With four series titles and three Rookie of the Year awards in seven years, Raphael Matos’ name is becoming synonymous with the word Champion. The 28-year old Brazilian has won titles in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008, which helped pave the way for a full time IndyCar Series ride in 2009, fulfilling a dream that began in 1992.

After claiming the Firestone Indy Lights Series title as a rookie in 2008, Matos was snatched up by de Ferran Dragon Racing to pilot the #2 car. All he did was register eight top 10 finishes, third most ever by a rookie driver, to win the Apex IndyCar Rookie of the Year award. He finished 13th overall in the standings, an impressive feat for a first year driver with a first year team.

While 2009 was his first season in the IndyCar Series, Matos served as a test driver for Andretti Green Racing’s IndyCar Series program in 2008. The experience helped make the transition to full time IndyCar driver smooth. He finished the season with four top 10s in the final five races and his eight top 10 finishes overall were split evenly between ovals (4) and road/street courses (4). The 102 points he recorded over the final five races were the eighth most in the series.

Matos made his IndyCar debut after a successful run through the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder, during which he claimed four series titles in six years, including the 2008 Firestone Indy Lights and 2007 Champ Car Atlantic Series crowns. He claimed the Star Mazda Championship in 2005 and won the Formula Dodge National Championship in 2003.

A native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Matos began racing karts and winning championships in 1996, tying for the city championship in his first year. He came to the United States in 2002 to compete in the Formula Dodge and Skip Barber Race Series. He was Skip Barber Rookie of the Year and followed that by winning the Formula Dodge National Championship a year later.

In 2004, Matos moved up to the Star Mazda Series and won the title in his second season. He made the jump to the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Series in 2006 and finished fourth in the point standings for the Sierra Sierra team. That same season, he also competed in four Indy Pro Series races for Jim Guthrie Racing and swept the two races held in St. Petersburg, Florida.

In 2007, he claimed the Atlantic Series championship after scoring six wins in 12 starts. The Atlantic title secured a $2 million “scholarship” for a ride in Champ Car in 2008, but Matos passed, choosing instead to sign with Andretti Green Racing to drive in the Indy Racing League’s Firestone Indy Lights Series.

During the fall of 2007, he was named a driver for A1 Team Brazil in the A1 Grand Prix series and made his debut at the series’ race in Beijing during the 2006-2007 season. He raced a Lola B07/40-Mazda in the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring and the 2007 Petit Le Mans.

With Andretti Green Racing, Matos kept his championship momentum and made it back-to-back series titles by securing the Indy Lights crown with three wins, eight top 5s and 13 top 10s in 2008. He led the league in poles (5), top 10 finishes (13), laps led (190) and races led (5).

Prior to the 2008 Indy Lights season, he drove a Mazda RX-8 for the SpeedSource team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, taking first in the GT class and a 9th place overall finish, sharing the car with Nick Ham, David Haskell and Sylvain Tremblay. After the season, he drove for Michael Shank Racing on the winning team in the DP class (with Ian James and John Pew) at the SunRichGourmet.com 1000 at Miller Motorsports Park.

Career Highlights

Previous Series

2002-2003 Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series
2004-2005 Star Mazda Series
2006-2007 A1 Grand Prix
2006-2007 Champ Car Atlantic Series
2008 Firestone Indy Lights
2009 IndyCar Series

Championship Titles

2003 Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series
2005 Star Mazda Series
2007 Champ Car Atlantic Series
2008 Firestone Indy Lights Series

Other Championships

GT Cars – Rolex 24 at Daytona (2008)
Chevrolet Formula Junior, Brazil (2001).
Minas Gerais State Kart Championship (three times)
Belo Horizonte City Kart Championship (twice)
MazdaSpeed, 12 Hours of Sebring, American Le Mans Series LMP2 class (2006, 2007)

Other Awards

IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year (2009)
Indianapolis 500 Fastest Rookie (2009)

Major Wins

Champ Car Atlantic Series: (7) 2006: San Jose; 2007: Las Vegas, Long Beach, Houston, Cleveland, Edmonton (twice)
Firestone Indy Lights Series: (5) 2006: St. Petersburg (twice); 2008: St. Petersburg, Watkins Glen International, Mid-Ohio
Star Mazda: (4) 2005: Sebring, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, Montreal
Formula Dodge: (3) 2003: Mosport (twice), Road America

Major Poles

Champ Car Atlantic Series: (7) 2006: Long Beach, Edmonton, San Jose; 2007: Long Beach, Houston, Toronto, Edmonton
Firestone Indy Lights Series: (5) 2006: St. Petersburg; 2008: Homestead, St. Petersburg, Mid-Ohio, Kentucky
Star Mazda: (4) 2005: Sebring, Mid-Ohio, Road America; 2004: Mosport
Formula Dodge: (5) 2003