Boundless Motor Sports Racing Inc. announced that former Formula Three star, Brazilian Ricardo “Matchbox” MaurÀcio will make his World of Outlaws (WoO) Sprint Series debut at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas during the Series’ final season event on November 5th and 6th.
Maurício will drive a car owned by sprint car racer Doug Lippincott of Sparks, Nevada. Veteran World of Outlaws crew chief Davey Whitworth will help the road-racing star make the transition from pavement to dirt, with ButlerBuilt Motorsports Equipment also lending support to the team.
Maurício hails from Brazil but hopes to race full-time in the United States. His decision to venture to the United States to join the World of Outlaws Sprint Series came after a conversation with former office teammates of retired Formula One star Nelson Piquet including Bobby Hartslief, Boundless Chief Operating Officer.
“I wanted to focus my career in the U.S. and the best available entrance gate for someone that has stock car racing in mind, I believe, is sprint car racing,” said Maurício.
“I am excited to try dirt oval racing and at the same time ready to learn the tricks of the trade with these fast and experienced drivers. I hope to squeeze in, use some of my road course past and find a place here for many, many years.”
“I was very pleased when Ricardo expressed an interest in racing with the World of Outlaws Sprint Series,” said Hartslief.
“I think Ricardo will be a fantastic addition to our line-up at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and a wonderful opportunity for fans at home and abroad to see how a Formula Three star competes among the elite of our Mean 15. It should make for a very exciting weekend of racing.”
The nickname “Matchbox” (Caixa de Fósforos) originates from a combination of Maurício’s diminutive stature, he stands only 5’3″, and his reputation for having a “hot foot.”
The hard-charging style has worked well for the 25-year old native of São Paulo, Brazil.
In 2003, he won the Spanish Formula 3 Championship, claiming six wins and four pole positions in his Racing Engineering Toyota-Dallara. Maurício also won the Brazilian Formula Ford Championship in 1996.
“Welcoming a Brazilian Formula Three driver race to with the World of Outlaws is just part of our efforts to broaden the appeal of sprint car racing,” said Paul A. Kruger, Boundless Chairman and CEO.
“By attracting new international teams we have the potential to increase our audience abroad as well as cross-over to reach fans that follow other types of motorsports.”
Maurício is currently racing with the Brazilian V8 Stock Car Series and serves as an Instructor at the Roberto Marazii Driving School at the legendary Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo as well as the Porsche Advanced Driving School, also in São Paulo.
Based in Norman, Oklahoma, Boundless is a racing and sports entertainment company. Boundless is currently pursuing the acquisition of dirt motor sports racing sanctioning organizations, promotional organizations and racetracks in the United States. “World of Outlaws” is a registered trademark of Boundless.
www.boundlessracing.com
www.dirtmotorsports.com
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