CANADIAN KEVIN LACROIX TO MAKE HIS STAR MAZDA ROOKIE DEBUT WITH JOHN WALKO RACING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TRAFFORD, PA (April 19, 2006) – John Walko Racing has added highly touted Kevin Lacroix to their stable of drivers. The young Canadian driver will make his debut at the Grand Prix of Houston, the second race on the STAR Mazda Championship Series schedule.

​Lacroix joins JWR fresh off of a successful Rookie season in the Formula BMW Series where he finished second in the Championship standings. Four race wins at venues such as Laguna Seca, Montreal, Mid Ohio and Barber Motorsports Park along with two additional podium finishes at Laguna Seca and Indianapolis Motor Speedway kept Kevin in the title hunt until the closing laps of the final race of the season.

Prior to his sensational entry in to formula car racing, Lacroix was a karting star winning several Quebec Championships as well as rounds in the Stars of Karting and the WKA Manufacturers Cup. A strong showing at the BMW School in Valencia, Spain in 2004 earned him a scholarship for the following season’s successful outing in the Formula BMW USA Series.

According to team owner John Walko, the deal to add the Quebec native came together quickly after Casey Neal’s one race stint in a JWR machine at Sebring came to an end. Mutual friends in the racing business helped put the parties together as Walko noted, “Kevin comes to us highly recommended, and we were highly recommended to him, by our friends at AIM Autosport and team manager Ian Willis. Kevin placed second in the Formula BMW Championship with AIM and when Kevin expressed interest in the STAR Mazda Series, Ian told him we were the ones to call.”

The new partnership wasted no time hitting the track as Lacroix joined JWR for a test at BeaveRun Motorsports Complex. The young driver was thrilled to take the next step in the open wheel racing ladder.

“It is a good car, a lot more power and more grip also compared to anything else I have driven. It is very fast and very good too drive. It took a while to learn it but everything is going well now.”

Walko was pleased with his new driver’s debut, “I couldn't be more impressed with his performance, he ran nearly 500 miles here in the last two days and only had the car off track three times which is quite good.

JWR will provide Kevin with every chance at success according to Walko as well. ”We will partner Kevin with Caleb Streem as the lead mechanic, who was the STAR Mazda Crew Member of the Year in 2005 as Robbie Pecorari's mechanic.”

The team will take their three car effort to Mid Ohio next for a round of testing followed by the second race of the season, the Grand Prix of Houston. Drivers Charles Anti and Ross Smith will be Kevin Lacroix’s teammates with JWR.