Curran Leads Strong RealTime Effort in SCCA SPEED Touring Car Practice at Sebring

 

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2006) - Eric Curran, of Hampton, Mass., swept
both SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Round One
practice sessions Wednesday at Sebring International Raceway, and led a
practice 1-2-3 sweep for RealTime Racing as his teammates Peter
Cunningham, of Grafton, Wis., and Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Beach,
Fla., finished with the day's second and third best times, respectively.

 

In the No. 43 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles/RealTime Acura RSX,
Curran took the morning session with a 2:21.050 (94.434 mph) and then
topped the warmer afternoon's session with a 2:21.158 (94.362 mph).
Both times were under the current SPEED Touring Car qualifying record of
2:23.199, which Bill Auberlen set in 2004.  

 

That mark appears likely to fall Thursday as the top 15 SPEED Touring
Car drivers were under that time in combined practice.

 

Curran said that his quick times may have been the result of having a
year of experience with his car and his team.

 

"The comfort level is very high for me right now.  I'm feeling very good
about this place," Curran said.  "It is nice to have a year in the car
and then come back at it again.  I'm in a different position than I was
last year.  

 

"It's absolutely important," Curran said when asked what the good start
to the weekend, and the season meant. "Obviously, (team owner) Peter
Cunningham over here is happy to see me up there.  And it is fun to be
up there with him and Pierre and my great teammates.  Yes, we have big
goals for this year."

 

Though not slow in the first session as he was fifth in his No. 1 Acura
Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles/RealTime Acura TSX with a 2:21.635,
Cunningham turned up the wick in the second 20-min. practice, dropping
his time down to a 2:21.061 (94.427 mph) - just 0.011-sec. off of
Curran's pace. 

 

Kleinubing was behind Curran to start the afternoon, but fell to third
even though he also improved his time from a 2:21.083 (94.412 mph) -
only 0.022-sec. behind Cunningham.

 

Auberlen, of Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., held several spots in the
top five, including the top spot briefly, between the two sessions
before settling for fourth in his No. 2 Turner Motorsports/H&R Springs
BMW 325i with a 2:21.410 (94.194 mph).

 

Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., was fifth with a 2:21.478 (94.149 mph)
in the No. 73 Mazdaspeed/Tri-Point Motorsport Mazda 6.

 

SPEED Touring Car qualifying from Sebring International Raceway is set
for 11:05 a.m. Thursday.  Friday's race, part of the 54th Annual Mobil 1
12 Hours of Sebring, is scheduled for 11:25 a.m.  

 

To follow qualifying and the race with live timing and scoring, live
notes and post-event news coverage, visit www.world-challenge.com
<http://www.world-challenge.com/> .

 

-30-

 

SEBRING, Florida - Combined practice results for Friday's SCCA Pro
Racing SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE Touring Car Championship Round One race,
part of the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring weekend at Sebring International
Raceway, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown,
car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

 

1, (43), Eric Curran, E. Hampton, Mass., Acura RSX, 2:21.050, 94.434.

2, (1), Peter Cunningham, Grafton, Wis., Acura TSX, 2:21.061, 94.427.

3, (42), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, 2:21.083,
94.412.

4, (2), Bill Auberlen, Rolling Hills Est., Calif., BMW 325i, 2:21.410,
94.194.

5, (73), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Mazda 6, 2:21.478, 94.149.

6, (97), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., Mazda 6, 2:21.661, 94.027.

7, (72), Jeff Altenburg, Ellicott City, Md., Mazda 6, 2:21.842, 93.907.

8, (38), Seth Thomas, Cumming, Ga., BMW 325i, 2:22.501, 93.473.

9, (99), Jeff Courtney(R), Slinger, Wis., Audi A4, 2:22.569, 93.428.

10, (06), Kumo Wittmer, Montreal QB,   , Mercedes-Benz C230, 2:22.654,
93.372.

11, (20), Brandon Davis, Denver, Colo., Acura TSX, 2:22.693, 93.347.

12, (36), James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i, 2:22.722, 93.328.

13, (74), Dino Crescentini, Malibu, Calif., Mazda 6, 2:22.724, 93.327.

14, (34), Nick Esayian, Encinitas, Calif., Acura RSX, 2:22.736, 93.319.

15, (18), Freddy Baker, Bedford, Ohio, Audi A4T, 2:22.874, 93.229.

16, (21), Seth Neiman, Woodside, Calif., BMW 325Ci, 2:23.761, 92.653.

17, (17), Chip Herr, Lititz, Pa., Audi A4T, 2:23.773, 92.646.

18, (96), Charlie Putman, Mills, Wyo., Mazda 6, 2:24.369, 92.263.

19, (24), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., BMW 325Ci, 2:24.727, 92.035.

20, (83), Karl Poeltl(R), Knoxville, Tenn., BMW 325i, 2:25.155, 91.764.

21, (66), Dan Aweida(R), Boulder, Colo., Dodge SRT-4, 2:25.487, 91.554.

22, (16), Phil Parlato, Commack, N.Y., BMW 325i, 2:25.909, 91.289.

23, (25), Christian Miller(R), Newark, Calif., Volkswagen Jetta,
2:26.035, 91.211.

24, (37), Paul Goldman(R), Menlo Park, Calif., BMW 325i, 2:27.330,
90.409.

25, (94), Mary Katharine(R), Delray Beach, Fla., Mazda Protege,
2:27.538, 90.281.

26, (67), Robb Holland(R), Denver, Colo., Ford Focus, 2:28.087, 89.947.

27, (07), Joe Safina, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Mercedes-Benz C230,
2:28.352, 89.786.

28, (26), Michael Flynn, Orlando, Fla., Subaru WRX, 2:28.637, 89.614.

29, (13), Brian Smith(R), Simpsonville, S.C., Dodge SRT-4, 2:28.941,
89.431.

30, (12), Justin Hall(R), Davis, Calif., BMW 325Ci, 2:31.754, 87.773.

31, (22), Hugh Stewart, Massapequa, N.Y., Dodge SRT-4, 3:13.655, 68.782.

32, (11), Jon Prall, Los Gatos, Calif., BMW 325Ci, 3:44.664, 59.288.

33, (6), Lance Stewart, Coconut Grove, Fla., Mazda 6, 3:53.118, 57.138.

34, (14), Billy Revis, Clemmons, N.C., BMW 325, no time.

35, (35), Hal Brown(R), Blacksburg, Va., Dodge SRT4, no time.