No. 42 Acura TSX of Mid-Ohio polesitter Peter Cunningham
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 19, 2008) – Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., went more than two seasons without a pole position, but he took his second SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car pole in-a-row Saturday in preparation for Sunday’s Round Seven race, part of the Acura Sports Car Challenge/Honda Indy 200 weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Teammate Kuno Wittmer, of Montreal , will start second.
Driving the No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX, Cunningham turned a fastest time of 1:33.301 (87.124 mph) around the 2.258-mile circuit to lead the field. It was Cunningham’s 32nd-career pole position, drawing within one of record-holder, and teammate, Pierre Kleinubing’s current mark of 33.
“I had an awesome draft,” Cunningham said. “I gapped it right and the Acuras are hooked up. We love this place. I was surprised at what the lap time was, but I knew it had to be a pretty good lap. I got a sense that I had caught Pierre and Kuno just a little bit, so when I heard the running order it was like ‘okay, cool.’”
After watching Mazdas pace Friday’s practice, Wittmer made it an all-Acura front row in his No. 44 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX with a fast lap of 1:33.568 (86.876 mph).
“I think that the strength [of the RealTime Acuras] are that we have a very consistent car,” Cunningham added. “I think we can have a good car at the end of the race. Our weakness is the straightaway. It’s all very close, but we’re just a little bit lacking in that department.”
Mazdas will occupy the second row, with Cleveland native Jason Saini missing the second spot by just 0.003-second in his No. 74 Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/Racinghart MAZDA6 with a lap of 1:33.571 (86.873 mph). Chip Herr, of Lititz , Pa. , who was fastest in practice in the No. 97 Mazdaspeed/Tindol Motorsports MAZDA6, will start fourth after turning a fast time of 1:33.658 (86.792 mph).
Dino Crescentini, of Manhattan Beach , Calif. , completed the top five with his best qualifying effort since moving to RealTime Racing, with a 1:33.695 (86.758 mph) in the No. 46 Acura/RealTime/Eibach/Red Line Acura TSX.
Charles Espenlaub (MAZDA6), Jim Daniels (MAZDA6), Michael Galati (MAZDA6), point leader Pierre Kleinubing (Acura TSX) and James Clay (BMW 325i) completed the top 10. The top 13 cars were all within one second of the pole position time.
Sunday’s Round Seven race for the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship will make its standing start at 9:15 a.m. (EST) Sunday morning. Live lap notes and timing are available during the event through the SCCA Pit Board at www.world-challenge.com. The race will be broadcast Thursday, July 24 at 12 p.m. (EST) on SPEED.
Qualifying Appeal and Times
LEXINGTON, Ohio (July 19, 2008) – SCCA Pro Racing announced today the revision and finalization of its SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car results from Watkins Glen International, June 8.
After an appeal of the final results by Tri-Point Motorsports, the fourth and fifth finishing positions were reversed, placing Charles Espenlaub fourth and Chip Herr fifth.
The cars crossed the finish line in that order while under yellow, but it was later ruled by SCCA Pro Racing that Espenlaub had gained the position after the race-ending full course caution was deployed. A Court of Appeals was convened to hear Tri-Point Motorsports’ (Espenlaub’s entrant) appeal and ruled that, while a full-course caution may have been called for in race control and over the series’ operational radio network, there was no evidence that yellow flags were deployed on the circuit until after the pass had occurred.
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Revised, final results from the 16-lap, 54.4-mile SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship Round Six race, held June 8 at Watkins Glen International, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out (if any).
1. (3), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, MAZDA6, 16.
2. (1), Peter Cunningham, Milwaukee, Wis., Acura TSX, 16, -3.064.
3. (2), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, 16, -5.006.
4. (9), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., MAZDA6, 16, -7.075.
5. (5), Chip Herr, Lititz , Pa. , MAZDA6, 16, -9.832.
6. (8), Dino Crescentini , Mahattan Beach, Calif., Acura TSX, 16, -12.998.
7. (14), Byron Smith, Salt lake City , Utah , BMW 330i, 16, -16.331.
8. (12), Charlie Putman, Mills, Wyo. , MAZDA6, 16, -18.210.
9. (4), Kuno Wittmer, Montreal , Quebec , Acura TSX, 15, -1 lap.
10. (7), Jason Saini (R), Fort Worth , Texas , MAZDA6, 15, -1 lp.
11. (10), Jim Daniels(R), Germantown , Tenn. , MAZDA6, 8, Crash.
12. (11), James Clay, Blacksburg , Va. , BMW 325i, 8, Crash.
13. (13), Nick Esayian, San Diego , Calif. , BMW 325i, 8, Crash.
14. (6), Seth Thomas , Cumming , Ga. , BMW 325i, 8, Crash.
15. (15), Payton Wilson, Chantilly , Va. , Dodge SRT-4, 2, Mech.
16. (16), Patrick Lindsey(R), Santa Barbara , Calif. , Acura RSX, 1, Withdrawn.
Time of race: 54 minutes, 04.619 seconds.
Average speed: 60.358 mph
Margin of victory: 3.064 Seconds
Lap leaders: Laps 1-6, #42 Peter Cunningham; laps 7-16, #95 Michael Galati
Fastest race lap: #97 Chip Herr, 2:07.560 (95.954 mph)
Fastest qualifier: #42 Peter Cunningham, 2:05.885 (97.231 mph)