SCCA: Sapp earns Superchips Pole for Texas Speedvision Touring Car

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

FORT WORTH, Texas - Neal Sapp, of Ellicott City, Md., topped a thrilling SCCA Pro Racing Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car Championship qualifying session to take the Leather Centers Grand Prix of Texas Superchips pole for Sunday's season opener. Defending series Champion Pierre Kleinubing, of Brazil, was second, followed by Alfred duPont, of Kennett Square, Pa.

Driving the No. 55 duPont Motorsport/ERT BMW 328is, Sapp set a lap of 1:40.437 (83.300 mph) with under two minutes remaining to take his second-career pole. Four drivers-Sapp, Kleinubing, duPont and Steve Pfeffer-topped the session in its final 10 minutes.

"DuPont Motor sports builds fast cars and really gives me a chance to win races, this pole is a start in the right direction for us," said 2000 Speedvision Touring Car Rookie of the Year Sapp. "I really didn't know where we were in the standings out there because of some radio communications problems during the session. When I finally found out that I was close to the pole, I just really dug down and ended up taking it on the second to last lap.."

Kleinubing, driving the No. 1 RealTime Racing Acura Integra R, was just 0.072-second behind, with a lap of 1:40.509, followed by Alfred duPont's No. 51 duPont Motorsport/ERT BMW.

Pfeffer, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Terry McCarthy, of Mountain View, Calif., completed the top-five.

Starting lineup for Sunday's SCCA Pro Racing Speedvision Touring Car Championship Round One Race, part of the Leather Center Grand Prix of Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, with starting position, car number in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car, fastest time and speed in miles per hour.

1. (55), Neal Sapp, Ellicott City, Md., BMW 328is, 1:40.437, 83.299.
2. (1), Pierre Kleinubing, Erexim, Brazil, Acura Integra R, 1:40.509, 83.240.
3. (51), Alfred duPont, Kennett Square, Pa., BMW 328is, 1:40.697, 83.084.
4. (26), Steve Pfeffer, Scottsdale, Ariz., BMW 328is, 1:41.023, 82.816.
5. (23), Terry McCarthy, Mountain View, Calif., BMW 328is, 1:41.958, 82.057.
6. (94), Don Salama, Avon, Conn., BMW 328is, 1:42.101, 81.942.
7. (2), David Leslie(R), Scotland, Mazda 626, 1:42.103, 81.940.
8. (43), Hugh Plumb, Chadds Ford, Pa., Acura Integra R, 1:42.352, 81.741.
9. (25), Ed Schairbaum, Fort Worth, Texas, Nissan 240 SX, 1:42.547, 81.586.
10. (8), Taz Harvey, Danville, Calif., Acura Integra R, 1:42.730, 81.440.
11. (44), Mike Fitzgerald, Phoenix, Ariz., Acura Integra R, 1:42.866, 81.332.
12. (92), Will Turner, Newburyport, Mass., BMW 328is, 1:42.881, 81.321.
13. (88), Roger Foo(R), Hayward, Calif., Honda Civic Si, 1:43.098, 81.149.
14. (3), Kevin Schrantz, Bolder, Colo., Mazda 626, 1:43.269, 81.015.
15. (7), Ken Dobson, Carmel Valley, Calif., BMW 328Ci, 1:43.377, 80.930.
16. (95), Drew Hagestad, Irving, Texas, VW Jetta, 1:43.718, 80.664.
17. (07), Mike Buzzetti, Paso Robles, Calif., Acura Integra R, 1:43.754, 80.636.
18. (02), Walter Markes Jr, Bronx, N.Y., BMW 328i, 1:43.919, 80.508.
19. (54), Rob Hines(R), Arlington, Va., BMW 328is, 1:44.114, 80.358.
20. (40), Paul Bonaccorsi(R), Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Mazda Protege, 1:44.458, 80.093.
21. (4), Shauna Marinus, Folsom, Calif., BMW 328is, 1:44.693, 79.913.
22. (38), John Green, Roseville, Calif., Acura Integra, 1:44.892, 79.762.
23. (04), David Wall(R), Carmel Valley, Calif., BMW 328i, 1:45.115, 79.592.
24. (46), Carlos Steyer(R), Chadds Ford, Pa., Acura Integra R, 1:45.654, 79.186.
25. (01), Manny Matz, Somers, N.Y., BMW 328is, 1:45.891, 79.009.
26. (31), Mark Hein(R), Clearwater, Fla., Acura Integra, 1:45.934, 78.977.
27. (77), Paul Lambert(R), Los Gatos, Calif., Audi A4 Quattro, 1:50.126, 75.971.
28. (45), Fred Meyer, Dallas, Texas, Acura Integra R, 1:50.478, 75.729.
29. (62), Peter Bovenberg(R), Campbell, Calif., Honda Civic Si, 2:01.899, 68.633.
30. (33), Nick Vitucci(R), Bronx, N.Y., Acura Integra R, 4:57.448, 28.127.
31. (50), Jeff Littel, Wilmington, Del., BMW 328is, no time.
32. (53), Paul Orwicz(R), Stamford, Conn., BMW 328is, no time.

Text Provided By Eric Prill

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