Leading the entire way from the pole, Team Pelfrey racer Connor De Phillippi won his fourth race of the season driving the No. 11 Team Pelfrey / Justice Brothers Products / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda in the 2011 Star Mazda Championship season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. JCD Motorsports driver Tristan Vautier, who led the championship since the first of his four victories at Barber Motorsports Park, finished fifth in the No. 5 JDC Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda, scoring enough points to win the 2011 championship and the Mazda Road to Indy scholarship to race in the 2012 Indy Lights series.
"It was a great season for me and I have to thank Mazda, the JDC team who worked so hard every race to give me the best car and all my sponsors and supporters who got me to where I am today," said Vautier. "We didn't have the car to win today, those guys up front were in a class of their own, but we are all very happy to have had such a consistent season and to win the Star Mazda championship for the third time for JDC Motorsports," added the frenchman. "I'm really looking forward to my first Indy Lights test, and to competing in the series next year on the Mazda Road to Indy."
With his victory, De Phillippi secured second in the championship while his teammate, Nick Andries, started from the outside of the front row and finished second, clinching the third spot in the championship. Rounding out the top-3 was remarkable newcomer Zach Veach, a top competitor in the USF2000 Championship making only his second start in the Star Mazda Championship. And in one of the best drives of the race, and of his Star Mazda career so far, Team GDT driver Patrick McKenna raced his way up from ninth on the starting grid to finish fourth.
The top-finishing driver in the Expert Series for racers 30 and older was Team GDT owner/driver J.W. Roberts, who secured his second Expert Series championship in a row with his fifth 1st-in class (13th overall) finish.