Maxwell, Gaughran Capture Twin 250s Poles
EDITORS NOTE: Race and qualifying result agate and photos will be available on the Grand American media-specific website at www.grand-am.com/media.
For more information contact Grand American Road Racing Association
Christie Hyde (386) 681-4182; email: CHyde@grand-am.com
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Maxwell, Gaughran Capture Twin 250s Poles
ALTON, Va. (August 31, 2002) -- Scott Maxwell and Wade Gaughran captured the poles for today's Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series Twin 250s at Virginia International Raceway. Gaughran will lead the field to the green flag in the Sport Touring 250 at 2:15 p.m. today, and Maxwell will be at the front of the Grand Sport 250 field for its 5 p.m. start.
Maxwell, who currently leads the GS I driver point standings, took the Grand Sport 250 pole in the Doncaster Racing #76 Porsche GT3 Cup. His 95.815 mph lap in 2:02.862 broke the GS I track record held by Maxwell's rival in the points, Doug Goad, by more than a second.
Sylvain Tremblay will start the SpeedSource #70 Porsche beside Maxwell in the Grand Sport 250 after clocking a 2:03.794 lap at 95.093 mph. Local favorite G&W Motorsports will start its #81 Porsche in the third position thanks to Brent Martini's 94.692 mph lap in 2:04.319.
Don Istook will lead the GS II field in the Grand Sport 250. Istook piloted the Istook/Aines Motorsports Group #04 Audi S4 to a 2:10.985 lap at 89.873 mph. Benoit Theetge clocked the second-fastest lap in the GS II class. In his first lap of the qualifying session, he drove the #73 Acura NSX of Theetge Motorsports to a 2:11.697 lap at 89.773 mph. However, due to a procedural infraction he will start at the back of the grid.
The GS II points-leader Emil Assentato got off the line while rounding the oak tree on his first full speed lap in qualifying and wrecked the #53 Mustang Cobra R of Max Q Motorsports. While the car suffered moderate damage, Assentato said it should be repaired in time for the race.
Gaughran's Sport Touring 250 pole-winning lap came on the final lap of his qualifying session. Early in the session Gaughran had an on-track incident between another car and his #14 Hyundai Tiburon of Hyundai Motorsports. However, Gaughran was able to salvage the session and put together a 2:14.126 lap at 87.768 mph to take the pole away from Steve Pfeffer as the checkered flag came out.
Pfeffer had clocked a 2:14.495 lap at 87.527 mph earlier in qualifying behind the wheel of the Team Spartanburg Racing #72 BMW Z3. He will start in the outside pole position, with John Schmitt starting the Honda of America Racing Team #00 Acura RSX in the third position.
Wayne Nonnamaker recorded the quickest qualifying time in the ST II class. His 82.740 mph lap in 2:22.277 put the HRPworld.com #41 Acura Integra LS at the front of the class. Eric Curran turned the second-fastest ST II lap with his 2:23.369 lap at 82.110 mph in the #27 Acura of Bill Fenton Motorsports.
The Sport Touring 250 is slated to begin this afternoon at 2:15 p.m., immediately followed by the Grand Sport 250 at 5 p.m. Zippo Live Timing & Scoring will be available for both races online at www.grand-am.com.
Tickets for today's races, as well as Sunday's VIR 500, can be purchased at the gate. Additional information about tickets and this weekend's event is available at www.virclub.com or by calling 888-RACE-099.
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