(Oct. 18, 08) Monterey CA - Qualifying P3 17-year-old John Edwards vowed he would play it smart and concentrate on the championship. He would hit his marks and take advantage of other's mistakes to finish the race in second place, enough to secure the Star Mazda Championship.

"This is a big day for me," commented John. "We had a good car but starting from third place, the decision was made to run a smart race and not make any mistakes.

We had the points to run there without taking any risks. There were no issues with traffic and with only two cautions, we could run our race." He continued, "Once we got past Dempsey for second, we worked to keep that position rather than fight for the lead. We had the pace to challenge, but again, we did not want to take ourselves out of the race by taking unnecessary risks."

Even though he finished in second place, John was awarded first place points as the race winner was a guest driver and not registered in the championship.

"I really have to thank Keith (Willis) and the guys on the AIM Autosport crew. They have been a driving force all season long and I could not have done this without them. They have kept me in the fight all year even though we missed that first race. These guys are awesome."

We caught up with Keith while the crew packed up for their return to Toronto. "Congratulations to John. He has put in a terrific effort all season long and he really deserves this. John and his family have been great to work with and they have supported our efforts to get this championship. We wish John well in the Atlantic Championship next year and hope we'll get the chance to work with him again in the future."

The Star Mazda Championship brings with it a fully-funded ride in the Atlantic Championship in 2009. There is more to see from this champion.  Stay tuned