# 2008 Star Mazda Championship

The 2008 Star Mazda Championship was a season of the open wheel racing series the Star Mazda Championship. It consisted of a 12-race schedule beginning in March and ending in October, with only the best eleven race results counting towards the championship. As with 2007, the series featured races exclusively on road and street courses. In addition to the main championship that is typically tested by young, developing drivers, there were also additional class titles for older drivers.
John Edwards won the championship ahead of Joel Miller and Peter Dempsey despite missing the first round of the championship. Edwards won four races, the same as Dempsey, but Dempsey had three finishes of 20th or worse, one of which counted in his points total, while Edwards worst points-scoring finish was 4th. Miller won only once, in the season opener. Noted British drivers Charles Hall and Tom Gladdis also participated in the series and finished fifth and sixth in points, respectively. Each won a single race. British driver Richard Kent won the final race of the season in his series debut, despite not being registered for the championship. Notable international female drivers Natalia Kowalska and Michele Bumgarner also competed in the series despite not being registered for the championship.
Chris Cumming won the Expert class for drivers 30 and older and Chuck Hulse won the Masters class championship for drivers 40 and older.

## Race calendar and results

| Round | Circuit | Location | Date | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver | Winning team | Supporting |
| 1 | Sebring International Raceway | Sebring, Florida | March 14 | Joel Miller | Tom Gladdis | Joel Miller | JDC MotorSports | American Le Mans Series |
| 2 | Miller Motorsports Park | Tooele, Utah | May 17 | John Edwards | John Edwards | John Edwards | AIM Autosport | American Le Mans Series |
| 3 | Watkins Glen International | Watkins Glen, New York | June 7 | Alex Ardoin | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | Andersen Racing | Grand Am Rolex Sports Cars |
| 4 | Portland International Raceway | Portland, Oregon | July 26 | Tom Gladdis | Tom Gladdis | Tom Gladdis | Andersen Racing | stand-alone |
| 5 | Portland International Raceway | Portland, Oregon | July 27 | Tom Gladdis | Tom Gladdis | John Edwards | AIM Autosport | stand-alone |
| 6 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | August 9 | John Edwards | Peter Dempsey | Peter Dempsey | Andersen Racing | American Le Mans Series |
| 7 | Circuit Trois-Rivières | Trois-Rivières, Quebec | August 17 | Peter Dempsey | Peter Dempsey | Peter Dempsey | Andersen Racing | stand-alone |
| 8 | Mosport International Raceway | Bowmanville, Ontario | August 23 | John Edwards | Peter Dempsey | Peter Dempsey | Andersen Racing | American Le Mans Series |
| 9 | New Jersey Motorsports Park | Millville, New Jersey | September 13 | Joel Miller | John Edwards | John Edwards | AIM Autosport | stand-alone |
| 10 | New Jersey Motorsports Park | Millville, New Jersey | September 14 | John Edwards | Peter Dempsey | Peter Dempsey | Andersen Racing | stand-alone |
| 11 | Road Atlanta | Braselton, Georgia | October 3 | Peter Dempsey | Peter Dempsey | John Edwards | AIM Autosport | American Le Mans Series |
| 12 | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Monterey, California | October 18 | Peter Dempsey | | Richard Kent | Andersen Racing | American Le Mans Series |

## Championship standings
### Driver's

| Pos | Driver | SEB | SLC | WGL | POR | POR | ROA | TRO | MOS | NJ | NJ | ATL | LAG | Points |
| Overall |||||||||||||||
| 1 | John Edwards | | 1 | 6 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 422 |
| 2 | Joel Miller | 1 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 3 | 19 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 406 |
| 3 | Peter Dempsey | 3 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 3 | 398 |
| 4 | Alex Ardoin | 4 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 23 | 2 | 18 | 5 | 365 |
| 5 | Charles Hall | 2 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 22 | | 342 |
| 6 | Tom Gladdis | 5 | 5 | | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 8 | | 334 |
| 7 | Billy Goshen | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 324 |
| 8 | Caio Lara | 12 | 28 | 22 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 286 |
| 9 | Kristy Kester | 8 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 12 | 7 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 284 |
| 10 | Taylor Hacquard | 9 | 6 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 10 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 20 | 281 |
| 11 | Scott Rettich | 14 | 24 | 15 | 23 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 22 | 269 |
| 12 | Chris Cumming | 17 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 10 | 17 | 21 | 259 |
| 13 | Jeffery Kester | 16 | 25 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 20 | 19 | 259 |
| 14 | Chuck Hulse | 18 | 26 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 259 |
| 15 | Ernesto Otero | 26 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 23 | | | 243 |
| 16 | J. W. Roberts | 21 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 230 |
| 17 | Rusty Mitchell | | | | 19 | 13 | 21 | 20 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 203 |
| 18 | Gerry Kraut | 19 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 28 | 12 | | 15 | | | 11 | 24 | 192 |
| 19 | Rick Rosin | 20 | 14 | 10 | | | | | | 15 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 176 |
| 20 | Phil Fogg, Jr. | | 11 | | 14 | 14 | | 16 | 18 | | | | 13 | 135 |
| 21 | Michael Guasch | | 29 | | 11 | 22 | | | | 17 | 19 | | 16 | 106 |
| 22 | Richard Zober | | 22 | 16 | | | 17 | | | 22 | 17 | | | 99 |
| 23 | Mike Hill | 13 | 9 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | 79 |
| 24 | Eric Freiberg | 11 | 7 | 21 | | | | | | | | | | 71 |
| 25 | Chris Hundley | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | 18 | 45 |
| 26 | Nick Haye | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 30 |
| 27 | John Zartarian | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 29 |
| 28 | Juliana González | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | | 21 |
| 29 | Carlos Conde | | | | | | | | 17 | | | | | 20 |
| 30 | Cody Jolly | | 27 | | | | | | | | | | | 14 |
| 30 | Keith Young | 22 | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 |
| 32 | Dan Tomlin, III | 23 | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 |
| 33 | Dan Tomlin, Jr. | 24 | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| 34 | Yannick Hoffman | 25 | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 |
| Expert class |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Chris Cumming | 17 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 21 | 10 | 17 | 21 | 188 |
| 2 | J. W. Roberts | 21 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 14 | 14 | 166 |
| 3 | Phil Fogg, Jr. | | 11 | | 14 | 14 | | 16 | 18 | | | | 13 | 100 |
| 4 | Richard Zober | | 22 | 16 | | | 17 | | | 22 | 17 | | | 74 |
| 5 | Dan Tomlin, III | 23 | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 |
| Masters class |||||||||||||||
| 1 | Chuck Hulse | 18 | 26 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 192 |
| 2 | Gerry Kraut | 19 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 28 | 12 | | 15 | | | 11 | 24 | 150 |
| 3 | Michael Guasch | | 29 | | 11 | 22 | | | | 17 | 19 | | 16 | 84 |
| 4 | Chris Hundley | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | 18 | 28 |
| 5 | Carlos Conde | | | | | | | | 18 | | | | | 14 |
| 5 | Keith Young | 22 | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 |
| 6 | Dan Tomlin, Jr. | 24 | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 |
| Unregistered drivers |||||||||||||||
| | Richard Kent | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | |
| | Valle Mäkelä | | | | | | | | | 4 | 7 | 21 | | |
| | Kyle Marcelli | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | |
| | Patrick O'Neill | | 16 | | 7 | 17 | | | | 18 | 21 | | 15 | |
| | Jonny Baker | | 12 | 9 | | | | | | | | | 23 | |
| | Court Vernon | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | |
| | Natalia Kowalska | | | 12 | 30 | 29 | 13 | 13 | 10 | | | | | |
| | Kevin Toledo | | | | | | | | | 10 | 20 | | | |
| | Bobby Caldwell | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | |
| | Ron White | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | |
| | Michele Bumgarner | 27 | 20 | 19 | 27 | 15 | | | | | | | | |
| | David House | | 23 | | 15 | 21 | | | | | | | 25 | |
| | Bob Kaminsky | | | | | | 15 | | | | | | | |
| | Frank McCormick | | | | 17 | 24 | | | | | | | 17 | |
| | Dave Mundy | | | | 21 | | 18 | | | | | | | |
| | Michael Gesser | | | | 18 | 25 | | | | | | | | |
| | Stan Kohls | | 21 | | 20 | 19 | | | | | | | | |
| | Brian Johnson | | | | 25 | 23 | | | | | | | | |
| | Jason Vinkemulder | | | | | | 23 | | | | | | | |
| | Pedro Serramalera | | | | 28 | 26 | | | | | | | | |
| Color | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | 4th & 5th place |
| Light Blue | 6th–10th place |
| Dark Blue | Finished (Outside Top 10) |
| Purple | Did not finish |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Brown | Withdrawn (Wth) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| Blank | Did not participate (DNP) |
| Blank | Not competing |
In-line notation :
| Bold | Pole position (1 point) |
| Italics | Ran fastest race lap |
Note: Expert and Masters classes have different point system than the overall championship.