TACH Speed Channel-FORD-COSWORTH SCORES FIRST POLE POSITION OF THE SEASON SINCE LONG BEACH

PATRICK CARPENTIER (#32 Player’s/Indeck Ford) – Qualified 1st – THAT WAS A SPECTACULAR DISPLAY OF SPEED AT THE RIGHT TIME. "Yeah, I’m really happy. The timing was really good and the engineers with the team did a great job. The car was fast for one lap and I had to do it and it just happened. I’m really happy because everybody said yesterday that I got provisional pole because of the red flag and people said I should stay in today and save tires for tomorrow, but I said I think we have a shot so we went for it and it paid off." NOT ONLY THAT BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE A LOLA TO BE FAST BUT YOU HAVE A REYNARD AND WERE IMPRESSIVE TODAY. "Bruce Ashmore and the team always said that the Reynard should be good at some of the tracks and the Lola will be better at some others. But we tested well here and we thought the Reynard would be fast. Ford-Cosworth did a great job managing the traction control and the engine was great and we got it today." YOU KNOW THAT EIGHT TIMES THE POLESITTER HAS WON HERE AT MID-OHIO. "If I win another race I’m going to run the track naked or something!" (laughing)

ALEX TAGLIANI (#33 Player’s/Indeck Ford) – Qualified 7th – "We had a good day considering the engine problem we had this morning. I think we lost so much time this morning that we had the same car in qualifying that we had during the morning practice. I think we forgot that the car had too much understeer and we tried to dial the car in during qualifying so it was okay. I think we still need to improve the car for the race but considering that we needed to do an engine change I’m happy. We’re P-7 and it could’ve been worse but we’ll be there."

MICHEL JOURDAIN, JR. (#9 Gigante Ford) – Qualified 16th – WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE LOSING YOUR TIME? "A little bit everywhere I think. We’re lacking a lot of grip everywhere and we can’t seem to get it right. I was really looking forward to this weekend because we had a very good test here a couple of months ago and Jimmy (Vasser) had a very good test in Portland so I don’t know. This year it’s been the same, you know. We tested at Milwaukee before the race and were fast and then we got to the race and we weren’t, so I don’t know."