Indy Pro Series Driver Mike Potekhen 
| Mike Potekhen |
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Meet Mike Potekhen, he's the Indy Pro Series 5th ranked driver for 2007 - and... he wears the Debaufre Le Mans watch. Alldaron meeting with Mike at the Miami Homestead Speedway to personally deliver to him his Le Mans watch.  Mike also loves and wears his Debaufre hand-wind Airforce watch in white.  "What a cool guy, totally down to Earth. It was a pleasure talking with his even amidst his hectic race-day schedule. Thanks and I look forward to seeing you race again." - Alldaron   Mike's biography: Mike was born and raised in Silverthorne, Colorado, one of the mountain communities that make up the well-known resort area of Summit County, Colorado. Mike now resides in Tempe, Arizona with his wife of two years, Nicole. At the young age of eleven, Mike began a successful and competitive racing career in Go Karts where he competed in Yamaha Junior Lights. Next came the Pro Yamaha Lights, in which he was the IKAC Colorado Champion in 1995. That summer, he turned 16 and immediately began driving a Formula Ford in SCCA club events. During the 1996 season, Mike raced a 1985 Van Demon and was the Rocky Mountain Regional champion in Formula Ford, the youngest Regional Champion ever. During the 1997 season, Mike moved into the ultra-competitive, Pro Star Mazda Series. At the same time during that year, he also competed in SCCA Regional and National races where he set track records and won races. He was pleased to have an overall sixth place finish in the Pro Star Mazda Series for his rookie season. In the fall of 1997 at the age of 17, Mike was invited to test with ME Motorsports of Devon, England in their Formula Vauxhall winter series. He was invited back to race for the full season, but was unable to find sufficient funding to accept the invitation. Mike continued to race successfully in Pro Star Mazda for the following few seasons. In 2001 Mike competed in the U.S. Formula Ford 2000 Championship. Mike contested the championship as the driver for PDR Racing (Performance Development Racing), managed by Steve Wolf. The season included two wins, one track record, and a win at the June sprints including a new qualifying track record. Mike ended the season seventh in the points in spite of missing the first three races while the team was still preparing to enter the series. In addition to competing in the USFF2000 Series, Mike was nominated for the coveted “Team USA Scholarship”. Although Mike was not chosen to go to New Zeeland, he felt very honored to have been nominated. After a disappointing lack of racing in 2002 due to insufficient racing funds, Mike was back behind the wheel with Eurosports Racing of Denver in a Star Mazda Racecar. As both a team driver and coach to the other team members, Mike finished on the podium 4 times during the season and completed the series in fifth place for the championship. In 2004, Mike was excited to be racing the fully redesigned Pro Formula Mazda, where the teams were all faced with a new series and a new car. Mike answered the challenge with a very productive year that brought him a win in Portland, one of only two drivers to beat the factory team, and a fourth place finish in the championship. 2006 brought Mike a season of driving and coaching in the Pro Formula Mazda Series, for the new team of Apex Racing. Mike finished the season in fourth in points with two wins; and 6 podium finishes. 2007 Mike also competed in the Indy Pro Series and ranked 5th for overall points.  (notice the 5th place name) Purchase your Debaufre Le Mans watch. This is a short 20 second clip from the Motor Speedway. (Quicktime required) 
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