Pole Is Place to Be As Competitors Prepare for Trans-Am on the Tarmac

 

 

CLEARWATER, Fla. (July 9, 2002) - If you're handicapping potential winners of Saturday's Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip at Cleveland's Burke Lakefront Airport, the pole position would likely be the best place to start.

 

If history holds, Friday's pole sitter will also stand atop the podium on Saturday, when the celebration begins following the fifth round of the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup. The Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip will be the second of three 2002 Trans-Am Series events to be televised by CBS Sports, which will provide live coverage beginning at 5 p.m. ET.   

 

In eight of 11 previous Trans-Am Series events contested at Burke Lakefront Airport, the fastest qualifier has gone on to win the race.  That is somewhat surprising, given the abundant passing opportunities offered by the expansive, 2.106-mile temporary circuit constructed on the Burke airport runways.

 

It also figures to make championship leader Boris Said even hungrier than usual for his first pole position since the 2001 season opener when qualifying begins at 6:15 p.m. ET Friday. Said (#33 Applied Computer Solutions Panoz Esperante) brings a 120-101 points lead over three-time and defending Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup champion Paul Gentilozzi into the weekend. 

 

Said's last Trans-Am Series pole came in March of 2001 at Sebring. Despite not having earned a pole since, he has been a strong qualifier throughout 2002, with outside poles at Long Beach, Mosport and Mid-Ohio and a third-place start at Lime Rock.

 

As impressive as he's been in qualifying, Said has been even better on race day, with four podium finishes in as many 2002 starts, highlighted by back-to-back wins at Mosport and Lime Rock. He also finished second at Long Beach and third at Mid-Ohio.

 

Gentilozzi (#3 Johnson Controls/Microchip/MatrixOne/Futaba Jaguar XKR) is the only driver in this weekend's field with a previous Trans-Am Series victory at Cleveland, and he has claimed the past two, in 2000 and 2001, both from the pole. Gentilozzi also owns a pole position this season, at Long Beach in the season opener. He comes to Cleveland off a runner-up result at Mid-Ohio, his best performance since winning at Long Beach.

 















Gentilozzi's teammate, Johnny Miller (#64 Automation Direct/Eaton Cutler-Hammer Jaguar XKR) has parlayed an impressively consistent performance into third place in the championship, with 97 points. Miller has finished sixth or better in each of his four 2002 starts, highlighted by podium results of second at Mosport and third at Long Beach, and his string of 16 consecutive top-10 finishes is the longest active streak in the series.

 

Rookie Butch Leitzinger (#88 Tommy Bahama/Tom Gloy Chevrolet Corvette) has vaulted to fourth place in the championship chase on the strength of back-to-back podium finishes, highlighted by his first career Trans-Am Series victory at Mid-Ohio, in only his fifth career start. Leitzinger, who also finished third at Lime Rock, comes to Cleveland with 87 points.

 

Another driver who has made an impressive move in the Trans-Am Series standings of late is Tony Ave (#53 Trilithic Panoz Esperante), who holds down fifth in the championship with 76 points. After starting the season with back-to-back finishes outside the top 10, Ave has rallied to finish second at Lime Rock and sixth at Mid-Ohio, becoming a contender for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup in the process.

 

Other drivers who could contend for victory at Cleveland include Michael Lewis (#12 AmeriSuites Jaguar XKR), Justin Bell (#40 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette), Stuart Hayner (#02 Trenton Forging/Tom Bell Chevrolet Corvette), Tomy Drissi (#5 Rocketsports Racing Jaguar XKR) and Randy Ruhlman (#49 Preformed Line Products Chevrolet Corvette). Lewis is a previous pole winner at Cleveland, in 1998, while Hayner finished as the runner-up to Gentilozzi on the lakefront last year.

 

Saturday's Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip will feature a significant local flavor, with four of the 24 entrants owning significant ties to the Cleveland area. In addition to Ruhlman, who grew up in Cleveland, other entrants with ties to the Buckeye State include Bob Ruman (#23 Cenweld Corp./McNichols Co. Chevrolet Corvette), from Munroe Falls; Tim Cowen (#75 Cowen Truck Line Ford Mustang), from Ashland; and Tom Sloe (#56 kidprintid.com/Russell Automotive Center/Total ID Solutions Chevrolet Corvette), from Newbury, who will be making his 2002 Trans-Am debut.

 

Three other drivers are also expected to make their 2002 Trans-Am Series debuts this weekend, including Mike Cronin Jr. (#9 Stoptech/Meguiar's Chevrolet Corvette) of La Verne, Calif.; John Baucom (#86 Bullydog Technologies/Safequip Jaguar XKR) of Charlotte, N.C. and Jorge Diaz, Jr. (#91 Havoline Jaguar XKR) of San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

 

The Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip is the first of back-to-back Trans-Am Series events scheduled for the next two weekends. The series continues with the Capital Trans-Am 100, part of the Cadillac Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, July 20, beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. The event will air live on CBS Sports.

 

 

















 

FAST FACTS FOR THE TRANS-AM ON THE TARMAC PRESENTED BY MICROCHIP

 

WHAT: Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip.

                WHERE: Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio.

                WHEN: Friday-Saturday, July 12-13.

TRANS-AM SERIES FOR THE BFGOODRICH TIRES CUP SCHEDULE (All times EDT): FRIDAY, JULY 12 - Trans-Am Series practice, 11-11:30 a.m.; Trans-Am Series qualifying, 6:15-6:45 p.m. SATURDAY, JULY 13 - Trans-Am Series practice, 8:15-8:45 a.m.; Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip, 4:40 p.m.

BROADCAST: CBS Sports, Saturday, July 13, 5 p.m. ET (live).

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Paul Gentilozzi.

DEFENDING POLESITTER: Paul Gentilozzi.

TRACK LAYOUT: 2.106-mile airport runway circuit.

RACE DISTANCE: 48 laps, 101.088 miles.

TRACK RECORDS: Qualifying (one lap) - 1997, Dorsey Schroeder, 103.902 miles per hour (1 minute, 12.071 seconds). Race - 1996, Tom Kendall, 100.783 mph. Race Lap - 1997, Dorsey Schroeder 103.902 mph (1:12.956).

RACE NUMBER: 5 of 12 in the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup.

TRANS-AM SERIES FOR THE BFGOODRICH TIRES CUP POINTS LEADERS: Boris Said, 120; Paul Gentilozzi, 101; Johnny Miller, 97; Butch Leitzinger, 87; Tony Ave, 76; Michael Lewis, 73; Randy Ruhlman, 72; Justin Bell, 68; Tomy Drissi, 67; Stuart Hayner, 65. 

NEXT EVENT: Saturday, July 20, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.

 

PAST TRANS-AM RACE WINNERS AT BURKE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT
 

1988                 Hans Stuck

1989            Irv Hoerr

1990            Tom Kendall

1991            Darin Brassfield

1994            Scott Pruett

1995            Ron Fellows

1996            Tom Kendall

1997            Tom Kendall

1998            Bill Saunders

2000 Paul Gentilozzi

2001 Paul Gentilozzi

            

PAST TRANS-AM POLE WINNERS AT BURKE LAKEFRONT AIRPORT
 

1988                 Scott Pruett

1989                 Irv Hoerr

1990                Tom Kendall

1991                Darin Brassfield

1994                Scott Pruett

1995                Ron Fellows

1996                Tom Kendall

1997                Dorsey Schroeder

1998                Michael Lewis

2000                Paul Gentilozzi

2001                 Paul Gentilozzi

                











 

NOTEWORTHY

 

·         Winning the pole position for a Trans-Am event at Burke Lakefront Airport has traditionally translated to success on race day as well. In eight of 11 previous Trans-Am events on Burke's spacious runways, the pole winner has gone on to win the race.  Irv Hoerr began the run in 1989 and was followed by Tom Kendall (1990), Darin Brassfield (1991), Scott Pruett (1994), Ron Fellows (1995) and Kendall, again (1996), before three-time and defending Trans-Am Series champion Paul Gentilozzi claimed back-to-back victories from the pole in 2000 and 2001. 

 

·         Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup championship leader Boris Said (#33 Applied Computer Solutions Panoz Esperante) has recorded four podium finishes to start the season, marking the first time any driver has accomplished that feat since Tom Kendall set a Trans-Am series record by winning the first 11 events of 1997. Said finished second at the Trans-Am Series season opener in Long Beach in April, then recorded back-to-back victories at Mosport and Lime Rock in May, before claiming a third place at Mid-Ohio last month. Said, who is pursuing his first BFGoodrich Tires Cup, holds a 120-101 championship points lead over defending and three-time Trans-Am Series champion Paul Gentilozzi (#3 Johnson Controls/Microchip/MatrixOne/Futaba Jaguar XKR) heading into this weekend's Trans-Am on the Tarmac Presented by Microchip.

 

·         Johnny Miller (#64 Automation Direct/Eaton Cutler-Hammer Jaguar XKR) has finished among the top 10 drivers in each of his past 16 Trans-Am Series starts, the longest active streak of top-10 finishes in the series. The streak dates to Miller's first career Trans-Am Series victory in the 2000 season finale at San Diego and includes finishes this season of third at Long Beach, second at Mosport, sixth at Lime Rock and fourth at Mid-Ohio. Miller stands third in the race for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup, with 97 points.

 

·         Thanks to podium finishes in each of his past two starts, Butch Leitzinger (#88 Tommy Bahama/Tom Gloy Chevrolet Corvette) has taken firm control of the race for the 2002 AmeriSuites Rookie of the Year Award. Leitzinger, who captured his first Trans-Am Series victory in only his fifth career start two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio, holds a 62-point lead (87-25) over Joey Scarallo, his closest pursuer, in the rookie race. In addition to his win at Mid-Ohio, Leitzinger also owns a podium finish of third at Lime Rock and has recorded two pole positions, at Mosport and Mid-Ohio. His 87 points place him fourth overall in the Trans-Am Series championship.

 

·         Butch Leitzinger's victory at Mid-Ohio tightened the 2002 Trans-Am Series Manufacturers' Championship race to the point where the top three manufacturers are separated by only 10 points. On the strength of Boris Said's wins at Mosport and Lime Rock, Panoz continues to lead the Manufacturers' standings with 54 points. Jaguar stands second with 50 points, while Leitzinger's win drew Chevrolet closer to the frontrunners with 44 points. Manufacturer's Championship points are awarded to a manufacturer's highest-finishing automobile, regardless of model, on a 15-13-11-9-7-5-4-3-2-1 basis.