Alex Ardoin, 2006 Southwest Formula Mazda (Standard Car) Series Champion, proved that one can learn a lot out of one season in a Standard Formula Mazda. Alex is running his Pro Formula Mazda in the 2007 Southwest Pro Car Series and did very well in the Series opener held at Motorsport Ranch Houston on February 17-18 at the SCCA Winter at the Ranch Double National. There were 9 Pro Formula Mazdas present with 8 gunning for Southwest Series points. Ross Smith (Ft Worth, TX) got the pole on Saturday with John Strickler (Olathe, KS) and Browning Williams (Houston, TX) in 2nd and 3rd. Ardoin started from the back in his Pro Mazda due to a pass under yellow during qualifying. But, it wasn't long before the 17 year old Ardoin (Sunset, LA) made his way up to the front. Smith, Ardoin, and Strickler kept us all afloat on adrenaline as they battled for the lead. Ardoin overtook Smith on Lap 8. Smith's luck would only get worse a few laps later when a lapped FA made an unexpected move. Smith was out of the race with enough damage to end the remainder of his weekend. Strickler finished the race in 2nd and Keith Young (Dallas, Tx) finished 3rd. On Sunday, Alex Ardoin qualified on the pole, with John Strickler in 2nd and Keith Young in 3rd. Ardoin won the race with Strickler and Young in 2nd and 3rd. Ardoin had the fastest race lap both days with an impressive 1.2538 and 1.2535. Ardoin, with a background in karting and the Standard Formula Mazda, not only will be running for the Championship in the Southwest Pro FM Series, but also the nationally acclaimed Star Mazda Series Presented by Goodyear. The Star Mazda Series presented by Goodyear is run in conjunction with the ALMS Series and is televised on the Speed Channel. Keep an eye on him and other Southwest Formula Mazda Series alums such as Russell Walker who have a good chance at winning the 2007 Star Mazda Championship. The SWFM Pro Car Series will be returning to Motorsport Ranch Houston for Rounds 3 & 4 at the SCCA Regional/National on March 31 - April 1.

The 2006 Southwest Formula Mazda Series concluded at No Problem Raceway near Baton Rouge, Louisiana on October 7^th. The weather was beautiful and everyone had a great time. Alex Ardoin was “the man” of the weekend getting the Pole, winning the race, and winning the Championship. Lindsey Adams qualified and finished in 2^nd. Adams dedicated her race at No Problem to “Race for the Cure” and is currently helping to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Adams was chosen as “Person of the Week” on ABC’s World News for her activity with “Race for the Cure”. Debbie Adams, Lindsey’s mother, is a breast cancer survivor and Lindsey’s inspiration. The 2006 Awards presentation was held in the No Problem Sports Bar that evening with Cajun food and cash bar. Over $26,000 in cash and prizes were awarded to the top ten finishers in the Series. Alex Ardoin was crowned Champion of the Series. Lindsey Adams finished 2^nd and Mark Olson 3^rd. Alex also took home the trophies for Teen Champion and Rookie of the Year. Alex will be moving up to the Pro Formula Mazda next year and will be competing in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. His trial run in the Star Mazda Pro Series this year (Atlanta) proved that he will definitely be a contender. We expect to see him on the Pro Series podium a few times if not more. Full Race Results and Point Standings can be found at www.texasautosports.com The Southwest Formula Mazda Series will celebrate its 10 Year Anniversary in 2007. To honor this benchmark, the Series will be awarding special “Anniversary” trophies, shirts, hats, and jackets. Come join the fun in 2007!

The 2^nd year of the Southwest Formula Mazda Pro Car Series concluded at Texas Motor Speedway at the SCCA Double Regional on September 16-17. Coming in to the weekend, Steven Hickham Jr. had the Championship clinched, but 2^nd and 3^rd were still to be determined. There were 8 Pro Formula Mazdas participating in the event. On Saturday, Alex Ardoin got the pole with Browning Williams in 2^nd and Keith Young in 3^rd. It was Alex Ardoin’s inaugural race weekend in his Pro Formula Mazda. (Ardoin is currently leading the Championship in the SWFM Standard Car Series). At the end of Lap 1, Browning Williams was leading the race. Two laps later, Ardoin made a pass on the front straight to take the lead. The two swapped leads several times after that with Keith Young close on their tails. Ardoin completed his first win in the Pro FM with Williams in 2^nd and Young in 3^rd. JW Roberts, battling for 2^nd Place in the Series, finished 4^th. Ardoin had the fastest race lap of the weekend with a 1:19:45. Sunday, in the rain, Ardoin again got the pole with Keith Young in 2^nd and JW Roberts in 3^rd. By race time, it seemed as if the rain had stopped and the track was drying. Everyone gridded with slicks. About 3 minutes before the start of the race, the rain returned. Keith Young’s crew did a “Nascar” change to rain tires barely finishing before it was time to leave the grid. On Lap 1, Ardoin spun and was left at the back of the pack. Young was in the lead with Forest Barber in 2^nd and Roberts in 3^rd. Ardoin fought his way back toward the front and was in 3^rd place by Lap 6 of the 16 Lap race. On Lap 11, Ardoin passed Barber to gain the 2^nd place spot and set his sights on Young. However, Young had developed a very good lead for the win and Ardoin had to settle for 2^nd. Ardoin was soon to be disqualified in impound for not meeting weight requirements leaving Forest Barber in 2^nd . Browning Williams finished 3rd giving him the necessary points to capture 2^nd Place in the Series and Masters Champion.

The Series awards were presented following the race. Steven Hickham Jr. won the Championship. Browning Williams got 2^nd and JW Roberts beat Keith Young by 1 point for 3^rd. Thirteen drivers competed in the 2006 Southwest Formula Mazda Pro Car Series with 5 different winners. Next year looks to be hotter than ever. For complete race results and point standings, go to www.texasautosports.com

Rounds 4 & 5 of the SWFM Series were held at the SCCA Lone Star Grand Prix Regional/National on May 27-28 at Texas World Speedway.

On Saturday, Lindsey Adams got her first "pole" with Dave Zavelson and Alex Ardoin in 2nd and 3rd. Lindsey, in her first year of Formula Mazda, comes from a successful go karting background. Lindsey held her pole position to the end. The battle was between Dave Zavelson and Alex Ardoin. On Lap 12 of the 17 Lap race, Ardoin finally made the pass around Zavelson for 2nd. Zavelson finished 3rd with Mark Olson in 4th. On Sunday, again Lindsey Adams won the "pole" in her hot pink and florescent orange Formula Mazda. Alex Ardoin qualified 2nd with Dave Zavelson in 3rd. On Lap 2, Ardoin got tapped from the rear and spun off course. Ardoin's day was finished. Lindsey again held the lead for the entire race. Mark Olson held the 2nd place spot for 15 laps until Zavelson got around him at the end of the front straight. A Full Course Yellow appeared on Lap 20 and the race was finished under "yellow". Lindsey Adams won the race with Dave Zavelson in 2nd and Mark Olson 3rd.

The Southwest Formula Mazda Series then traveled to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit for Rounds 6 & 7 on June 24-25. There were 9 Formula Mazdas present with 8 competing for series points. On Saturday, Richard Stephens got the pole with Alex Ardoin in 2nd and Lindsey Adams in 3rd. Stephens lead the race for 14 laps of the 20 lap race. On Lap 15, while passing a lapped car, Stephens lost his line and went off track. Ardoin then got by and won the race with Richard Stephens in 2nd and Michael Stephens (Richard's Dad) in 3rd. Unfortunately, Michael Stephens didn't have as much lunch as he thought that day and came up a little light on the scales giving 3rd place to Mark Olson. Lindsey Adams had problems with her transmission and didn't finish the race. But her mechanics (John Calandra and Michael Conn) pulled an "all nighter" to get her back on the track on Sunday. They hauled her car back to Dallas, swapped out transmissions from another FM, and returned back to Hallett to get her on the track by 8:40 am on Sunday. Hallett is aprox. 5-6 hours from Dallas - that's 10-12 hours round trip. Good job guys!!!!

On Sunday, Alex Ardoin, who was recently selected out of 59 drivers for a Skip Barber Karting Scholarship, qualified on the pole with a 1:15:48. Richard Stephens qualified 2nd with a 1:15 82. Lindsey Adams qualified 3rd. At the start of the race, Alex went off the track in Turn 1. It took him a while to get the car restarted, so he was left far behind the pack. But, he fought his way back up to the top and finished 3rd. Richard Stephens won the race in front of his home fans and Lindsey Adams finished 2nd.

The Southwest Formula Mazda Series has had 4 different winners after running 7 races (Alex Ardoin, Darryl Wills, Lindsey Adams, and Richard Stephens). The Series travels back to Texas World Speedway on August 5-6. Alex Ardoin now leads the race for the Championship by 20 points. Lindsey Adams is in 2nd and Richard Stephens in 3rd. Alex is also leading for Rookie of the Year with Michael Stephens leading for Masters Champion.

For more info on Formula Mazda and the Southwest Formula Mazda Series, go to www.texasautosports.com

59 drivers recently competed in the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out at Sebring International Raceway. Only 6 of those 59 drivers were selected for scholarship prizes. Alex Ardoin, Southwest Formula Mazda Series driver was one of the six selected. Alex won a $10,000. sponsorship for his efforts. Drivers were selected based upon speed, judgment, and personal presentation. Congrats to Alex and we look forward to enjoying his talent in the 2006 Southwest Formula Mazda Series.

On October 15-16, the Southwest Formula Mazda Series ran Rounds 11 and 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. There were 18 Formula Mazdas participating with 11 competing for Series points. Going into the weekend, Russell Walker was leading the championship by only 4 points in front of David Stover. On Saturday, Stover got the pole. Walker, having technical problems with his car, qualified 6th. Walker fought long and hard during the race, but could only obtain a 4th place with his car troubles. 16 year olds Steven Hickham and Alex Ardoin had a fantastic battle going for 2nd. Hickham prevailed and finished 2nd behind Stover. Ardoin finished 3rd. Overnight, the problem with Walker's car was rectified. It seems that he had a defective part on his car. On Sunday, Michael Tari got the "pole" with Walker in 2nd and Stover in 3rd. After the first lap, Stover had recaptured his usual lead position. Walker, having his technical problems cured, put the pressure on Stover. They battled it out going side by side for many laps. Stover won the race with Walker in 2nd. The Series concluded with Round 13 at No Problem Raceway near Baton Rouge, Louisiana on November 12th. Stover qualified on the "pole" with Walker only .005 seconds behind him. 2004 Series Champion Darryl Wills, returning from an FM hiatus, qualified 3rd. Ardoin and Hickham were back at it qualifying 4th and 5th. However, Hickham failed the weight tech and had to start the race in the back. Stover, kept his lead in front of Walker for the entire race. It looked as if it would be the usual "1-2" finish, but Walker got a cut in his tire and had to pit for a tire change. The tire change went as well as any NASCAR pit stop, and Walker was back in the race loosing only 2 positions. With only 7 laps left, Walker made it up to 3rd and finished the race behind Wills. Hickham, running a remarkable race from the back, finished 5th. The Awards Banquet was held that evening at the No Problem Sports Bar and David Stover was crowned the Champion with Russell Walker in 2nd and Michael Tari in 3rd. JW Roberts was awarded "Rookie of the Year", Robert Baker the "Masters Champion", and Steven Hickham the "Teen Champion". Awards were presented as follows:

1. David Stover - $6,000. Cash, $750 Taylor Race Eng Certificate, Ringers Driver X Gloves, Apron and Hat

2. Russell Walker - $4,500. Cash, $750 Racetech Certificate, 1 Case of Royal Purple

3. Michael Tari - $3,400. Cash, Two Goodyear Tires, 1 Case of Royal Purple

4. JW Roberts - $2,500. Cash, Two Goodyear Tires, 1 Case of Royal Purple

5. Steven Hickham - $2,000. Cash, Two Goodyear Tires, 1 Case of Royal Purple

6. Robert Baker - $1,700. Cash, Two Goodyear Tires, 1 Case of Royal Purple

7. Frank Tomlinson - $1,500. Cash, Two Goodyear Tires, 1 Case of Royal Purple

8. Dave Zavelson - $1,300. Cash, Two Goodyear Tires, 1 Case of Royal Purple

9. Walter Gragert - $1,100. Cash, 8 Sessions at Motorsport Ranch, 1 Case of Royal Purple

10. Richard Stephens - $1,000. Cash, 8 Sessions at Motorsport Ranch, 1 Case of Royal Purple

Rookie of the Year - JW Roberts- $500 Taylor Race Eng Certificate

Masters Champion - Robert Baker -$500 Racetech Certificate

Teen Series Champion - Steven Hickham - $250 Taylor Certificate, Ringers Split Fit Gloves, Apron and Hat

Awarded throughout the Season: Goodyear Tires ($4,564. Value) Ringers Gloves ($390.00 Value)

The Southwest Formula Mazda Series returned to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit for Rounds 9 and 10 on August 27-28. There were 13 Formula Mazdas present with 9 competing for series points. This time, the track was run in the opposite direction from our last visit in July. On Saturday, David Stover qualified on the pole with Russell Walker and Steven Hickham in 2nd and 3rd. They finished the race in the exact same order. Most of the tight racing was going on between Michael Tari, JW Roberts, and Richard Stephens. Roberts passed Tari on Lap 12, and kept him behind him for the remainder of the race, finishing in 4th. With Saturday's race being fairly uneventful, the drivers more than made up for it on Sunday. There were 2 "Full Course Yellows" and every position (other than first) changed hands numerous times. Again, Stover qualified on the pole with a 1:15:15. Steven Hickham had a remarkable morning with a qualifying time of 1:15:35 placing Walker (1:15:50) in an uncharacteristic 3rd place starting position. At the start of the race, Hickham's inexperience showed and he drove off the track on Turn 1 of the first lap of the race. Michael Tari took the same route and ended up at the very back of the pack. At the conclusion of Lap 1, Richard Stephens was in 3rd and JW Roberts (starting last because of a date Saturday night in Dallas with his wife) was in 4th. But Roberts had trouble and again found himself trailing at the back. A Full Course Yellow was called to clear debris from the track giving Walker a great opportunity at Stover who was holding his lead comfortably. But Walker still could not get by. On Lap 14, Richard Stephens noticed his wheel was loose and had to "call it a day". This left new teen driver Alex Ardoin (Sunset, Louisiana) in 3rd - but not for long. JW Roberts made his way up the pack for the 3rd time and got around Alex - only to spin out 2 laps later. Alex, with nowhere to go, hit Roberts, taking them both out. By now, Tari had made his way up from the back and took the revolving 3rd place position. With a 2nd Full Course Yellow sucking the pack up, Russell Walker had a second chance to put the hammer on Stover. But Walker spun leaving Tari in 2nd and Robert Baker (current Masters Champion leader) in 3rd. Walker slid in with a 4th and Steven Hickham finished in 5th. David Stover leading for the entire 25 laps - won the race. The Southwest Formula Mazda Series wishes to thank the WONDERFUL people at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit. They are so hospitable and we really enjoy racing there. At the conclusion of the weekend, Robert Baker is still in the lead for Masters Champion and J.W. Roberts is leading for Rookie of the Year. There are only 4 points between Walker and Stover for the Championship. Come see them battle it out at Texas Motor Speedway for Rounds 11 and 12 on October 14-15-16. The final race will be held at No Problem Raceway in November (if Katrina was nice enough to leave us a track). For more info on Formula Mazda and the Southwest Formula Mazda Series, go to www.texasautosports.com.