BSI Racing, Rain Dominate MX-5 Cup Practice at Mid-Ohio

For Immediate Release

 

BSI Racing, Rain Dominate MX-5 Cup Practice at Mid-Ohio

 

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 23, 2006) - The steady rain that fell at Mid-Ohio
Sports Car Course did little to stop BSI Racing's Mike Gatto, of
Atlanta, Ga., from topping the speed charts in this morning's practice
session, in preparation for Saturday's SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite
Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook Round Four race. The MX-5 Cup
race is part of the EMCO Gears Classic presented by Keybank race weekend
at Mid-Ohio. Gatto's teammates Todd Buras, of Melbourne, Fla., and
Carlos Garcia, of Miami, Fla., completed the top three. 

 

While rain fell for the entire 35-minute practice session, the four-car
BSI Racing team was the only team that took the track early in the
session. Nearly halfway through the session, Gatto powered his No. 57
Vision Painting Mazda MX-5 cup to the top spot with a fast time of
1:58.504 (68.696 mph). 

 

"I've always loved the rain," Gatto said of the wet track conditions.
"I've struggled a little bit on this track so far this weekend. I was
actually pretty pleased that it rained today. The car handled great. I
had great teammates. We were all running together out there.

 

Given that the weather forecast for this afternoon's qualifying session
calls for more rain, Gatto believes the team won't make many changes to
the car heading into the session.

 

"A lot [of the qualifying strategy] depends on how hard it rains," Gatto
said. "If it rains like it did [in morning practice] or even harder,
then we will stay the course we are on right now. If it dries up, then
that is when it gets a little more difficult. If the line starts to dry,
then the rains [tires] are not going to work. But, I am pretty excited
if it actually rains this afternoon." 

 

Buras, the current MX-5 Cup point leader, piloted his No. 56 BSI
Racing/supportthem.com Mazda MX-5 around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road
course in a time of 1:58.568 (68.558).

Driving the No. 60 BSI Racing/Miami Dade Health Mazda MX-5, Garcia
turned the third quickest time of 1:58.752 (68.451 mph).  Larry Wright,
of Evanston, Ill., and Anders Hainer, of Hidden Hills, Calif., were
fourth and fifth respectively.

 

Only 15 of the 21 registered cars took advantage of the morning practice
session.

 

MX-5 Cup qualifying is set for 3:10 p.m. (EDT) today. Round Four of the
SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by
Hankook starts at 2 p.m. (EDT) Saturday, June 24.

 

To follow qualifying and race action from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
live via live timing, visit www.mx-5cup.com and click on the Mid-Ohio
event page link.

 

For more information about the SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio
Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook, including schedule, entry list and
event coverage, visit www.mx-5cup.com.

 

-30-

 

LEXINGTON, Ohio - Practice results for Saturday's SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS
Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook 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,(57), Mike Gatto, Atlanta, Ga., Mazda MX-5, 1:58.504, 68.595.

2,(56), Todd Buras, Melbourne, Fla., Mazda MX-5, 1:58.568 68.558.

3,(60), Carlos Garcia, Miami, Fla., Mazda MX-5, 1:58.752, 68.451.

4,(3), Larry Wright, Evanston, Ill., Mazda MX-5, 1:59.323, 68.124.

5,(13), Anders Hainer, Hidden Hills, Calif., Mazda MX-5, 1:59.423,
68.067.

6,(88), Pratt Cole, Salt Lake City, Utah, Mazda MX-5, 2:00.933, 67.217.

7,(09), John Kuitwaard, Wantagh, N.Y., Mazda MX-5, 2:01.444, 66.934.

8,(43), Barry A. Fromberg, Plano, Texas, Mazda MX-5 Cup, 2:01.964,
66.649.

9,(58), Steven Jay. Bernheim, Encino, Calif., Mazda MX-5, 2:03.122,
66.022.

10,(39), Brad McAllister, Portland, Ore., Mazda MX-5, 2:03.371, 65.889.

11,(19), Larry Webster, Ann Arbor, Mich., Mazda MX-5, 2:04.159, 65.470.

12,(10), Ben McCrackin, Corpus Christi, Texas, Mazda MX-5, 2:05.736,
64.649.

13,(26), Tim Probert, Houston,Texas, Mazda MX-5, 2:06.247, 64.388.

14,(40), Ben Hohn, Easton, Conn., Mazda MX-5, 2:16.688, 59.469.

15,(67), Randy Hale, Haddam, Conn., Mazda MX-5, 2:18.478, 58.701.

16,(11), Ara Malkhassian, Houston, Texas, Mazda MX-5, no time.

17,(23), Deborah Loth, Fort Worth, Texas, Mazda MX-5, no time.

18,(28), Jason Saini, Fort Worth, Texas, Mazda MX-5, no time.

19,(36), Justin Pohl, Longview, Texas, Mazda MX-5, no time.

20,(76), Jim Daniels, Germantown, Tenn., Mazda MX-5, no time.

21,(97), Erik Stearns, Van Buren, Ohio, Mazda MX-5, no time.

 

Photo Credit: Juha Lievonen (c) 2006

Photo Caption: Mike Gatto (pictured) led a rainy MX-5 Cup practice at
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Friday morning.

Curt K.
_______________
Curtis Kitchen
Public Relations Manager
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Inc.
ckitchen@scca.com  
800-770-2055