Alex Job Racing - Miami qualifying pole

Miami, Fla.
qualifying, Oct. 4, 2002

eighth pole 

Alex Job Racing will start first and second in the GT class for Saturday's 
American Le Mans Series race in Miami, after the team collected its eighth 
pole position in nine races this season.  Lucas Luhr drove the No. 23 McKenna 
Xybernaut Porsche to the class pole in one minute 13.662 seconds on the 
1.387-mile temporary street circuit.  His teammate Jörg Bergmeister was just 
a tick behind in the No. 22 Porsche for second in class (1:14.371).

The qualifying session was delayed by repairs to replace asphalt that was 
breaking up in sections of the course.  Luhr said the new pavement slowed his 
qualifying run.  "This morning I went 1:11.9 [time] and now I did a 1:13 and 
I couldn't go any faster, it was so slippery," he said.  "It's a shame that 
the track on that particular point is so bad because it's like driving with 
slicks in rain.  I think we're going to have big problems in the race because 
the race is at 4 o'clock and the track gets worse, not better."

Bergmeister agreed portions of the track are difficult, but he said the 
characteristics of a street circuit make the race more interesting.  "I like 
the track very much.  It reminds me of Monaco, especially the part by the 
water," he noted.  "It's good fun here with the bumps, it makes it a bit more 
difficult.  The double-lefthander with the new concrete has too little grip 
so I don't like that part much, but overall it's a nice track."

McKenna moves

McKenna Porsche is one of the top 10 Porsche dealerships in the United 
States, but the company doesn't stop at one achievement.  The southern 
California-based McKenna Automotive Group is ranked first in Volkswagen 
sales, fifth in BMW sales and 11th in Porsche sales in the western United 
States.

McKenna has a diverse vehicle lineup to support its broad customer base.  "We 
have truck drivers, school teachers, hair dressers and people in the mortgage 
business," general manager Neil Okun noted.  "With Volkswagen,  BMW, Audi and 
Porsche under one roof, it's interesting to see people trade up.  We've had 
people start out in a Volkswagen, work up to an Audi, then get into a 
Porsche."

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Sylvia Proudfoot
spur07@cs.com
403 287 3945