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Matos Captures Lights Duel 1

WATKINS GLEN, July 5 – Rafael Matos dominated the Firestone Indy Lights Corning Duel 1, winning the 29-lap race around the 3.4-mile Watkins Glen International road course. The Brazilian had a 2.1 second advantage when the checkered flag dropped.

The victor, who scored his fourth career victory, drove the Automatic Fire Sprinklers Inc. fielded by Andretti Green Racing.

“It was an important victory for us, as we recovered in the championship points,” he said. “We were expecting big things in this race. I had a plan and stuck with it, saving my tires for the end. My plan worked out well.”

Second and third place finishers were Richard Antinucci and Jeff Simmons. The pair ran second and third throughout the first of two Corning Duels.

“It was a good day for us,” Matos commented. “Rafael (Matos) pulled away from us but I may have had the fastest car toward the end. But I did get caught in lapped traffic late in the race.”

Simmons accepted third place but had hoped for a higher finish. “We were disappointed not getting a better finish,” the Connecticut native said. “To be honest, I didn’t get the most out of our car.”

Ana Beatriz finished fourth for her fourth top-five finish of the year.

Pablo Donoso took fifth place.

Sixth through tenth places went to Logan Gomez, Arie Luyendyk Jr., Daniel Herrington, Cyndie Allemann and Jonny Reid.

Fourteen cars finished on the lead lap and five of the 21 starters were not running at the end. Three caution flags consumed eight laps.

Fast qualifier Franck Perera led the first lap but spun out on the second go-around. “I just the rear-end. I don’t know what happened,” he said.

In a separate incident, Bobby Wilson and J. R. Hildebrand were also eliminated from the race.

Dillon Battistini also crashed out of the race.

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