Ave Paces Cold Trans-Am Series Practice At Miller Motorsport Park

TOOELE, April 29, 2011: Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C., top the speed chart in this morning’s Round Two SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series practice session at Miller Motorsports Park, part of the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Grand Prix of Utah. Carlos de Quesada, of Miami, Fla., was second fastest.

Under overcast skies and temperatures near 40 degrees, Ave turned the top time with a 1:49.016 (100.653 mph) in the No. 4 Lamers Racing/McMahon Group/Optech/PME Engines Chevrolet Corvette. Ave is the defending race winner from a year ago.

Trans-Am Series rookie de Quesada was second fastest in the No. 22 Allegra Motorsports/Vitalz Jaguar XKR with a 1:49.737 (99.991 mph). De Quesada is a former Rolex 24 At Daytona class winner and looks to capture his first Trans-Am Series podium finish this weekend.

Driving the No. 6 Disco 106/ECR Engines/Goodyear Chevrolet Corvette, RJ Lopez, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had the third quickest time with a 1:49.998 (99.754 mph). Lopez is coming off a win at Sebring and hopes to make it two-in-a-row.

Kyle Kelley, of Spring Hill, Calif., was fourth with a 1:50.074 (99.685 mph), followed by Doug Peterson, of Rochester Hills, Mich., with a 1:50.190 (99.580 mph).

Gregg Rogers, of Southlake, Texas, led the Trans-Am 2 (TA2) class with a top time of 2:01.864 (90.041 mph).

SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am series practice continues today at 2:15 p.m. (MDT). It will be a 30-minute practice session. Qualifying is set for 8 a.m. (MDT) Saturday, April 30. Sunday’s Round Two 33-lap, 100-mile race will begin at 2 p.m. (MDT).