As the defending champion of the Champ Car Atlantics series, Matos would have had financial help to the tune of a guaranteed $2 million if he had opted to search for a ride in CCWS for the upcomming season. By "switching sides" and going to the IRL's minor leagues instead, he foregoes any such help.

Nonetheless, Matos is confident that he has made the right decision. "I'm very honored to be part of the Andretti Green family," Matos said. "I feel that there are a lot of opportunities available by being associated with Andretti Green. Obviously, I can't thank Michael (Andretti), Kim (Green), Kevin (Savoree) and Gary (Peterson) enough for giving me the opportunity in the AFS car. The team has such great people and I am truly looking forward to being a part of its winning tradition."

Raphael has prior experince in the Indy Pro Series. In 2006 he drove in four road course events, winning both of the races held during the IndyPro/IRL weekend in St. Petersburg, FL. While it may take some time for him to get acclimated to driving on ovals, team co-owner Michael Andretti is nonetheless very excited to have him on board, commenting; "We couldn't be happier to have a driver as talented and capable as Raphael Matos join our Indy Pro Series driving lineup."

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

• Think you know your sport? Click here to try the Sportnetwork Prize Quizzes