Fellows, Cunningham and Meyer Quickest In World Challenge Practice at Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, July 2, 2010: Ron Fellows, of Mississauga, Ontario, topped a pair of Friday morning World Challenge Championships practices at Watkins Glen International in preparation for the World Challenge Grand Prix of Watkins Glen presented by Sunoco. Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., and Eric Meyer, of Indianapolis, Ind., led the GTS and Touring Car classes, respectively.

The three class-leading drivers each topped the charts in both morning sessions.

Fellows, who captured the GT-class win in Round Five at his home track of Mosport, topped both the class and overall time charts with a best time of 1:54.845 (106.578 mph) in the first of the two morning sessions. The No. 2 Carlisle Companies/Cragar Chevrolet Corvette was just 0.055-second slower in the second of two practice sessions at the 11-turn, 3.4-mile circuit.

Following Fellows on the combined charts was Kuno Wittmer in the No. 13 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Viper. Wittmer’s best time was a 1:55.514 (105.961 mph) in the first session.

In the second session, Wittmer ran off course in turn six at the entrance to “The Boot” and into the tire barriers, damaging his Viper. With not enough time to repair the car before this afternoon’s qualifying and Wittmer second in the Drivers’ Championship, the Montreal-native will move into what was teammate Jeff Courtney’s No. 99 Kenda Tire Dodge Viper, now numbered as the No. 13 for the weekend.

Patrick Lindsey, of Santa Barbara, Calif., was third in combined practice after a best lap of 1:55.784 (105.714 mph) in the latter of the morning sessions. Lindsey’s No. 57 Horton/Sloan Securities Porsche 911 GT3 was the lone car in the top-five of the GT class to turn his fast lap in the later session.

With a pair of Volvo S60s taking the fourth and fifth spots on the time sheets, the GT class had four different manufacturers in the top four in practice. K-Pax Racing teammates Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim posted times of 1:56.076 (105.448 mph) and 1:56.370 (105.181 mph), respectively, in the opening session.

Cunningham led the GTS field with a best time of 2:05.767 (97.322 mph), posted in the first session in his No. 43 Acura/RealTime Racing Acura TSX. His best lap topped the charts ahead of teammate Nick Esayian in the No. 34 Acura/RealTime Racing. Esayian’s top time was a 2:07.645 (95.891 mph), also in the first session.

Ernie Jakubowski is third in GTS after a time of 2:10.471 (93.814 mph) in the No. 91 Fuchs/CDOC/Forgeline Porsche Cayman S.

Unlike the GT class, the top three times in Touring Car all came from the second practice session on Friday morning.

Meyer’s No. 32 XOWii/Samaritan’s Feet/Delvira Mazda RX-8 topped Touring Car with a fast time of 2:13.842 (91.451 mph), to place him ahead of a pair of Scion teammates.

Dan Gardner’s No. 36 DG Spec/Scion/TRD/Lepper&Associates and Touring Car Championship-leader Robert Stout’s No. 18 DG Spec/Scion/TRD/Lucas Oil Scion tC followed Meyer on the combined practice sheets. Gardner posted a best time of 2:14.522 (90.988 mph), with Stout’s best time a 2:15.520 (90.318 mph).

Alexander Lvov is making his first World Challenge appearance since the season-opener at St. Petersburg. The Russian driver immediately made a mark, posting a lap of 2:15.695 (90.202 mph) in the No. 9 Honda GMS Honda Civic Si in the opening practice, good for fourth on the combined charts.

Brett Sandberg posted a 2:15.814 (90.123 mph) in the No. 28 Whitehall Stable Acura TSX, good for fifth in Touring Car.

Qualifying for the World Challenge Championships Round Six takes place this afternoon at 1:45 p.m. EDT on Friday afternoon in preparation for Saturday’s World Challenge Grand Prix of Watkins Glen presented by Sunoco.