Ave Leads Opening Trans-Am Series Practice at Lime Rock Park

LIME ROCK, July 2, 2010: In the first of two practice sessions for the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series in preparation for Saturday’s race at Lime Rock Park, championship leader Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C., once again got his weekend off to a great start.

Driving the No. 4 Tony Ave Racing/Pro Motor Engines Chevrolet Corvette, Ave lapped Lime Rock’s 1.53-mile “classic” circuit at a blistering 49.936 seconds (110.301 mph). Ave’s lap was quicker than the existing Trans-Am qualifying and race lap records.

Ron Fellows currently holds the qualifying record at 50.169 seconds (109.745 mph), which he set in 1995, while Boris Said owns the race lap record from one year later at 51.431 seconds (107.046 mph). If opening practice was any indication, both records appear to be precarious this weekend, which will be the first Trans-Am race at the historic New England circuit since 2003.

Second quickest in the morning session was Tomy Drissi, of Hollywood, Calif. Drissi posted a best lap at 50.839 seconds (108.342 mph) in his No. 5 Knight and Day Jaguar XKR for RSR. Drissi is the 2009 Trans-Am Series champion and he looks to improve his chances of successfully defending that title with a strong run this weekend.

Posting the third-quickest lap of the session was Simon Gregg, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette. Gregg’s best lap was 51.931 seconds (106.063 mph) on a track where he has previous experience. He competed in the last Trans-Am event at Lime Rock in 2003.

RJ Lopez, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, was fourth in the session at 51.935 seconds (106.055 mph) in the No. 6 Disco 106/ECR Engines/Goodyear Chevrolet Corvette. Lopez looks for his fifth straight podium result of the season. Making his 2010 Trans-Am Series debut this weekend, Glen Jung, of Osteen, Fla., was fifth in the morning practice session. Jung posted a best lap at 54.123 seconds (101.768 mph) in the No. 77 MAZDASPEED/Goodyear Mazda RX-7.

A second 30-minute practice session takes the green flag this afternoon at 3:05 p.m. ET.