Australian Motor Sport Foundation (AMSF) AMSF International Rising Star Daniel Erickson will test a Star Mazda open wheeler next week in Texas – and if all goes well, a drive in the 2010 USA Star Mazda Championship could be the end result. Erickson will evaluate the one-make ‘slicks and wings’ category with leading Star Mazda team Mundill Racing on December 1 and 2, at the 3.38km MSR Houston Raceway. The 2009 AMSF International Rising Star will have exclusive use of Mundill’s 2009 Star Mazda entry during the test, which will comprise four sessions each day in both directions around the versatile road course. Star Mazda is one of the most popular USA open wheeler development categories, boasting 20-plus fields at most of the 13 rounds in this year’s IMSA-sanctioned championship. It’s also highly lucrative, with $US1.5M in end-of-season awards and a fully sponsored drive in the USA Formula Atlantic Championship for the overall winner. Erickson, who completed a successful debut overseas racing season in British Formula Ford last month, is looking forward to trying the rotary-engine Star Mazda car. “Although the British-spec Spectrum Formula Ford that I drove this year had similar dry weather slick tyres to the Star Mazda’s, almost everything else about the two cars is different,” he said. "To begin with, there’s quite a step up in power – from the Formula Ford’s 115kW to the Star Mazda’s 180kW." “The other obvious difference is that the Star Mazda has front and rear wings, whereas Formula Fords don’t have them. Changing gears will be a new experience with the Star Mazda’s six-speed sequential transmission, compared to the Formula Ford’s four-speed H-pattern shift." “Also, its carbon fibre chassis is stronger and stiffer than the Formula Ford’s steel space frame.” Erickson will return to Australia after the test to concentrate on raising the necessary funding for his 2010 racing season. 
Erickson in action in the 2009 British Formula Ford Championship
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