on and looking for a lap. We worked the day like you would a good test. He never got tired, the times were consistent, his feedback was good, he went out and got after it. All in all, it was a positive test.”

After spending the early portion of his career in Europe, Christodoulou made the move to the U.S. and the Star Mazda championship in 2009, claiming the title with three victories and two pole positions from 13 starts. He won the championship over Peter Dempsey in dramatic fashion in the final race of the season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. As part of his prize for winning the Star Mazda title, Christodoulou receives a free ride in the 2010 Atlantic Championship - the top rung of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder - courtesy of Mazda.

“It's been really good,” Christodoulou said. “We never ran into and trouble and ended up just a fraction off Simona's time around here, so I think for my second day in the car, it's gone extremely well. The team did an awesome job. We didn't have any problems on their part. I had one minor detour off the track, but apart from that, everything else ran smoothly. We've had two days of flat-out testing pretty much. It's been quite cold, but it's been some good testing and it's been an enjoyable first experience in the Atlantic car. I've really enjoyed it.”

After a break for the holidays, both Team Stargate Worlds and Christodoulou expect to hit the Atlantic testing trail hard early in the New Year. Both expect to participate in series-sanctioned testing at Sebring International Raceway on the weekend of January 22-24, 2010.

Sebring, Florida (December 10, 2009) - HVM Racing and Team Stargate Worlds wrapped up a successful test Wednesday with Swiss driver Simona De Silvestro behind the wheel of an HVM IndyCar.  De Silvestro ran 147 clean laps over two days at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway.

"She was very impressive," said Keith Wiggins, HVM Racing team principal and owner.  "From the first laps, she showed she was capable of driving the car fast and she progressed rapidly.  She was fast, consistent and gave good driver feedback.  In fact, by the second half of the first day, we were so comfortable that we began working on development of our 2010 program using her feedback.  "By day two, I think everyone forgot she wasn't a seasoned professional.  Everyone enjoyed working with her."

Team Stargate Worlds principals Shane Seneviratne and Imran Safiulla were happy with the test as well:  "These were two very important days for us and our commercial partners.  We want to thank Keith and the entire HVM organization for making us feel right at home. Simona got comfortable in the car over the last few days and it has been very exciting to get a glimpse of what may lie ahead.  We would like to thank the IndyCar Series for making this test possible."

The 21-year-old De Silvestro finished third in the 2009 Atlantic Championship, winning four races this year for Team Stargate Worlds.  She said it did not take long to get accustomed to the IndyCar. "It was a dream come true to step into the cockpit of the Stargate: Resistance IndyCar," said De Silvestro.  "I got comfortable right away and soon came up to speed, and overall thought the test was excellent.  I need to thank Gary Whiting at Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment along with Imran, Shane, and the rest of Team Stargate Worlds for making this happen.  Thanks to Keith Wiggins and the engineers for making the experience so enjoyable and for supporting me.  HVM is a first-class organization."

HVM will return Robert Doornbos to the No. 33 HVM Racing car in 2010 and is exploring options for its second car. 

Team Stargate Worlds' test with HVM coincided with the launch of the Stargate: Resistance Web site, http://stargateresistance.com/, which was displayed on the car.  Stargate: Resistance is an online third-person shooter game being developed based on the popular Stargate sci-fi television franchise.

About HVM Racing:
HVM is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. In its nine years of competition, the team has earned six wins, two pole positions, and an additional 16 podiums. The team finished fourth and third, respectively, in the Champ Car championship standings in 2006 and 2007, and earned drivers Mario Dominguez and Robert Doornbos Rookie of the Year honors in 2002 and 2007, respectively.  Since joining the IRL Championship in 2008, the team has earned nine top-10 finishes with drivers E.J. Viso and Robert Doornbos.

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team's Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

The 2009 Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered By Mazda season finale got underway under chilly and foggy conditions at the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  Team Stargate Worlds driver Simona De Silvestro, who currently leads the championship battle over Newman Wach's Jonathan Summerton, arrived this weekend hoping to put an exclamation point on this season's effort by winning the championship.  Meanwhile her teammate, and local driver, Jonathan Bomarito was looking for a rewarding finish at his home track.  On Friday both drivers had successful practice sessions and with qualifying next, the pair were optimistic about their chances at qualifying well. 

Cloudy skies and temperatures in the low fifties greeted the Team Stargate Worlds duo Saturday morning.  De Silvestro and her crew spent the morning prepping for the 40-minute qualifying session.  As the green flag dropped she roared down pit lane and soon began putting up decent lap times. De Silvestro, who currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona saw her times float around the fifth spot on the time sheets.  Halfway through the session a red flag came out as a result of an off-track excursion by one of the Atlantic drivers. The interruption disrupted the momentum.  Undeterred, De Silvestro re-entered the track once the green flag was displayed and immediately improved positions by regaining her fifth place spot.  As the final minutes ticked away De Silvestro continued to focus on her lap times and was able to put in a time that maintained her fifth place spot.  Though the result was not what she was hoping for De Silvestro and crew are looking forward to finishing the final race of the season on a high point.

For his part Monterey, California resident Jonathan Bomarito, in only his second race with the team, got into his #77 Team Stargate Worlds entry and began to put up very competitive times.  Bomarito's times jumped around from fourth to seventh.  He came into the pits to change tires and also spent an extended time in the pits as a result of the red flag.  Bomarito regained his focus and tenacity after the red flag and once back on-track he began aggressively carving around the circuit.  His efforts would be rewarded as he managed to eat away at the deficit between him and the cars in front of him. With minutes left and pressure mounting he would go on to put in a lap time that propelled him to the third spot on the grid.  The session would finish with Bomarito earning a third place on the timesheets.  This represents Jonathan's best starting spot of the season.

Simona De Silvestro - "It was a little bit of a tough qualifying session as we wanted to be in the front. I'm confident in knowing that I have a great race car and a great team that will do their best.  A lot can happen tomorrow so I'm going to do the best that I can possibly do and hopefully we can finish this season on a very high note. Much appreciation goes to the team for their phenomenal effort in getting me here."

Jonathan Bomarito - "The session was rough for us actually.  We were on different plan than everybody else. Because it's a 40-minute qualifying session, we started with old tires and wanted to go to two new sets, but with it being this cold outside, it was taking too long for the tires to come in.  The race being at 1 tomorrow, I think, will play into our advantage."

Full story coming soon

Team Stargate World duo of Simona De Silvestro and Jonathan Bomarito opened up this weekends race at the famed Road Atlanta track with strong qualifying efforts.  Going into this weekend's event De Silvestro still leads in the championship points lead but the Newman Wachs duo of Jonathan Summerton and John Edwards are hot on her tail and are making it an interesting points chase.  De Silvestro would go on to qualify in the third spot after being in fourth for most of the qualifying session.

For Jonathan Bomarito, his Team Stargate World debut was impressive and the California native immediately showed his talents and by the end of the session Bomarito ended up at a very respectable fourth place. Considering this is his first time in a new team and a new car, the accomplishment was that more rewarding

Despite contact with Vervisch, De Silvestro escapes the weekend with the points lead.  Full story coming soon.

Team Stargate World's Simona De Silvestro took to the Mospsort International Raceway track today and qualified in the second position. Improving from a fifth place practice effort yesterday, the youngster and current Championship points leader put on another strong qualifying effort in preparation for tomorrow's Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda race.  Despite a 30 minute delay due to wet and foggy conditions at the track the determined De Silvestro kept her focus and put on a very strong effort.  A solid qualifying effort was needed today if she was going to have a chance at continuing her momentum and keep her lead in the Championship.

Her teammate Frankie Muniz will not be competing at this weekend's event and looks to have prematurely finished his 2009 racing season as a result of a first lap incident at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The ensuing injury required Muniz to have 2 pins inserted into his left hand this week and made any chance of returning to racing this year nearly impossible.
Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “It was a little bit of a crazy qualifying session considering it started off wet and then changed.  In the end though I am happy with the qualifying effort.  Starting in the second spot will help us a lot in the overall scheme of things and starting 2 positions in front of my competitor John Edwards helps us even more.  I'm very grateful for the team's efforts and know that we will have a very fast car for tomorrow's race”  

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

After leading the charge on Saturday by taking the pole position award Team Stargate Worlds' Simona de Silvestro arrived on Sunday at Trois Rivieres, Quebec for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres determined to finish what she had started and win the race, at the same time hoping to propel herself further in the points race against the Newman Wachs duo of John Edwards and Jonathan Summerton. Her teammate Frankie Muniz, suffering from torn ligaments and a chipped bone in his left hand, was just as determined to not allow his condition to interfere with his racing.

De Silvestro took the green flag start of the race and immediately put a gap between her and the second place of John Edwards. She extended that lead by 1.5 seconds on lap # lap 2. From that point on her lead grew substantially. De Silvestro flawlessly executed the 10-turn, 1.521-mile temporary street circuit and made no mistakes. She did not relent and by lap #12 she had cracked the 59 second lap mark and saw her lead grow to over 5 seconds. The blistering pace continued, but by lap # 39, De Silvestro decided to take a cautious approach and slow down her pace. The approach allowed John Edwards to slowly creep up on Simona but she was not in any danger of losing the lead. With the jubilant Team Stargate Worlds crew cheering her on, De Silvestro took the checkered flag and solifified her fourth win of the year and at the same time extend her points lead to 21 points.

Starting the race in the eighth spot Frankie Muniz begun his race and quickly staved off an attack by the ninth place of James Winslow. Muniz maintained his position for most of the race and increased his lead over Winslow by 5 seconds by lap # 19. Muniz set his aim for the seventh place of Borja Garcia and made his move to overtake the Spaniard. By now Muniz began feeling the effects of his injury but despite the pain he went on to chase the sixth place of Frederic Vervisch. Vervisch would eventually be overtaken by Muniz on lap #38. The exhausted and elated Muniz had overcome the painful circumstance of his hand and managed to reel in a sixth place finish.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “Overall I am happy with how the day went. It was a hard race and with the hand the way that it is I am satisfied with the results. We'll leave here with our sixth place and focus on our next race and hopefully we can get our top-5 finish. Congratulations to Simona for her win and thanks to Team Stargate Worlds, our sponsors, and the Atlantic Series, as well as Mazda and Cooper tires.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “We had a excelent weekend. I am pretty happy with our accomplishments including breaking the track record yesterday during qualifying and then winning the race today and becoming the first female to win a race at this track. I am so grateful for this weekend. It really was a special weekend. My thanks go to the team and our sponsors for their support and I am very excited about the remaining races”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “We made history here this weekend! This was a fantastic effort and we are both sincerely appreciative of every single member of our team. Simona is growing in stature and it's good to see her evolve each day. Frankie displayed great tenacity this whole weekend and deserves a pat on the back .”

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

With four races left in the 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda season, Team Stargate Worlds arrived at Trois Rivieres, Quebec for the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.  As was the case last week at the Mid Ohio race, the team is looking to extend team driver Simona De Silvestro's championship point's lead. De Silvestro currently leads by sixteen points but the Newman Wachs duo of John Edwards and Jonathan Summerton are unrelenting in their efforts to overtake her lead.  Meanwhile her teammate Frankie Muniz is looking to complete this weekend's race minus any bad luck and finish strongly in the top-5.

The team entered the qualifying session hoping to strike first and get the advantage for the race by taking the pole position.  With temperatures in the 80's, the Atlantic field of drivers took to the 10-turn, 1.521-mile temporary street circuit late in the day.  For her part De Silvestro got off to a slow start.  By the third lap she was tenth on the time sheets, however that didn't last very long.  On her fourth lap she shot right up to the top of the time sheet.  By lap #10 Frederic Vervisch jumped to the top when he cracked the 59 second lap mark.  De Silvestro went second but immediately rebounded and put Vervisch back to second.  De Silvestro would go back to second a few more times thanks to Newman Wachs teammates Edwards and Summerton.  At the end though it would be De Silvestro who would come out ahead and claim the pole with a lap time of 58.662 seconds.  The record breaking pole time was fast enough to declare it the fastest lap ever for an open-wheel car at Trois-Rivieres.  This is De Silvestro's fourth pole position of  the year.

Muniz took the start of the session amid difficult circumstances.  During the Mid Ohio race last week Muniz was caught up in an accident that involved John Edwards and Tonis Kassemets.  Muniz suffered a bone chip on his left hand as well as ligament damage which will require him to have surgery at a later date.  Muniz set aside the painful condition and began the session by charging his #77 machine to seventh on the charts.  He slipped to eighth by lap # 7, behind last year's series champion Markus Niemela.  Muniz would stay in the eighth spot for the rest of the session but was constantly challenging for the seventh place spot against Borja Garcia and Tonis Kassemets, despite the injury.  Muniz would go on to finish the session in eighth.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “Overall I am happy to be where we ended up.  It's been a struggle all week with the left hand injury and now we're trying to begin the healing process.  Coming to racetrack like Trois -Rivieres, as bumpy and physically tough as it is, I am happy that we were not too far off the pace and relatively close to the leaders.  We still think a top-5 finish is feasible and that's what my goal is tomorrow.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “It was tough session all around.  The track demands a lot and everyone's times are so close that trying to squeeze a great lap required a great deal of effort but in the end my team gave me a great car and I was able to come away with the pole position.  I am very happy to be able to start this race in the front and I hope to turn this start into a race win tomorrow.  Thank you to the team for their great effort.”        

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “That was a terrific qualifying session.  Simona drove the car very well in conditions different from our earlier  run.  A great effort by the entire team.  Frankie has been brave all weekend with his injury and we are proud of him battling through the pain.  We look forward to hopefully having a good day tomorrow .”

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

Clouds greeted the participants at this weekend's Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda qualifying day at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, in Lexington, Ohio but by the end of the weekend Team Stargate Worlds would be all smiles. With the championship within her grasp, current points leader Simona De Silvestro was aiming to increase her lead, while teammate Frankie Muniz was looking for another top-5 finish. While it may not have turned out to be a perfect weekend for both drivers, there were plenty of high fives going around at the conclusion of the race weekend.

De Silvestro entered the weekend carrying a five-point lead over Newman Wachs driver John Edwards. De Silvestro faced an uphill battle as she would have to start the race in the third spot behind Edwards and his teammate Jonathan Summerton. Facing the challenge head on De Silvestro took the green flag start of the race, bolted past Edwards, and began to mount a challenge towards the front. De Silvestro and Summerton enjoyed periods of side by side racing throughout the race, however, De Silvestro would eventually settle behind Summerton and stay close enough to take advantage of any mistakes Summerton might make but Summerton never faulted and was able to take the win with De Silvestro following close behind. De Silvestro's second place finish helps her regain some valuable ground in the Championship fight and extends her lead by 16 points with 135 points.

Muniz who qualified for the race in the 8^th spot was hoping to finish among the top-5 spot for the race but his plan took an unfortunate detour on the first lap as he was involved in a 3-way incident involving himself, John Edwards, and Tonis Kasemets. Muniz quickly made his way to the pits where his crew went to work and fixed the front suspension of the car and managed to get Muniz back into the race without losing a lap. The incident relegated Muniz back to the eighth spot. Later it was discovered that Muniz had suffered a chipped bone in his thumb as a result of the accident. Once back on the track Muniz was able to maintain his composure and finished the race in eighth. He now finds himself in eighth place in the championship standings with 54 points, just 6 points away from the seventh spot.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “It's unfortunate that I got caught up in another first lap incident. Tonis and John got together and the #77 car suffered a broken suspension but a lot of credit goes to the team for their fast work and getting me back into the race despite the damage and the chipped bone in my thumb. We'll regroup and be ready for Trois-Rivieres.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “It was a very positive weekend. The result allows us to extend our points lead by a bigger margin. This is not a time to rest or take it easy. We will go to Trois Rivieres with just as much focus and intensity that we have had for every race this season. I want to thank the Team Stargate Worlds team, our sponsors, the Atlantic series, Mazda, Cooper Tires, and all of the series sponsors'”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “We are happy with our weekend. We were quick out of the box and should have had the pole position, but all in all we are all happy to be leaving Mid Ohio in the points lead. The team has done a terrific job and performing at a very high level and we look forward to continuing that in our quest for the Championship.”

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

Full Report Coming Soon

Starting third on the grid De Silvestro once again began the race tucked behind the second place of Jonathan Summerton, while his teammate and race leader John Edwards charged ahead. As was the case during race #1, De Silvestro and Summerton spent much of the race battling each other with De Silvestro trying to set up Summerton for a pass and not being able to get the right opportunity. De Silvestro's fortunes changed with 8 minutes to go as Summerton pulled off the track due to a mechanical issue. With Summerton no longer in the mix she picked up the pace and put down lap times quicker than the race leader Edwards but in the end she did not have enough time to show what she could have done. De Silvestro would end up finishing in the second spot. She still retains the 2009 Championship lead by five points.

Muniz begun the race in the tenth spot and after a couple of laps had manage to claw himself to the eighth spot and continued to focus on the seventh place of Markus Niemela. Muniz enjoyed a very big gap between himself and the ninth place of Max Lefevre. Muniz would end moving one position after Summerton pulled out of the race with eight minutes left. Muniz would go on to finish the race in the seventh spot. The solid effort put on by Muniz by charging from the tenth spot to the seventh spot also earned him the race's Hard Charger award. This would be his second such award of the 2009 season. The first award was earned earlier at the Miller Motorsports Park race earlier in the season.

The series returns to competition on August 8^th at Mid Ohio..

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “I'm very happy with the result. After having had a poor qualifying for this race I am glad we ended up where we did and equally happy for receiving the Hard Charger award. I learned a lot from this weekend. Thank you to my engineer Gerald Tyler and the rest of the crew for a great car. I'm still learning a lot and I'm looking forward to the next race.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78- “We had a great race. We caught a break because of Summerton's issue towards the end of the race. Before that incident he and I had a great battle and we raced each other well. I'm grateful to the Team Stargate Worlds team for all of their hard work this weekend and I'm looking forward to continuing our push for the Championship.”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- "We are happy to have had a strong result here and stay ahead in the championship lead. Simona drove a fantastic race and its unfortunate that due to the lack of passing ability we weren't able to contend for the win. We are very proud of Frankie's continued development and he had a fantastic run. John Edwards and NWR didn't put a foot wrong all weekend and we congratulate them.”

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

There was a hiccup at the first start of the race and after the confusion was settled the restart saw the pole winner John Edwards take the lead for the first lap. De Silvestro scooted behind the race leader and began putting pressure. Markus Niemela brought out a full-course yellow flag on lap #2. Restarting in third, as a result of a penalty imposed by race officials when De Silvestro jumped the original race start, she quickly began to battle Jonathan Summerton for the second spot. With De Silvestro all over him, Summerton was doing all he could to keep her behind him. The battle with Summerton allowed his teammate Edwards to put a big gap between him and second place. De Silvestro attempted to set up Summerton for a pass but the opportunities were far and few in between, but nevertheless the Scottsdale, AZ resident never relented. De Silvestro would eventually hold on to third place for the finish.

The start of the race for De Silvestro's teammate Frankie Muniz didn't go as he would have liked and by turn #4 on the first lap Muniz saw himself relegated to the last spot. He was able to regroup and by lap # 5 Muniz had rebounded back to his original starting spot of eighth. With 21 minutes left Muniz had caught up to the seventh place of Max Lefevre and began his attack. He dug in his heels in and with seven minutes left Muniz made a spectacular pass on turn #8 and from that point he began to put a lengthy gap between him and the eighth place. Muniz would go on to finish the race in seventh spot.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “I am pretty pleased with the way the day went. I drove very well. Even though I got passed on the start by two guys I managed to pass them back and I finished in seventh and we're pretty happy with that given how difficult this track is and where I have been running. I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow. Many thanks to the team for giving me a great car.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78- “We made a bit of a mistake at the start but we had a great car and though it was unfortunate that we couldn't get around Summerton we're happy that we did come out in third place and still retain the lead by 10 points and we know we have a good car for tomorrow so hopefully we'll get a better result.”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- "There was some confusion at the start and that took a little of our momentum on the restart. We had a little bit of a roll on Simona's car at the start and got a penalty rightfully handed down to us, which was unfortunate. As far as Simona's race goes it was a hard race and while she was unable to pass, she drove a great race. Frankie showed that he belongs with the front runners by driving a strong race and though he was stuck behind a slower car he was able to get by and pull away. We're happy with today and hope to put on a great race tomorrow.”

About Team Stargate Worlds: Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

Team Stargate Worlds Returns to Competition Sitting and Hoping to Stay on Top
After a successful weekend of competition last weekend, Team Stargate Worlds returns this weekend to pick up where it last left off at this weekend's doubleheader race event.  The Harrah’s Autobahn Grand Prix presented by Mazda double race event will once again test current Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda points leader Simona De Silvestro and teammate Frankie Muniz and their respective crews.  The team has enjoyed tremendous success this year but there are no plans to rest on their laurels, instead they are focusing all of their energies this weekend on maintaining their success and increasing De Silvestro's Championship lead.

For De Silvestro, a third year Atlantic Championship racer, and current series leader, she arrives at this race enjoying a 17 points lead over John Edwards.  This is the first time in her career she has led the series in points and she earned that lead in astonishing fashion by winning 3 out of the 5 races held this year.  That feat made De Silvestro the winningest female driver in the 36-year history of the series.  This weekend, like weekend's past Simona has a competitive field of racers gunning for her lead, but the poise and talent that she has shown thus far will hopefully put a dent in those plans.

The second half of the Team Stargate Worlds team, Frankie Muniz shows up this weekend looking for a brand new start after a disappointing race at last week's Lime Rock event.  Muniz suffered a first lap incident that put him 3 laps down .  Despite that early disappointment he was able to finish tenth and ran lap times as fast as the top-5 race finishers.  Muniz has already enjoyed a top-5 finish when he finished fourth at this years race at Miller Motorsports Park and he is looking forward to repeating that career best performance this weekend.

The Team Stargate World is also proud to announce that it is teaming up with Empress Casino Hotel for this weekend's event. Empress is based in Joliet and offers its guests first-rate accommodations and exciting casino action with 1,194 slot machines and 23 table games, including craps, blackjack, roulette and poker.  For the Team Stargate Worlds team, Empress provides a huge logistical advantage as the hotel is in close proximity to the track. The convenience and top notch service provided by the Empress staff allows the team to rest and enjoy themselves after what will be a couple of hard days at the track this weekend.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “I'm excited about this weekend and the fact that we didn't have much downtime between Lime Rock and this race. We're shooting for a top-5 finish this weekend especially since I know it's a very achievable goal.  I've shown I can do it and that has always been our plan this year so that's what I'm hoping to achieve. I have confidence in the team's abilities this weekend and I'm hoping for no more bad luck”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I'm looking forward to racing on this new track and we're hoping that we can maintain this momentum and capitalize on it.  My engineer Burke Harrison and my crew have given me a great car for the last couple of races and so I'm hoping for the same  success this weekend.  Going into this race with the points lead is a great advantage and it's our hope to extend that lead by the time this weekend is over”               

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “Going to this weekend's race with the points lead is great but our hope is to extend that lead and to that end we are confident that both Simona and Frankie and the rest of the team will give 100%.  We would like to welcome Empress Casino group.  Their hospitality has been fabulous and we look forward to expanding our relationship into the long term”  

Kevin McMaster, Empress Casino & Hotel- “We are delighted to welcome Team Stargate Worlds to our casino hotel and are excited to partner with a team of such high caliber.  This partnership highlights our common goal to be the first and best in everything we do in our competitive arenas.  We hope to provide Team Stargate Worlds a memorable weekend.”

About Empress

Empress Casino Hotel is conveniently located 45 minutes southwest of Chicago near the I-80/I-55 interchange in Joliet.  The 50,000 square-foot-casino – the most spacious in Northern Illinois – offers wide aisles, more slot machines than any other casino in the state, action-packed table games and multiple smoking environments conveniently located off the casino floor.

About Team Stargate Worlds:

Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

Lakeville, CT (July 17, 2009) – Team Stargate Worlds Lime Rock Friday Report Team Stargate Worlds arrived at the Lime Rock track hoping to continue the success it experienced at its last event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park. In that dominating performance, Simona De Silvestro led every lap from the pole and went on to win the race. At the same time overtook the Championship point's lead, while teammate Frankie Muniz finished ninth, continuing his streak of top-10 finishes. This weekend's event would test the team's resolve and abilities in their overall quest to maintain Simona's points lead and Frankie's top-10 finishing streak.

After leading the practice session De Silvestro and the team prepped for the upcoming qualifying session and were unceremoniously greeted by rain showers. With the understanding that the session would now be a wet qualifying session Simona and her crew, guided by race engineer Burke Harrison, quickly scrambled and adapted the car to the new conditions. She climbed into her #78 entry for the session not knowing how the weather would affect her qualifying opportunity. After the first couple of laps it became clear her times were very competitive, but her fellow Atlantic Championship competitor Borja Garcia owned the top spot for much of the session. With every lap it appeared that De Silvestro would have to settle for second. On her last lap a determined De Silvestro carved around the track with precision and speed and crossed the checkered flag. Immediately the Team Stargate Worlds crew looked up at their monitors and saw Simona at the top of the time sheet. Silvestro had indeed bested Garcia's time and earned herself a pole position. This is her third pole position of the 2009 Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered By Mazda season.

After a promising practice session earlier in the day, which had his #77 entry in the fourth place spot, De Silvestro's teammate Frankie Muniz also took to the wet track for his qualifying session. The Scottsdale, Arizona resident powered down and focused every lap on a perfect lap but, with the rain affecting everyone, Muniz had to deal with slower traffic. Though he tried, it became painfully clear that traffic, caused by the rain, would dash all hope of an uninterrupted lap. Undeterred, Muniz kept his focus and clawed his way into the tenth spot on lap twenty, which is where he would end up finishing. Muniz has earned a top-10 qualifying result for every race this season.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “While the session didn't yield the results I would have liked, a top-10 at this track is still a very good accomplishment. Thanks to my crew and engineer Gerald Tyler for their hard work. We will go over the data and come back tomorrow stronger and determined to have a great race and continue to the team's goals and success. Congratulations to Simona for a great session. Hopefully, Team Stargate Worlds will have a very successful race tomorrow.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I am so happy about this result, especially since we had rain and that really tested us as a team. A lot of thanks go to my engineer and crew for dealing with the rain and still giving me a great car. This pole is important because after our break we still have been able to maintain our momentum and I'm hoping that tomorrow we will capitalize on this success.”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “The team was very impressed with Simona's qualifying session and her ability to adapt to the difficult changing weather. She never panicked and maintained her focus throughout the session and when it counted she made it happen and put a great lap together. We are equally impressed with Frankie's performance. His result was a result of bad timing and rain. He gave his all on the track and overcame his obstacles resulting in a top-10 spot, and continues his top-10 qualifying run”

About Team Stargate Worlds: Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

With Saturday behind them, Team Stargate Worlds drivers Simona De Silvestro and Frankie Muniz arrived Sunday morning looking to improve their results from Saturday's race.  With clouds dotting the beautiful blue New Jersey sky, the 13-car field lined up with Simona in front of the pack.  During the last race De Silvestro had a misstep at the start which cost her greatly.  For this race she was determined not to let that happen again.  

As soon as the green flag waved, De Silvestro got a great launch off the starting line and put the second place starter Jonathan Summerton behind her.  She had built a 1.1 second gap between her and Summerton by the time the first lap was completed.  De Silvestro continued to build up her lead incrementally and by lap #5 her lead increased to 1.5 seconds.  Summerton was not about to let De Silvestro walk away from this race unchallenged and midway through the race he managed to eat away at her lead.  He was now only 0.7 seconds away from De Silvestro and kept his lap times evenly matched with hers.  Nevertheless, De Silvestro drove a flawless race and sliced her way around the track perfectly, never allowing Summerton to take advantage of a mistake.  De Silvestro would cross the finish line first, capping off a successful weekend.  This is her second victory this year with Team Stargate Worlds and her third career victory in the Atlantic series.  She leaves New Jersey leading the Atlantic Championship by eight points.

De Silvestro’s teammate Frankie Muniz had an eventful start of the race by falling one position back to 9th.  All hope was not gone as the 8th place car of James Winslow only led Muniz by .03 seconds.  With Winslow in his sights Muniz drove a methodical race, looking for the perfect opportunity to set up a pass to capture 8th.  Muniz would try to make the pass on the front straightaway but with time running out just could not get it done.  It wasn’t until the second to the last lap when Muniz tucked his #77 behind Winslow’s machine and pulled off the spectacular pass.   At that point Muniz explicitly displayed his fast pace by running away from Winslow.  In the 2 laps that remained Muniz had increased his lead over Winslow by over 4 seconds.  

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 – “It was a very tough race.  I got a great start but Jonathan Summerton made consistent laps and I was never able to get a very big gap over him.  He kept his car right behind me the whole time so in that respect it was tough. I was a bit concerned when I got caught in traffic and Jonathan did gain an advantage every time I did run into traffic but I was always able to regain my distance over him.  The win was especially nice since I now have the Championship lead.  Many thanks go to the Team Stargate Worlds crew, our Engineers, and to our great sponsors.”

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “Overall I'm happy with the result.  Even though I didn't have the start that I wanted, I did have a great fight with James Winslow for the 8th spot throughout the whole race and with 2 laps to go I made the pass and was able to get by him cleanly.  I then managed to put a 4 second gap between James and me.  While this weekend may not have gone how I would have planned it with the blown engine on Friday, the lack of practice time, and our last race #1 tangle with James and the ensuing damage, I did learn a tremendous amount, I also gained a lot of confidence and I feel like the next step now is a podium finish.  Hopefully that will come at our next race”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Senevirante, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds, - “We are both proud of the team.  It was a strong effort in all departments and Simona drove an excellent race. She fully deserves the results she’s been having.  The hard work is paying off.  Frankie had a good race pace but was held up behind a slower car.  He has gained precious experience at this event and we hope to take this momentum into Lime Rock.”        

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

After an eventful Friday that saw Team Stargate Worlds drivers Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro having mixed qualifying sessions where Muniz ended up 8th and De Silvestro 2nd ,  followed up with wild weather interrupting their sessions, the Team Stargate Worlds duo arrived Saturday looking to improve their fortunes for Saturday's qualifying session as well Race #1 at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

For qualifying Simona immediately shot to the P1 spot.  She would end up getting shuffled back to 5th   place as the session continued.  With time quickly elapsing, and her tires beginning to heat up, she once again took over the P1 position on the timesheets by posting a fast lap of 1:110:985, followed by Genoa Racing's Jonathan Summerton, who posted a time of 1:110:985 , good enough for P2.  Frankie picked up where he left off yesterday and slotted himself into 6th place and maintained his position.  As conditions on the track began to change Muniz slid to the 8th spot with a time of 1:11.549.  With the checkered flag being displayed De Silvestro's fast time solidified her P1 spot, earning her her second pole position of the year and Muniz would eventually end up in 8th.

For the race, sunny skies had arrived and this time stuck around for the entire race session.  Simona, starting 2nd  and Frankie, starting in 8th, began the race and immediately had some scary moments.  Simona went down a position as Genoa Racing's Frederic Vervisch scooted by her before turn # 1.  She tried to maintain her position but lost another position when Condor Racing's Borja Garcia put her in the fourth spot after she missed a gear shift and briefly went off track.  Focused and determined, the young Swiss racer charged back and kicked it up a couple of notches and began nailing down some of her fastest laps.  She soon caught up to Garcia and regained her 3rd spot and made her way towards Vervisch.  On lap #12 Simona caught up to Vervisch and rebounded back to 2nd.  Facing a 6 second gap between her and race leader Summerton, Simona began to slice around the 2.17 mile track and peeled away at Summerton's lead.     With each lap Simona grew closer to Summerton and with 22 minutes to go the 6 second lead was cut to 2.7 seconds, but as the end of the race grew closer, De Silvestro was not able to close the gap and eventually finished in the 2nd spot. While it may not have been a win De Silvestro's 2nd place finish did accomplish one of her weekend goals:  To take over the championship lead.

Frankie took the green flag, however, by lap #3 he found himself in 11th place.  He fought his way to keep from going back any more positions.  On lap #10 it was being reported that smoke was being seen coming from Muniz's #77 machine.  As it turns out the #77 car was bottoming out, meaning it was too low to the ground and the car's bottom was scrapping the track.  The problem didn't seem to affect Muniz and he continued his forward progress. Halfway through the race Muniz climbed back to 10th, taking it away from Mexican racer David Garza and soon thereafter he had caught up to the 8th place of Tonis Kasemets, only separated by 0.3 seconds.  Both Kasemets and Muniz passed Frederick Vervisch, who had an ailing gearbox.  Muniz now owned 8th place and it looked as though he would finish in the 8th spot, however on a last lap move, the 9th place of fellow racer James Winslow made a poorly executed pass attempt and hit Muniz, causing him to go off track.  After a brilliant save, Muniz continued and would officially finish in the 9th spot.  Soon after the race, Race Control reviewed the incident and determined that there was avoidable contact between Winslow and Muniz and thus Muniz was awarded the 8th place finishing spot.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “It was a tough day but with that said we got some valuable points and are determined to do even better tomorrow.  The whole Team Stargate World's crew did a great job and together we overcame a difficult day.  We'll be back tomorrow in force”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I'm happy about taking the points lead and going into tomorrow's race with that lead.  Today's race was tough.  If it wasn't for that mishap on the start of the race and our 2nd lap incident, where I went off track for a bit, I know we could have had a better chance at catching the first place of Jonathan Summerton, but this is a long season and I'll gladly take the 2nd place and our new points lead!  Many thanks to my engineer Burke Harrison and the Team Stargate Worlds crew for their hard work.  A big thank you to our sponsors for their wonderful support ”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “It's been a weekend of mixed fortunes for Team Stargate Worlds.  An oil leak yesterday on Frankie's car set us back a fair bit, but we recovered well.  Our Engineers Gerald Tyler (Frankie Muniz's #77) and Burke Harrison (Simona De Silvestro #78)  did a great job dealing with variable weather conditions during qualifying.  Simona had a strong race and we've sneaked ahead in the Championship lead.  Frankie made the most of his misfortune to drive hard and he picked up some very valuable points.  We are hoping for a stronger day tomorrow.”

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

Round 3 and 4 of the 2009 Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered By Mazda season at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey finally arrived and after a memorable weekend 4 weeks ago the Team Stargate Worlds crew were anxious to get the weekend activities started.

Practice for the team had mixed results.  The first half of the Team Stargate Worlds duo, Simona De Silvestro, quickly showed that her Utah dominance was no fluke by leading much of the practice session.  She was closely being trailed by Newman Wach's driver John Edwards.  Though Edwards would go on to finish P1 for the session, Simona finished closely behind him in 2nd.  The team's overall impression was positive as De Silvestro's car looked strong and looked to be even stronger for the upcoming qualifying effort.  Frankie Muniz's session was unfortunately very brief.  A small oil leak caused an engine blow up on lap #1 ending any chance for Muniz to get some valuable practice laps.  Undeterred the team went straight to work on replacing the engine for the #077 entry.

Qualifying threw a wrench in everyone's plan when weather conditions brought light rain soon after the session had begun.  De Silvestro once again started off strong as she quickly climbed to P2 and maintained that position until after midway through the session (Lap #14).  After the change De Silvestro continued her charge and shot up to P1.  The rest of the field soon caught up and De Silvestro began shuffling between 2nd and 5th place.  Genoa Racing's Jonathan Summerton put on a late session charge and took P1 with De Silvestro trailing behind in P2.  The session would go on to end in that order.

Muniz qualified without even putting in a full practice lap, however, he was up for the challenge and immediately stormed onto the track and quickly excelled himself to the eighth spot.  Shortly after he got his tires up to temperature the rain began to fall and the team called him into the pits for a tire change.  Times stayed unchanged as a result of the wet conditions and with eight minutes left the team called him in again for another tire change as the track was now drying and the car required slick tires.  Frankie's time would fall one position to ninth as the session drew to a close.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “Even though it was a mixed day I'm looking forward to tomorrow and seeing how our qualifying session goes as well as our first race.  Today, despite the engine problem, the team managed to regroup and get me up and running for qualifying.  So tomorrow will be  a fresh start and I'm looking forward to racing again”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “Well I'm happy to be starting on the front row once again.  The session was interesting and had its challenges but I have to give credit to the Team Stargate Worlds crew and engineer Burke for giving me a great car.  I think the car still has more in it but we're in a good position for tomorrow's race and I'm hoping for a great result”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “Today was a bit of a mixed day.  Simona did a great job in qualifying the car, considering we had such a mix of weather, with rain and sun all during the session.  She managed to stay consistent and focused despite the obstacles.  Frankie had an unfortunate day but at the end he managed to still put on a great qualifying effort considering he had not run a full lap prior to qualifying. For practice he had an oil leak which caused his motor to blow up so credit to the team for getting him ready for the qualifying session.”

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

It was there that #78 Simona De Silvestro garnered the pole position, led every practice session, and finally led every lap to go on to win the race. Her teammate #77 Frankie Muniz also had a stellar weekend by driving to a career best finish of fourth place. This week the team is back in action for Rounds # 3 and # 4 at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey and they are looking to continue the momentum they started 4 weeks ago.

For her part De Silvestro arrives at New Jersey second in the championship standings, trailing first place Jonathan Edwards by a mere 5 points. In what was only her second career win, her performance at last month’s Utah Grand Prix not only put her amongst a rare group in history of women who have won a professional motorsports race, but it also elevated the whole Team Stargate Worlds group and raised the bar for the season. With a year end prize of 1 million dollars awaiting the series champion, Simona and the team both have two goals they are focusing on: to win and to leave this weekend leading the championship standings. Simona will have strong competition to contend with this weekend but she has experience and history on her side since it was her current race engineer Burke Harrison who helped Carl Skerlong win this exact race last year in dominating fashion.

De Silvestro’s teammate Frankie Muniz shows up this weekend as the hometown hero. Muniz was born and raised in New Jersey before he embarked on his Hollywood acting career. With a heavy friends and family presence expected this weekend Muniz is looking to continue his quest for a podium finish which eluded him at the last race. The 4 week break also allowed Muniz to finally take care of an old foot injury that required minor surgery and the use of crutches. He now returns to New Jersey fully ready to tackle the task at hand. Last year’s race saw Muniz locked in a battle with his current teammate De Silvestro where he would ultimately end up in tenth place.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “I'm really looking forward to this weekend. It really is a home race for me as I will have a lot of my family and friends here to cheer me on and coming off a fourth place finish at Utah, I'm hoping this is the weekend we'll get our first podium.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I'm pretty excited for this weekend because the last race we were so dominating and I believe that we can transfer that same game plan over to this race. I'm confident that we will start off with a good base with the car because my Engineer, Burke Harrison, won here last year with Carl Skerlong”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “We are excited to get back to business. We have had success at this track before and we hope to be competitive again. This is a double header weekend and therefore important for us to be competitive and pick up some valuable championship points. The team has been working hard over the last few weeks and everybody is excited to get back to racing”

About Team Stargate Worlds:

Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.usracetronics.com. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804

After a phenomenal Saturday that saw Team Stargate Worlds driver Simona De Silvestro put her #78 machine on pole, her first career pole position, and her teammate Frankie Muniz put on his best qualifying effort at seventh, the team gathered on Sunday in the hopes of putting an exclamation mark on the weekend's activities for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at the Miller Motorsports Park.

Under another perfect Utah sun the Team Stargate Worlds drivers hit the grid preparing for a dogfight. The standing start was going to have to be perfect for Simona to take the lead going into turn #1 and as the lgreen flag waved Simona launched herself into the first spot and never looked back. After turn #1 the second place of Jonathan Summerton went off track which opened up the second place to his Newman Wachs Racing teammate Jonathan Edwards . But Simona was well ahead of the field. By lap #5 De Silvestro had put a 5 second gap between her and Edwards and didn't let up. With every lap she hammered down and built her lead in dominating fashion. Her lead was up by 8.6 seconds by lap #15. For the duration of the race De Silvestro executed razer sharp laps and by the end of the race her dominant lead had grown to over 11 seconds. She would end up taking the checkered flag in first capping off a weekend where she led every session. This is the first time in professional open wheel motorsports a woman has won a race after leading every session and winning the pole.

Her Team Stargate Worlds teammate Frankie Muniz also had an incredible race. After starting the race in seventh, he shot to fifth place and spent the majority of the race behind rookie Borja Garcia. Muniz spent most of the race trying to set up Garcia for the pass for the fourth spot. On lap #47 Frankie made the move only to be hit by Garcia. Although he lost 2 spots as a result the Scottsdale resident kept his cool and on the final lap he again attempted to set up Garcia for the pass only to have Garcia and reigning Atlantic champion Marcus Niemela get together at turn #1. Muniz scooted past and took the fourth spot where he would end up finishing. This was Frankie's best race finish in his career.

Frankie Muniz: “Ive never been happier in my racing career! The Team Stargate Worlds team worked really hard this weekend and I'm happy for them as well. I'm just real ecstatic especially since I have really been working for this for the past 2 years. I think I proved that I belong in this series, amongst the best drivers in the world”

Simona De Silvestro: “I'm so happy. This was such a good weekend. Beginning with the first practice session the car was great and now with a win, I am very happy. My thanks go out to the sponsors who have supported us and thanks to the Team Stargate Worlds crew who gave me a great car. I'm looking forward to New Jersey where my engineer Burke had great success last year and we'll take the momentum from this race.”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals of Team Stargate Worlds- “This is our maiden win as partners. We are are very proud of the job the entire crew has done over the last few weeks, and specially this weekend. We can't say enough about Simona and Frankie's effort here. We think we might have made history here with Simona leading every session of the weekend and winning the race from flag to flag. We would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors for their extended support and belief in our program.”

About Team Stargate Worlds
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.teamstargateworlds.com

The Team Stargate Worlds duo of Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro arrived Saturday looking to continue the streak of good fortune that they've experienced since their arrival at the track where De Silvestro has enjoyed leading every session for the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda at Miller Motorsports Park. The question on everyone's mind was whether De Silvestro and Muniz would be able to make it count for Saturday's 30 minute qualifying session.

Under sunny and breezy conditions the Team Stargate Worlds drivers took to the track and immediately put up fast numbers. De Silvestro once again rocketed to the top of the time charts and posted the fastest lap and continually improved her times. With ten minutes left Jonathan Summerton leaped to the front of Simona on the time sheets, relegating her to second best. With every lap thereafter it looked like the De Silvestro's efforts would only be good enough for second. Undeterred Simona charged ahead and with 1 minute left she retook the Pole Position with a lap of 1:36.891 (113.249 mph) and held it. Summerton would finish second while rookie driver Frederic Vervisch rounded out the top-3.

For his part the other half of the Team Stargate World driver combo Frankie Muniz hustled his #77 machine around the track and within 10 minutes posted a top-5 time. With each lap Muniz grew more confident and improved to fourth fastest. As the minutes ticked away the track grew faster and Muniz saw his times slip down to fifth as other drivers came up to speed, and with 2 minutes remaining a flurry of fast laps were completed by the field and Muniz saw his time dip to seventh best.For Muniz this was a great session as it represents his best qualifying effort yet.

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals of Team Stargate Worlds- “This is a very proud day for us. We have worked very hard over the last few weeks and the team has done a phenomenal job. Simona is getting stronger with each passing day and Frankie is not far behind. Simona has done a great job so far and we hope to have a strong finish tomorrow.

About Team Stargate Worlds Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz.

Salt Lake City, UT (May 15, 2009) – Team Stargate Worlds Welcomes Maakoa and Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City as Partners.

Team Stargate Worlds is also honored to have Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City as a sponsor. The partnership will last for the duration of the weekend's festivities. Like an urban oasis in the high desert, Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City is all about guilty pleasures. The 225 guest rooms and hotel suites offer up a mix of vibrant and soothing colors and eclectic style defined by plush, plump furniture, designer patterns and whimsical touches. Guests at the Hotel Monaco can sink into a velvet sofa and sip wine by the fire, luxuriate in a setting that evokes the Hollywood glamour of the forties and contemplate dinner in any one of several intriguing restaurants, most just a stroll away. Reservations and prices are available by calling (801) 595-0000. Located at 15 West 200 South in Downtown Salt Lake City. This weekend's Utah Grand Prix will be seen by thousands of Utahns and visitors from out of state and with the #77 and #78 cars displaying the hotel's branding, the fast and exhilarating world of motorsports will add a unique avenue to the hotel's marketing approach. You can visit the Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City website at www.monaco-saltlakecity.city.com

Maakoa: “Maakoa is looking forward to a successful year with our partners and customers. When it comes to responsible, healthy living, Maakoa is poised to deliver”

MaryLynn Beck, General Manager Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City: "Kimpton's Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City is happy to be a part of Team Stargate Worlds and is excited to support its two strong drivers. We are fortunate to be a part of this winning team"

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals of Team Stargate Worlds- “We are happy to welcome Maakoa into our family of partners. They are positioned to develop some unique products for the global markets and we look forward to being a part of their growth and success. We are also pleased about our new relationship with The Hotel Monaco. Their hospitality has been nothing but the best.

ABOUT KIMPTON
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US and Canada, is an acknowledged industry pioneer and was the first to bring the boutique hotel concept to America. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, the company is well-known for making travelers feel welcomed and comfortable while away from home through intuitive and unscripted customer care, stylish ambience and having a certain playfulness in its approach to programs and amenities. Each hotel provides a range of exciting culinary experiences through locally-loved, top-rated, destination, chef-driven restaurants. Kimpton leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative EarthCare programs that span all hotels and restaurants. Privately held Kimpton has consistently earned the highest ranking customer satisfaction scores by the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, exceeding other hotel companies including those in luxury and upscale segments. Among the company’s newest properties are Lorien Hotel & Spa and restaurants BRABO by Robert Wiedmaier and BRABO Tasting Room in Alexandria, VA, which opened in February 2009.Currently, projects are underway in New York City, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Baltimore and Chicago. For more information, please visit www.KimptonHotels.com or call 1-800-KIMPTON.

About Team Stargate Worlds
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.teamstargateworlds.com

Team Stargate Worlds returns to compete in what looks to be an exciting and competitive weekend.

With renewed determination the Team Stargate Worlds duo of Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro intend to show up and fight their way to the front, seeking to improve their point standings for the prized 2009 Championship. The competition will be fierce but these two seasoned veterans of the series are up to the task. With more than 4 years of combined experience in the Atlantic Championship series Muniz and De Silvestro look to be using that experience on track. The race track, located in Tooele, Utah, provided De Silvestro with a fifth place finish last year while Muniz was able to reel in a fourteenth place finish.

Team Stargate Worlds has not been idle during the long break. Muniz, De Silvestro and crew have been busy testing at various tracks throughout California in recent weeks. Last week the team tested at the team’s home track of Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Before that they tested at Thunderhill Raceway Park. All tests produced valuable data that the team hopes to convert into success at Miller.
The team is also pleased to be able to announce that starting this weekend it will start communicating with its fans using Twitter and Facebook. The Team Stargate Worlds Twitter page can be found at http://twitter.com/TeamSGW while the team’s Facebook page can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70120788804
Both will serve as an enhancement to the official websites for the team. The Facebook page is an effort to reach out to the multitude of Facebook Atlantic Championship race fans while the team’s Twitter presence will add the ability to update its fans in a real-time environment. Both will also add an on and off-track behind-the-scenes perspective.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “I'm very excited about returning back to racing after our break. Miller is one of my favorite track so it definitely adds to my excitement about this weekend. We did a lot of testing during the break and that provided us with an opportunity to learn and gather data that we can hopefully use for this weekend. The test also allowed for the team to mesh together.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I’m really looking forward to this weekend, especially after the testing we’ve done since our last race. We have made a lot of progress and I feel that we are ready. The success that my Engineer Burke Harrison had last year at this track also provides me with a lot of confidence. I had a good result here last year as well so I'm excited about this weekend."

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals Of Team Stargate Worlds- “This is an important race weekend for us. We have some close business partnerships in the region and a lot of good friends there. It's a home race of sorts. Simona and Frankie showed well in the last couple of tests and we are excited to get to Miller and pick up some valuable championship points.

About Team Stargate Worlds:
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.teamstargateworlds.com and www.usracetronics.com

Sebring, FL (March 22, 2009) – After days of testing and a solid qualifying effort Team Stargate Worlds' Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro showed up Friday afternoon to compete at Round One of the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda race at Sebring International Raceway. Under perfect weather conditions the team was looking forward to a great race. While it eventually turned out to be a great race it wasn't under ideal conditions.

Starting in the eighth and ninth spots respectively Team Stargate Worlds drivers Simona De Silvestro and Frankie Muniz lined up on the grid awaiting for the signal to start their engines. When the call finally came Muniz's #77 did not start. The team had no choice but to push the car off-course and began to methodically figure out the source of the problem. A bad ECU was discovered and a new one was installed, but it came too late and Muniz was forced to start at the end of the pack. Efforts were further hampered by the fact that Muniz had lost all radio communication. The team was unable to listen to him and vice versa. Undeterred by the issues Muniz quickly made up ground and fought his way back into the race by swiftly passing the C2 category cars and immediately began attacking the rest of the field. With determination Muniz quickly caught up to tenth place and made the pass. With the race ending Muniz had closed the gap between him and the ninth place of Jensen Motorsport's driver Matt Lee. Separated by only a few feet Muniz and Lee battled for the position but unfortunately time ran out and a pass was never realized. Muniz would end up in tenth. Coming back from the nineteenth spot Muniz's tenth place finish was an impressive feet. He also ran the sixth fastest lap of the race. For his efforts Muniz earned 4 valuable points towards the 2009 Atlantic Championship

For Simona De Silvestro's she began the race and charged through the first turn and narrowly escaped being part of the horrific incident between defending series champion Markus Niemela and 2008 championship runner-up Jonathan Bomarito. Both of whom were involved in a scary crash in turn 17 on the opening lap. Avoiding the incident De Silvestro began to focus on the # 6 of Borja Garcia and after stalking him for the first half of the race De Silvestro made her move on the inside and passed Garcia on lap # 8 for fifth and proceeded to chase the fourth place car of rookie driver Harald Schlegelmilch. De Silvestro's time would eventually run out and she would go on to earn a fifth place for her debut with Team Stargate Worlds. De Silvestro earned 10 points for her fifth spot finish.

Frankie Muniz: “It was a pretty disappointing start. First it was the radio that didn't work then the car didn't start and with that I thought my day was done but we changed the ECU and started in the back. With all that I still think I ran a strong race and ran fast lap times throughout the race. It was unfortunate that the circumstances were that way but we'll learn from this and be ready for the next race. I have to thank everyone at Team Stargate Worlds for their great work and thanks to our sponsors for their continued support. ”

Simona De Silvestro - “Well I think we did very good and had the caution been a bit shorter I think we might have had a shot to take one more position. This being our first race and to finish fifth is a strong finish and if we can continue to finish strong and win races I believe we can be in a great position for the Championship. Team Stargate Worlds gave me a great car and I want to thank them and our sponsors for their great efforts”

Sebring, FL (March 19, 2009) –  The Team Stargate Worlds duo of Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro completed two days of qualifying for the Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda at Sebring International Raceway. Under partly cloudy and breezy conditions the team was looking forward to completing two good sessions in the hope of getting great race start positioning 

Wednesday's session saw Muniz run a best lap of 1:54.846 (115.981 mph) which put him in the ninth spot while his teammate Simona De Silvestro turned a best lap of 1:54.525 (116.306 mph) good enough for eighth. With another qualifying session scheduled for the next day the team worked hard into the night in preparation for the next session. 

Thursday's session saw the track conditions change quite a bit from the previous day due to the various types of cars that had been on the track since. Muniz and De Silvestro entered the track and quickly got up to speed. Muniz muscled his #77 entry around the 3.7-mile permanent road course. The Scottsdale, Arizona resident jumped up as high as sixth on the grid before pitting for some adjustments . He quickly got back on track and eventually hung in to clench eleventh with a best lap time of 1:56350 (114.482 mph).  Simona De Silvestro attacked the track and immediately put up a lap that put her second on the grid, but she also experienced a different track from yesterday so the session was going to not be without its challenges. She pitted on her third lap and changed tires and the team made some minor adjustments before she was off again. De Silvestro was able to gain ground on the timesheet and was able to claw her way to an eighth best time of 1:55.161 (115.664 mph) as the checkered flag waved. 

Frankie Muniz: “I'm satisfied with our performance today, especially since it's my best qualifying effort yet. The track was not as fast as it was yesterday so we dealt with that but overall I think the crew did a great job prepping the car and I am very excited about tomorrow and where we will be for tomorrow's race. 

Simona De Silvestro - “We struggled a bit out there today but I am very confident going into the race tomorrow and I know the Team Stargate Worlds car will be ready for the challenge at hand. I have a great crew and a great teammate and we're all hoping for a great race tomorrow” 

About Team Stargate Worlds Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit teamstargateworlds.com and usracetronics.com.

The 36th anniversary of the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda season got underway officially today in front of thousands and the Team Stargate Worlds duo of Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro were prepared to start the season on a strong note.

 Frankie Muniz ran a total of 16 laps in the #77 machine and ultimately would end up at a very respectable 9th place qualifying position while his teammate Simona De Silvestro hammered her #78 machine to a 8th place qualifying finishing position

Atlantic Championship series competitors Team Stargate Worlds announced today that it has entered into an agreement with the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens hotel to provide lodging services for the team during it's recent stay for the series test session on March 9th -10th.

Located in the heart of Palm Beach Gardens the newly built lavish hotel features 175 spacious rooms, 17 suites, and is surrounded by restaurants and shopping destinations. The convenience and top-notch service provided by the facilities and staff of the hotel impressed Team Stargate Worlds and further discussions led to both groups discussing future opportunities to partner up. As Florida becomes more of a hub for racing with events at Sebring International Raceway, Palm Beach International Raceway, Homestead, Daytona, the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens hotel is welcoming the opportunity to cater to that type of clientele and teaming up with Team Stargate Worlds is part of that plan.

“We are delighted to partner up with Team Stargate Worlds this year as they contest the 2009 Atlantic Championship season. The quality of service and care that we provided the team during their stay is just an example of what we have to offer the rest of the racing community, whether they are competitors or their fans. We pride ourselves in providing impeccable service and making our customers’ stay an experience they will not soon forget,” said Elia Wyatt, Spokeswoman for the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens hotel. “We realize the racing community is important to this area and the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens has worked very hard to showcase our hotel to those within this community,” adds Wyatt.

Team Stargate Worlds is equally pleased to align itself with the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens hotel. After their first night stay it was apparent that this was a partnership to be pursued. “In the past Team Stargate Worlds has aligned itself with quality companies who provide top-notch products and services so we were very excited for the opportunity to partner up with the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens hotel. “The way we were treated, their facilities, and the overall experience sealed the deal. We look forward to this new relationship growing with the Hilton group” states Imran Safiulla, Principal of Team Stargate Worlds. “Being away from family and the stress of the racing schedule can be overwhelming. Our time at the hotel was very welcomed and very rewarding so it makes sense that this is the type of company we want to partner up with,” adds Shane Seneviratne, Team Stargate Worlds Principal.

Situated 14 miles from the Palm Beach International Airport, the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Beach Gardens is located at 3505 Kyoto Gardens Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; phone: 561-694-5833; fax: 561-694-5829. Recreational facilities consist of a workout facility featuring Precor® state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength training equipment, Stay Fit Kits® available for complimentary check-out from the front desk, outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool. For outdoor enthusiasts, the beach and golf courses are located nearby. About Team Stargate Worlds

Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit teamstargateworlds.com and usracetronics.com.

For Team Stargate Worlds the last three weeks have been hectic.  With the team announcement and unveiling a couple of weeks ago,  a newly redesigned website, the addition of new crew members and a recent test session at Buttonwillow Raceway, the team showed no signs of fatigue as they arrived for the first Atlantic Championship series test at the 2.034 mile Palm Beach International Raceway road course.  By the end of the two days Team Stargate Worlds drivers Simona De Silvestro and Frankie Muniz had turned heads and gave notice that Team Stargate Worlds would be a formidable team for the 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda season.

The two days for Simona De Silvestro were very productive.  Day one saw her put up strong lap times.  Working closely with her engineer Burke Harrison, De Silvestro quickly put up very strong times and made great progress learning the track and experimenting with various adjustments.  The result was a day best lap of 1:08.823 which put her third quickest of the day.  Day two saw Simona continuing to explore new ideas and adjustments, and even though the times were not as quick as other drivers, valuable information was gained and progress was achieved.  At the conclusion of the two days the No. 78 Stargate Worlds/Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment/FireSky/Cardinal Technologies machine would end up a strong ninth on the timesheets.

Frankie Muniz's development continued to shine as the series sophomore left an indelible exclamation mark after his two-day testing performance.  Coming off a very long off-season with only one test session before this, Muniz climbed into the No. 77 Stargate Worlds/Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment/FireSky/Cardinal Technologies car and stormed onto the track and posted the sixth best time of day.  Feeling very relaxed and having "the greatest time", Muniz arrived on day 2 and improved his times with an overall best lap time of 1:07.919, which was enough to catapult him to fourth quickest.  This represents Frankie's career best testing session.

The March 25^th Sebring race season-opener is next up for Team Stargate Worlds.

Frankie Muniz - "I am extremely happy with the outcome of these two test days.  Being fourth quickest overall was a real accomplishment for me and the team and it just shows how we're all clicking.  This is the first time that I've had so much fun during a test.  I was very relaxed and had a smile the whole time.  My engineer Gerald Tyler has done a great job as has the rest of Team Stargate Worlds.   I am looking forward to next week's race"

Simona De Silvestro - "The first day went very well.  We were third fastest and everything came together fairly quickly and on the second day we struggled a bit.  My engineer Burke Harrison and I are communicating and working very well.  Team Stargate Worlds has been great and I'm very confident going into the first race of the 2009 season."

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals of Team Stargate Worlds - "It was a good test for us.  The team did a great job and we are pleased with our preparations leading up to the season-opener.  Both drivers have done a phenomenal job in the off-season and we were very excited to see Frankie move up on the grid.  Simona had a tough second day but she's going to be just fine."

About Team Stargate Worlds: Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. Both Muniz and De Silvestro will play characters in the Stargate Worlds game.  For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit http://www.teamstargateworlds.com/ and http://www.usracetronics.com/.     

Buttonwillow, CA (March 3, 2009) - A little less than a week after announcing its formation Team Stargate Worlds completed its first test of the season with drivers Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro. The cars made their debut at the team's home track of Buttonwillow Raceway. The 1.374-mile track provided a full day's worth of testing as well as an opportunity for both drivers to get acquainted to their new Team Stargate Worlds surroundings.
The occasion marks the first time both drivers have hit the track since the last race of the 2008 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda season. Though the threat of rain continually loomed over the track throughout the day the conditions remained dry and ideal for the Team Stargate Worlds duo. Both Muniz and De Silvestro combined for a total of just over 400 miles.

It also marks the first time that both drivers began working with their race engineers. For 2009 Muniz will work alongside his engineer Gerald Tyler, while Burke Harrison joins Team Stargate Worlds as De Silvestro's engineer. Both Tyler and Harrison have a long history together that goes back to the 2002 Atlantic Championship season where, along with US RaceTronics Team Principal Shane Seneviratne, Dorricott Racing won the 2002 championship in dominating fashion with Jon Fogarty. Tyler and Harrison followed that up by winning the Championship again the following year with RuSPORT.

At the conclusion of the day both drivers and their engineers were happy with what was accomplished and were confident in moving forward. The team will regroup next week at the series-sanctioned test at Palm Beach International Raceway on March 10-11.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - "I'm very happy with how the day went. We were very productive and we got to run a lot of miles, which dusted off the cobwebs. I also got to work with my new engineer Gerald Tyler which was great. I'm confident that we'll have a very good year just based on what we've learned thus far. I just want to thank the Team Stargate Worlds team and I can't wait to get back in the car for our next test."

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - "Overall the day went very well. The Team Stargate Worlds crew did a great job today and working with my new engineer Burke Harrison had a lot of positive results, which allowed us to be very productive. We tried a lot of things out in order to see what worked and what didn't but overall I think today's test was a definite step in the right direction."

Gerald Tyler, Engineer - No 77- "It was the first time working with the team and I have to say it's a great team. Shane and Imran have a great team here and it was great working with them and I'm looking forward to working with them this year. As far as the test, you couldn't really tell that this was our first test in that once we got going everything just clicked, from the team to Frankie. It all just fell into place very nicely. Working with Frankie and Bob Perona, our driver's coach, I know that we'll all try to get the best out of each other this year and I'm sure 2009 will be great."

Burke Harrison, Engineer, No 78- "What I really wanted to work on was the communication aspect with Simona and we made good inroads on that. There were also a few test items we wanted to complete as well which we managed to do. The track conditions were not that great but I believe we managed to make great progress. The 2009 season will be a very exciting one and I'm looking forward to it."

About Team Stargate Worlds
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit teamstargateworlds.com and usracetronics.com.

On the heels of announcing its formation Team Stargate Worlds ^TM is pleased to announce that Cardinal Technologies, Inc, a leader in Program Management will join its 2009 Atlantic Championship season campaign as a sponsor.

Team Stargate Worlds drivers Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro will compete in the 2009 Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda. Both racers look to attack the 2009 season with tenacity and efficiency and partnering with Cardinal Technologies Inc is a step in the right direction for the duo. Cardinal Technologies brings with it years of experience in the Program Management field and the Team Stargate Worlds team will be relying on that valuable knowledge to assist its operations throughout the 2009 Atlantic Championship season.

Earl M. Furfine, President and CEO of Cardinal- “We are thrilled to be able to bring Cardinal’s Program Management staff expertise, tools and methodologies to the Stargate Team, particularly now that there is an emphasis on racing within a budget and stringent management of the planning, scheduling, and financial aspects of racing programs. Cardinal will provide the Team with a proven and tested approach to Work Breakdown Structure and the ability to manage costs at each step of their program, as well the ability to provide risk management of unexpected items and evaluation of the impact of those items to the budget and schedule.”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals of Team Stargate Worlds- “We are both excited to have a structured approach to Program and Configuration Management for our team. Having appropriate Work Breakdown Structure and being able to allocate cost, resources and dependencies at all steps of our program provides us the ability to manage change effectively and efficiently, as well as react to that change before the risks become too great. In a sense, we are able to see and react to bad news very early, which is absolutely good news!”

About Cardinal Technologies
Cardinal Technologies, Inc. has been providing PMO and Information Technology Services to Private and Public Sector clients since 1995. Cardinal has the expertise to build, staff, and ensure the quality performance of the PMO as well as the programs and projects it governs. Cardinal Program Managers and staff understand the critical importance of the PMO, from how it is planned and established to the systems and processes it employs to sustain its various functions and disciplines When assembling the right team to support a major program, decision makers need specialized knowledge sets that work together seamlessly to advance the program's goals. Cardinal provides critical PMO and technology services that help move programs forward, on time and on budget. More information regarding Cardinal Technologies can be found at www.cardinaltechnologies.com.

About Team Stargate Worlds
Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most talented female race car drivers Simona De Silvestro and Hollywood star turned serious professional racer Frankie Muniz. For more information about Team Stargate Worlds please visit www.teamstargateworlds.com

The worlds of gaming, racing, Hollywood, and women sports all merged today when it was announced during the annual MAZDASPEED Motorsports Media Lunch in Irvine, California that Frankie Muniz and Simona De Silvestro would be teaming up for the 2009 Cooper Tires Atlantic Championship Powered By Mazda as part of Team Stargate Worlds™.  The team will be operated by US RaceTronics but will run under the banner of Team Stargate Worlds and features sponsorship from Stargate Worlds™ developer Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment™ and publisher FireSky™. The sponsorship is unique in that Muniz and De Silvestro will be featured in the upcoming Stargate Worlds massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Based on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s (MGM) very sucessfull Stargate franchise, Stargate Worlds features tactical modern combat vs. science-fiction weapons and instant travel across the galaxy in a story-driven MMO.

With a challenging 12-race 2009 schedule and a significant prize package that includes a $1 million prize for the series champion, Muniz returns to the Atlantic series after a solid season in 2008 in which he earned three top-10 race results and narrowly missed finishing inside the top 10 in the championship. This marks Muniz’s third year in the series and his second year with the team.

De Silvestro is no stranger to the Atlantic Championship. The native of Thun, Switzerland who currently resides in Phoenix, Ariz. made history last year by becoming the second woman in Atlantic Championship history to win a race by taking the season-opening Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach. In addition to her historic win last year, De Silvestro’s 2008 season included an impressive eight top-10 finishes and a career-best eighth-place position in the final championship standings.

In addition to the sponsorship from Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment and FireSky, Team Stargate Worlds is also pleased to continue to have the support of Meguiar’s Car Care Products and Mechanix Wear, both of whom have a long relationship with USRT.

Frankie Muniz, Driver No. 77 - “I'm excited about Team Stargate Worlds and the upcoming 2009 Atlantic Championship season. I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone at Cheyenne Mountain and Mr. Gary Whiting for this incredible opportunity. I'm looking forward to working with everyone at US RaceTronics once again including my new engineer Gerald Tyler. I am very excited about the scenario of mixing my two passions of racing and acting, as I will be starring as a galactic racer in the upcoming Stargate Worlds game.”

Simona De Silvestro, Driver No. 78 - “I'm really excited for the 2009 season with Team Stargate Worlds. I want to thank Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment especially Mr. Gary Whiting for the opportunity of a lifetime. The team has a great combination of proven winners including the capable engineering of Burke Harrison, and we hope to have a very strong team this year. I'm also ecstatic about entering Frankie's world of acting in a virtual sense as I will be starring as a intergalactic racer in the Stargate Worlds game. I'm really looking forward with partnering with Frankie in bringing our team success.”

Imran Safiulla and Shane Seneviratne, Principals of Team Stargate Worlds, - “We are very pleased to have created this association with the USRT family and believe that Team Stargate Worlds will be a very exciting team to watch for in 2009. The Stargate Worlds game is being anticipated as one of the most exciting MMOs to be released and we are very grateful to Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment for their belief in us to develop a strong pre-launch campaign for the game. Both Simona and Frankie are very unique drivers and represent fantastic human journeys. We look forward to being a part of their success and making history.”

Gary Whiting, Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment Founder: “The evolution of Team Stargate Worlds is very exciting for our group. The reach of motorsports to a very large and wide audience demographic is undeniable. The Atlantic series and its assets will prove to be a solid platform that can be used to begin our pre-launch activities for our game, Stargate Worlds. Frankie and Simona are fantastic brand ambassadors and this is just a beginning of what I hope will turn into a long and successful relationship. I would like to specifically thank Shane and Imran for having created a marvelous program.”

About FireSky

FireSky ™ is dedicated to the fusion of social experiences with entertainment software and games. FireSky’s first product is the Social Networks at Play game (SNAP), Stargate Worlds, based on the popular science fiction television series Stargate SG-1® and Stargate Atlantis ™ which are officially licensed by MGM Interactive. For more information, visit the company's website www.FireSky.com and the Stargate Worlds community site at www.stargateworlds.com.

About Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment

Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment ™ is dedicated to the fusion of social experiences with entertainment software and games. Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's first product is a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), Stargate Worlds, based on the popular science fiction television series Stargate SG-1® and Stargate Atlantis ™ which are officially licensed by MGM Interactive. For more information, visit the company's website www.cheyenneme.com and the Stargate Worlds community site at www.stargateworlds.com

About Team Stargate Worlds

Team Stargate Worlds entered the 2009 Atlantic Championship season in partnership with US RaceTronics with one of the world's most ta