Rafa Matos Looking to Familiar Faces to Launch Championship Assault on Atlantics Title

Young, Brazilian Sees Odds in His Favor at VegasLAS VEGAS, Nev., April 5, 2007 � After an off-season of jumping from one car to the next, Raphael “Rafa” Matos is just hours away from settling into the seat that he hopes to race to the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship powered by Mazda Series title. Rafa, a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, now living in Miami, has raced in the A1GP Series for A1 Team Brasil and piloted the Mazda factory entry in the P2 class at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring since closing the 2006 Atlantic Championship with three pole positions, four podiums and one victory. Now, in Sunday's Grand Prix of Vegas, for the first time in his professional career, the young Brazilian will enjoy familiar surroundings in 2007 as he returns to drive the No. 6 ProWorks/Sierra Sierra Enterprises Mazda. As Rafa moves closer to the top of the international motorsports ladder, the Atlantic Series is the official “feeder” series to the Champ Car World Series, continuity becomes the key to success. For 2007, Rafa is considered one of the top contenders for the championship, he finished fourth last year in his rookie season, and his familiarity with not only the series, the cars and the tracks but his understanding of how things work at Sierra Sierra is a major benefit.“It couldn't be better,” offered Rafa in reference to his 2007 program. “In Sebring [pre-season testing] we were quickest; in Houston and Laguna Seca we were second quickest in testing. The whole team is very confident about the season. I think it couldn't be better in the team environment, between James [Hinchcliffe, Sierra Sierra teammate] and me and the engineers. There is a lot of information coming with the testing. Hopefully we will progress from the first race until the last race of the championship. It is too early to say who has advantages but I believe our team is, for sure, one of the strongest teams out there. As far as having the best people, I don't think there is anyone that beats us. The whole package is just really good. I really appreciate all the work that the whole team, the mechanics, the engineers have done for me last year and into this year. I want this year to be the reward for all of us.” Sunday's Vegas Grand Prix promises to be one of the most challenging season-openers in years. The 2.4-mile track is comprised of Las Vegas streets that no one has had the ability to test on. Again, Rafa's familiar surroundings will help him overcome the unfamiliar circuit. When added to his natural ability to be quick on new tracks, and street courses, Rafa is looking forward to the season-opener.“I believe the event itself is great,” said Rafa. “It is a great place to have good attendance. People are there having fun and they get to see a car race in the middle of the city. I feel very positive and confident about the weekend. I feel that my driving style adapts to very fast and flowing tracks and to the other extreme, the street courses. Because the first three races are street races, we need to have good results to keep things flowing through to the middle of the season. You have to start building-up from the start of the season. Finishing races will be the most important thing. Scoring points is very important. We were always in the top-three last year [in terms of speed] but wouldn't always score points. We need to do better with that this year if we want to fight for the championship and winning the championship is our goal.”This weekend's Vegas Grand Prix can be seen, tape-delayed, on ESPN2 at 5 PM (ET), Friday, April 13. All 12 of the 2007 Atlantic Series races will be shown on ESPN2. For more on the Champ Car Atlantics Series including Live timing and scoring please visit: www.ChampCarAtlantic.comFor more on Rafa Matos, please visit www.RafaMatos.com
To find out more about Sierra Sierra, log-on to www.SierraSierra.com