Matos in familiar territory

Raphael Matos has been in this position before. In three of the last four years, Matos has claimed a series championship. Now he's aiming to win the Firestone Indy Lights crown.

With three races remaining in the battle for the 2008 Firestone Firehawk Cup, Matos is one of 13 drivers mathematically eligible to win the title. He's just four points behind leader Richard Antinucci.

Matos has had the lead in his grasp in each of the last two race weekends. Following his win in the opening race of the Mid-Ohio doubleheader, Matos held the points lead. He tied Antinucci, who leads with 408 points, after scoring his series-best fourth pole at Kentucky on Aug. 8.

Antinucci has held the points lead after eight of 13 races this season, and hasn't been lower than second. The nephew of 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever Jr., has two wins and leads the series with seven podium finishes. Matos, though, has stayed in close contact with the leaders all season. Matos has three victories – all in the opening race during the road/street course doubleheaders.

Not to be discounted is Dillon Battistini, who has a series-best four wins, and Arie Luyendyk Jr., who climbed to within 57 points of Antinucci at Kentucky.

Both drivers can use past history in their quest to win the title. Jeff Simmons made up 58 points in the last three races on Travis Gregg to take second spot in 2005, while second-place Jonathan Klein made up nearly 40 points over the final three races on eventual champion Jay Howard the following season.