Pacific Coast Motorsports Qualifying Notes from Long Beach

Friday Qualifying Notes from Long Beach

- The first qualifying session for Sunday's Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,
got underway in sunny and hot conditions.
- On his first flying lap of the 30-minute session, Pacific Coast
Motorsports driver Alex Figge posted the third fastest lap.
- In the opening laps several drivers reported the track to have more grip
than in the morning practice session.
- By lap five, Figge had dropped to ninth quickest, with a fast lap of
1:19.7.
- Early in the session several cars entered the pits to make minor changes.
- As Figge continued to lap the 1.968-mile street circuit, he steadily
bettered his fast lap.
- On his ninth lap, Figge moved to third on the grid, with a fast lap of
1:18.2.
- Just past the halfway mark of the session, Figge began to encounter
traffic and elected to pit.
- While in the pits making minor adjustments to the car, Figge maintained
his third place position.
- Exiting the pits, Figge immediately encountered traffic and was forced to
slow to find a gap.
- Late in the session, while pushing to post a fast lap, Figge brushed the
tire wall, not damaging the car.
- At the checkered flag, Figge was seventh, with a fast lap of 1:18.237
(90.556 MPH).
- The seventh place provisional qualifying position, significantly betters
Figge's 16th place starting position at Long Beach in 2002.
- Capturing the provisional pole position was Aaron Justus.
- The second qualifying session for Round 2 of the 2003 CART Toyota Atlantic
Championship season, gets underway Saturday, April 12, at 3:00 p.m. (PT).

"I set a good time early," said Figge. "I tried to better it late in the
session, after making some changes, but unfortunately I ran into some
traffic and was not able to. Hopefully the weather will hold up, because I
think we have a good car."


Allan Craighead
Pacific Coast Motorsports
303-883-8521 Cell
www.pacificcoastmotorsports.com