Bomarito joins Genoa for Long Beach

Jonathan Bomarito

First rumored by AutoRacing1.com Thursday, Genoa announced Friday the signing of 2008 Atlantic Championship runner-up Jonathan Bomarito from Monterrey, California; with the support of Ray and Leslie Mathiasen, Mathiasen Motorsports and RLM Investments, to drive Genoa’s #63 Firestone® Indy Lights™ car for the Long Beach Grand Prix. After leading last season’s Long Beach Grand Prix from the pole and experiencing mechanical difficulties late in the race, Jonathan finished 5th (Genoa finished 2nd). Jonathan finished 2nd at Long Beach in 2007.

Joining teammate Richard Philippe in the #36 Funkemotions.com car, Jonathan is a proven winner, with 3 wins and 3 poles in Atlantics in 2008 and finished a strong runner up in the final championship standings. He also had a win in Atlantics in each of 2007 and 2006 seasons.

Jonathan stated:
“It is very exciting to join Genoa for the Long Beach Grand Prix. We’ve been following them very closely through the off-season, and they’ve been fast everywhere – on road courses and on ovals. It’s going to be great to be able to work with Thomas [Knapp] and Luis and the rest of the Genoa team. Obviously, with our combined experience here and with a talented teammate like Richard, the expectations are sky high."

Mark Olson stated:
“It’s a great pleasure working with professionals like Ray, Leslie, and Jonathan. We welcome them to the Firestone Indy Lights series with open arms and great expectations. Jonathan’s experience at Long Beach is going to be very helpful, and we know the 63 car is fast. There are two practice sessions, so we’re just going to go out there, get Jonathan up to speed as quickly as possible, and put forth a great effort in qualifying and in the race. It should be an exciting show for everyone."