Dodging thunderstorms and tornado watches throughout the day at Iowa Speedway, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear managed to complete all their practice and test sessions for Saturday’s second annual Pizza Ranch 100.  

Conor Daly, the current championship leader in the 2010 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear with three wins in a row, set the quick time during three on-track sessions Friday at the 7/8ths-mile Iowa Speedway.  Though not an official track record since it was set during a test session rather than qualifying or the race, Daly’s lap of 22.156 in (#22 Juncos Racing / INDECK / The College Network / Merchant Services Ltd. Mazda was quicker than the 2009 Star Mazda pole time of 22.200 set by Juncos Racing driver Peter Dempsey.

Team Apex, a fast-rising team new to the Star Mazda Championship this season, continued their string of impressive performances by putting both of their drivers in the top-3 on the time sheets.  Second-quick on the day, setting his time of 22.204 in the middle session, was Brazilian driver Joao Victor Horto, driving the #18 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda.  Horto, who scored a podium finish on Memorial Weekend in the Night Before the 500 at O’Reilly Raceway Park, is currently third in the championship and well among the top contenders.  Turning the third-quick time of 22.232 in the late afternoon session was Venezuelan racer Jorge Goncalvez, driver of the #9 Team Apex / Wabash Capital Investments Mazda.

Rounding out the top-5 were Norwegian racer Anders ‘The Viking’ Krohn, with a lap of 22.282 in the #47 Andersen Racing / Norse Cutting & Abandonment / Trallfa / Colosseum Mazda and Quebec driver Mikael Grenier, who started from the pole and finished 2nd in the Night Before the 500.  His lap of 22.301 in the #17 Andersen Racing / Slow Cow / April Super Flow / NAPA Auto Parts / HS Telecom / Desharnais Mazda was good for 5th fast on the day.  Texan J.W. Roberts, the lone Expert Series (ages 30 – 44) in the field, was 14th quick overall with a lap of 23.311.