10/11/2002

GUY COSMO:  2002 STAR MAZDA SERIES CHAMPION

Braselton, GA:  Guy Cosmo secured the 2002 Star Mazda Championship Series title at Road Atlanta, Oct 11 during the Audi Petit Le Mans, but not in the fashion he would have liked. Guy limped the #45 www.kc-baggers.com/Racers Edge Formula Mazda to a 9th place finish with a severely wounded gearbox. He secured the championship by one point.

“Talk about an emotional roller coaster, this weekend has been brutal for me,” confessed Guy, a Long Island, New York native. “2nd gear broke and I just started screaming my head off in my helmet. I knew I had to finish 9th or better to win it. I didn’t know who was where and I had no radio communication. I only knew that I was dropping like a rock in the field and I was going to lose the championship. I still don’t have a smile on my face because I was convinced it was ripped away from me.”

Cosmo had been fastest in practice, but a soaking rain before and during qualifying completely changed Guy’s prospects. Cosmo has had great success in the rain before, but was caught out by the river running across Road Atlanta’s surface between turns three and four. It caused a sudden and dramatic spin and the resulting crash ended Guys qualifying session before it really began.

Guy started 33rd and rapidly moved up the order in the race, even though he encountered problems with several slower drivers determined to hold him up.  He reached 6th place with only 5 laps to go, was challenging for two more positions and was in sight of the leaders when he lost 2nd gear.

“I had so much fun starting from the back at Laguna, I thought I’d do it all over again,” quipped Guy.

Guy Cosmo had been dominant in the Star Mazda Championship Series in 2002 with his four wins, two poles and two podium finishes. But the tight points structure of the series kept the battle tight, forcing two drivers to shoot it out for the title in the final race of the season. Now with his title in hand, he looks to continue his career.

“We’re looking to do a race in England before the season ends there. Normally people would want to celebrate, relax and take some time off after winning a championship, but as soon as I get out of this racing suit, I’ve got some phone calls to make. I don’t have any time to waste.”

“The Star Mazda series has given me the platform to compete in equal equipment and really show what I'm made of. This season has taught me to get the absolute most out of a car that you can't change, evolve or re-design. I really think I've reached a new level of driver feedback. John Mirachi and Mike Goss at Racers Edge Motorsports have contributed greatly to my advancement as well. I have never worked with two guys that understood what I was saying so well.”

Guy Cosmo has consistently demonstrated his aptitude in several different formulae. In 1999, he distinguished himself as one of the hottest young drivers in the US when he won the US F2000 American Continental Championship, notching five victories in the process. Also that year, he tested in Indy Lights and was selected as a test driver for Dunlop tires.

In 2000, the young driver spent ten months in Denmark as the Mygale works development driver in the Scandinavian Formula 2000 series. While there, he scored two poles, two wins, and 14 top-five finishes on his way to a second place finish in the talent rich Scandinavian open-wheel series championship.

In 2001, he has contested the Star Mazda series for Racers Edge at Texas Motor Speedway and Sebring. Cosmo finished third at Sebring in only his second Star Mazda series start. Guy finished in the top-ten in three of his four Toyota Atlantic starts, including the daunting street circuits at Long Beach and Houston.

Sources:  Guy Cosmo Racing PR
Posted:  October 17, 2002