HENZLER, STRETCH LEAD DAMP SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE PRACTICE AT MID-OHIO

 

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 20, 2005) – Germany’s Wolf Henzler and Dallas’ Bob Stretch were not deterred by damp conditions at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and led the opening practice sessions for the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring Car Weekend Presented by Trenton Forging Quality Formed Solutions.

 

Driving the No. 55 Applied Materials Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Henzler sat atop the SPEED GT time charts early in the session, but was trumped by Robin Liddell’s No. 66 Axa Financial/PFAFF Porsche 911 GT3 Cup when he pitted with three minutes remaining. Not to be outdone, Henzler re-entered the course just before the checkered and ripped off a 1:35.195 (85.391 mph)—nearly a second faster than Liddell, as the checkered fell.

 

Derek Bell utilized his all-wheel-drive to run third fastest in the No. 24 Volvo Cars of North America Volvo S60 R, followed by point leader Tommy Archer’s No. 1 c3controls/3R-Racing Dodge Viper and John Bourassa’s No. 76 IndecoInc.com/E-Monee.com Porsche 911 Turbo.

 

Only 14 cars took to the track in the 20-minute SPEED GT session.

 

Stretch was one of only 11 drivers to brave the conditions in SPEED Touring Car, and turned a fastest time of 1:45.858 (76.790 mph) in his No. 98 Wheels America/O’Kell’s Fireplace BMW 325Ci. Rookie Brandon Davis was second fastest with a lap of 1:47.032 (75.947 mph) in his No. 44 A-SPEC/RealTime Racing Acura TSX. Freddy Baker was third in his No. 18 Fred Baker Audi/STaSIS Engineering Audi A4, followed by the No. 74 Mazdaspeed/Centric Parts/Tri-Point Motorsports Mazda 6 of Dino Crescentini and the similar car of Jeff Altenburg.

 

The forecast is better for the afternoon sessions and the rain appears to have passed through. Second practice will begin at 5:15 p.m. Live Timing & Scoring is available at www.world-challenge.com <http://www.world-challenge.com/> .

 

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LEXINGTON, Ohio - Times from Friday’s opening practice for Saturday’s SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Round Four race Presented by Trenton Forging Quality Formed Solutions at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, (55), Wolf Henzler, Nürtingen, Germany, Porsche 911 Cup, 1:35.195, 85.391.

2, (66), Robin Liddell, Edinburgh, Scotland, Porsche 911 Cup, 1:36.155, 84.538.

3, (24), Derek Bell, Boca Raton, Fla., Volvo S60 R, 1:39.988, 81.297.

4, (1), Tommy Archer, Duluth, Minn., Dodge Viper, 1:41.911, 79.763.

5, (76), John Bourassa, Jupiter Island, Fla., Porsche 911 T, 1:43.261, 78.721.

6, (65), Jon Groom, Boonton, N.J., Porsche 911 Cup, 1:45.629, 76.956.

7, (13), Bob Woodhouse, Blair, Neb., Dodge Viper, 1:45.966, 76.711.

8, (10), Carol Hollfleder, Covina, Calif., Ford Mustang, 1:48.613, 74.841.

9, (26), Jameson Riley(R), Wilton, Conn., Volvo S60 R, 1:51.450, 72.936.

10, (5), Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, Calif., Pontiac GTO, 1:51.721, 72.759.

11, (3), Tim Wiens, Westminster, Colo., Dodge Viper, 1:54.665, 70.891.

12, (2), Phil McClure, Floris, Iowa, Dodge Viper, 2:04.385, 65.352.

13, (82), Mike McCann, N. Canton, Ohio, Dodge Viper, 2:05.457, 64.793.

14, (83), Jim McCann, N. Canton, Ohio, Dodge Viper, 2:05.929, 64.550.

15, (6), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Corvette C6, no time.

16, (7), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., Pontiac GTO, no time.

17, (8), Andy Pilgrim, Del Ray Beach, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, no time.

18, (9), Adam Malmquist(R), Chicago, Ill., Corvette Z006, no time.

19, (12), John Heinricy, Holly, Mich., Cadillac CTS-V, no time.

20, (16), Max Papis, Miami, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, no time.

21, (28), Lou Gigliotti, Dallas, Texas, Corvette C6, no time.

22, (31), Sonny Whelen(R), Old Saybrook, Conn., Dodge Viper GTS, no time.

23, (34), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Corvette C6, no time.

24, (42), Mark Lapilato(R), Granbury, Texas, Porsche 911 T, no time.

25, (47), Bob Taylor, Parker, Colo., Corvette Z06, no time.

26, (56), Rich Marziale, Tempe, Ariz., Dodge Viper, no time.

27, (88), Peter Tonelli, Shrewsbury, Mass., Dodge Viper, no time.

28, (99), Tom Oates, Chester Springs, Pa., Corvette Z06, no time.

29, (08), Tom Hollfelder, Covina, Calif., Morgan Aero 8GT, no time.

 

LEXINGTON, Ohio - Times from Friday’s opening practice for Sunday’s SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Round Four race Presented by Trenton Forging Quality Formed Solutions at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.

1, (98), Bob Stretch, Dallas, Texas, BMW 325Ci, 1:45.858, 76.789.

2, (44), Brandon Davis(R), Huntington Bch, Calif., Acura TSX, 1:47.032, 75.947.

3, (18), Freddy Baker, Bedford, Ohio, Audi A4, 1:47.893, 75.341.

4, (74), Dino Crescentini, Malibu, Calif., Mazda 6, 1:49.603, 74.165.

5, (72), Jeff Altenburg, Ellicott City, Md., Mazda 6, 1:50.624, 73.481.

6, (19), Rick Maki, Los Angeles, Calif., Audi A4, 1:56.365, 69.856.

7, (6), Scott Bradley, San Jose, Calif., Mazda 6, 1:57.220, 69.346.

8, (34), Nick Esayian, Encinitas, Calif., Acura RSX, 1:59.117, 68.242.

9, (14), Billy Revis(R), Winston Salem, N.C., BMW 325, 1:59.201, 68.194.

10, (83), Karl Poeltl(R), Knoxville, Tenn., BMW 325i, 2:00.808, 67.287.

11, (99), Kevin McKee, San Francisco, Calif., BMW 325i, 2:07.268, 63.871.

12, (7), Mark German, Monroeville, Pa., Mazda 6, no time.

13, (10), Ryan Pilla(R), Amagansett, N.Y., Mazda ProtegeES, no time.

14, (21), Seth Neiman, Woodside, Calif., BMW 325Ci, no time.

15, (22), Hugh Stewart, Massapequa, N.Y., Dodge SRT-4, no time.

16, (24), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., BMW 325Ci, no time.

17, (26), Michael Flynn, Orlando, Fla., Subaru WRX, no time.

18, (36), James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i, no time.

19, (37), Matt Richmond, Mooresville, N.C., BMW 325i, no time.

20, (38), Seth Thomas, Cumming, Ga., BMW 325i, no time.

21, (42), Peter Cunningham, W. Bend, Wis., Acura TSX, no time.

22, (43), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, no time.

23, (45), Eric Curran, S. Deerfield, Mass., Acura RSX, no time.

24, (48), Chip Herr, Lititz, Pa., Ford Focus, no time.

25, (49), Branden Peterson, Breckenridge, Colo., Honda Civic Si, no time.

26, (68), Leo Capaldi, Lenox Twp, Mich., Ford Focus, no time.

27, (73), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Mazda 6, no time.

28, (78), Jon Prall, Los Gatos, Calif., BMW 325Ci, no time.

29, (93), Rick Snyder(R), Arvada, Colo., Dodge SRT-4, no time.

30, (95), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, Mazda Protege, no time.

31, (96), Charlie Putman(R), Mills, Wyo., Mazda Protege, no time.

32, (97), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., Mazda Protege, no time.