Pro Racing - Tony Ave Tops Time Charts In Opening Trans-Am Practice At Mosport

BOWMANVILLE, May 20, 2011: Defending SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series champion Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C., needed just three laps in Friday’s opening practice session to comfortably top the time charts in preparation for Sunday’s fourth round of the 2011 Trans-Am season at Mosport International Speedway.

Ave posted a best lap at 1:17.785 (113.806 mph) in the No. 4 Lamers Racing/Beebe Racing/Optech/PME Chevrolet Corvette. His lap was more than three seconds quicker than his next closest competitor, local racer Blaise Csida, which Ave could attribute in part to his affinity for circuits like the 2.459-mile layout at Mosport.

“It’s my kind of place,” Ave said. “It’s really fast and has a lot of blind turns. I’m looking forward to the race. We were just working on some things for qualifying Sunday morning, so that’s why we just made a short run. Now, we’re just going to work on some race setup stuff for tomorrow.”

In addition to Friday’s opening practice session, Ave also ran a few laps during the promoter test day at Mosport on Thursday. He has obviously found a quick way around the circuit, as evidenced by his performance, and he provided a glimpse into what seems to work at the historic Canadian circuit.

“You have to have a really stable car in the long sweepers so that you can stay on the throttle early in Turn 2, Turn 4 and Turn 8 at the end of the straightaways,” he said. “Those seem to be the keys for me, anyway.”

Csida, who hails from nearby Stouffville, Ontario, posted the second quickest time of the session in the No. 07 Gateway Racing Inc. Chevrolet Corvette. Csida’s best lap was a 1:20.882 (109.448 mph).

Amy Ruman, of Kent, Ohio, was third fastest on Friday in the No. 23 McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette at 1:21.256 (108.944 mph), followed by Daniel Ramoutarsingh, of La Romain, Trinidad, in fourth with a lap at 1:22.230 (107.654 mph) aboard the No. 18 Trinrico Steel & Wire Products Jaguar XKR. Simon Gregg, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., was fifth in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette at 1:22.382 (107.455 mph).

Bob Stretch, of Arlington, Texas, was quickest in Trans-Am 2 (TA2) practice with a lap at 1:27.331 (101.366 mph).