David Ostella was in Indianapolis a week ago as the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear drivers took part in an Official Series Test at O’Reilly Raceway Park. Filling the time between Championship rounds in St. Petersburg and Laguna Seca, Ostella and others were testing in preparation for ‘The Night Before the 500’ to be raced at ORP May 29.
“It was good to be back on an oval. I really enjoy racing on them,” said Ostella, who scored his first Star Mazda Championship podium last year at the oval Iowa Speedway. “This one was similar to Milwaukee: short and not too wide, so getting it right the first time will be crucial for passing as it will take a couple of laps to make a pass. As a racer, it’s a type of track I want to master to prove that I am a professional racer that can handle and adapt to any configuration.”
A year ago during his rookie season, Ostella was a revelation running in his first oval race at the Milwaukee Mile before scoring his first podium in the next round at Iowa. Wise beyond his years, Ostella has come to have a refined approach to the round tracks. “The secret is to never get too relaxed because the slightest mistake or movement off line can lead to tremendous problems,” he said this week from his home in Maple, Ontario. “Obviously you could lose positions, but there is also the matter of the wall that surrounds each one! Still, I love the speed and the thrill of racing ovals. It takes a lot of patience, yet it’s also very intense.”
At O’Reilly Raceway Park late last week for a two-day test, Ostella and his AIM Autosport team spent day one getting accustomed to new surroundings before getting down to serious business on day two. The eighteen-year-old was in the top three during three out of four sessions to close the test, and more than accomplished the goals he set for himself.
“On day one we were focussing on line and taking things slowly, working methodically,” he said. “It was a good day experimenting with different setups to find what could work, then on day two I wanted to be in the top five and show some speed. We worked hard at making the car consistent for race conditions, and I believe we have a pretty good package for the end of the month.”
Teams will return to ORP May 29th for round four of the championship, but not before racing across the country a week earlier at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in round three. Ostella will be racing in both events with support from Global Precast Intercontinental, and will have some new supporters on the car as Masters Insurance and Pro Green Demolition have joined Alpinestars and RAW Integrated Ltd. in helping the young Canadian go racing. For more information, please visit www.davidostella.com
Photo: David Ostella was again feeling at home on the oval.
Photo By www.otp.ca
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