Cleveland, OH – At the halfway point in the season, The Sierra Sierra Enterprises team continues to sit atop the charts in 1st and 2nd place in the 2007 Cooper Tires Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda series.
After claiming bonus points for finishing first in both qualifying sessions, Raphael Matos (#6 ProWorks) went on to lead all 42 laps of the race beating J.R. Hildebrand (#36 Newman Wachs Racing) to the finish line with a margin of 0.506 seconds. After four wins in six races, Matos now leads the championship race by 30 points over teammate James Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks).
Hinchcliffe (#9 NOCO/ProWorks) who started the race in 2nd position went off course to avoid contact in turn 4 of the first lap. Maneuvering his way through the field, Hinchcliffe was able to claim the bonus point for fastest lap as well as earn a 6th place finish.
"That was the most fun I have ever had in a racecar," exclaimed Hinchcliffe. "It was so cruel that we got hit on lap 1, I went side-by-side with JR into turn 4 and he just didn't give me enough room. We touched and I got spun out. From there it was heads down to collect every possible point because I knew Rafa was going to win the race. Sierra Sierra gave me an incredible car and I just wish I could have been mixing it up at the front where we belonged, because I truly believe we had the best package out there. But now it is three Canadian races in a row, so I won't be totally gutted to get that first win of the season on home turf.... and second and third for that matter!", said Hinchcliffe.
Hinchcliffe now holds the 2nd place in the championship quest with 143.