The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

Herr Takes Opening SPEED Touring Car Practice at Infineon

For Immediate Release

 

Herr Takes Opening SPEED Touring Car Practice at Infineon

 

SONOMA, Calif. (June 23, 2006) - With a 1:23.899 (85.388 mph), Chip
Herr, of Litiz, Pa., led the first of two SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World
Challenge Touring Car practice sessions Friday morning at Infineon
Raceway.  Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., was second fastest, followed
by Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla., as the SPEED Touring Car
field prepared for Saturday's Round Four race, part of the Dodge/Save
Mart weekend.

 

Weather conditions were nearly perfect as clear skies, temperatures in
the upper 70s and calm winds provided the backdrop for the 20-minute
session.  

 

Using the conditions to his advantage, Herr, in his No. 17 STaSIS
Motorsports/Clear Capital Audi A4, nailed down his quick time near the
midway point of the session on the 10-turn, 1.99-mile track, a
configuration that is being used for Sunday's NASCAR Dodge/Save Mart 350
race and is new to most of the SPEED World Challenge field.

 

"This isn't my home track, but I've done a lot of testing here," Herr
said.  "We were here about two weeks ago.  I think that there are only a
couple of us, Jon Prall, Justin Hall and Christian Miller, who were here
and ran this configuration.

 

"We felt pretty good about the run, but we didn't have times to compare
to.  The only thing we had to compare to was Jon and Justin.  We were a
little quicker than they were, but I do think this is a BMW track.  I
know Randy is going to be quick in the Mazda, and Peter [Cunningham] and
Pierre are always quick.  But, I do feel good about my car."

 

While Herr set his time early and held a sizable margin over the rest of
the field for a few laps after, Pobst, along with the rest of the field,
began to slowly reel Herr's mark back in.

 

Both Pobst's time of 1:24.139 (85.144 mph) in his No. 73
Mazdaspeed/Tri-Point Motorsports Mazda 6 came just before the end of the
session, as did Kleinubing's 1:24.418 (84.863 mph) in his No. 42 Acura
Certified Pre-Owned/RealTime Acura TSX.

 

No. 97 Charles Espenlaub, of Lutz, Fla., was fourth in his
Sparco/Oakley/Tindol Motorsport Mazda 6 with a 1:24.540 (84.741 mph),
ahead of Peter Cunningham, of Grafton, Wis., who turned a 1:24.639 in
his Acura Certified Pre-Owned/RealTime Acura TSX.

 

The second and final SPEED Touring Car practice session is set for 6
p.m. (EDT) today.

 

To follow practice, qualifying and race action live via live timing,
visit www.world-challenge.com <http://www.world-challenge.com/> , select
the Infineon event homepage and click on the SCCA Pit Board Presented by
SRT, which provides real-time lap notes and timing information.

 

For other information, visit www.world-challenge.com
<http://www.world-challenge.com/> .

 

-30-

 

SONOMA, Calif. - Results from first SCCA Pro Racing SPEED WORLD
CHALLENGE Touring Car practice session in advance of Saturday's Round
Four race, part of the Dodge Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway, with
position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap
time, and speed in miles per hour.

 

1,(17), Chip Herr, Lititz, Pa., Audi A4, 1:23.899, 85.388.

2,(73), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Mazda 6, 1:24.139, 85.144.

3,(42), Pierre Kleinubing, Coconut Creek, Fla., Acura TSX, 1:24.418,
84.863.

4,(97), Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla., Mazda 6, 1:24.540, 84.741.

5,(1), Peter Cunningham, Grafton, Wis., Acura TSX, 1:24.639, 84.641.

6,(72), Jeff Altenburg, Ellicott City, Md., Mazda 6, 1:24.918, 84.363.

7,(20), Brandon Davis, Denver, Colo., Acura TSX, 1:25.018, 84.264.

8,(11), Jon Prall, Los Gatos, Calif., BMW 325Ci, 1:25.243, 84.042.

9,(37), Matt Richmond, Greensboro, N.C., BMW 325i, 1:25.320, 83.966.

10,(06), Kuno Wittmer, Montreal, Canada, Mercedes-Benz C230, 1:25.416,
83.871.

11,(12), Justin Hall(R), Davis, Calif., BMW 325Ci, 1:25.451, 83.837.

12,(88), Andrie Hartanto(R), San Francisco, Calif., Honda Civic Si,
1:25.458, 83.830.

13,(74), Dino Crescentini, Malibu, Calif., Mazda 6, 1:25.685, 83.608.

14,(99), Jeff Courtney(R), Slinger, Wis., Audi A4, 1:25.993, 83.309.

15,(34), Nick Esayian, Encinitas, Calif., Acura RSX, 1:26.073, 83.231.

16,(39), Paul Goldman, Menlo Park, Calif., BMW 325i, 1:26.264, 83.047.

17,(18), Freddy Baker, Bedford, Ohio, Audi A4, 1:26.472, 82.847.

18,(25), Christian Miller(R), Newark, Calif., Volkswagen Jetta,
1:26.472, 82.847.

19,(24), Jim Osborn, Ooltewah, Tenn., BMW 325Ci, 1:26.604, 82.721.

20,(6), Lance Stewart, Coconut Grove, Fla., Mazda 6, 1:26.606, 82.719.

21,(38), Seth Thomas, Cumming, Ga., BMW 325i, 1:26.990, 82.354.

22,(13), Brian Smith(R), Simpsonville, S.C., Dodge SRT-4, 1:27.554,
81.823.

23,(36), James Clay, Blacksburg, Va., BMW 325i, 1:27.715, 81.673.

24,(67), Robb Holland(R), Denver, Colo., Ford Focus, 1:28.055, 81.358.

25,(43), Eric Curran, East Hampton, Mass., Acura RSX, 1:29.060, 80.440.

26,(96), Charlie Putman(R), Mills, Wyo., Mazda 6, 1:29.266, 80.254.

27,(94), Mary Katharine(R), Delray Beach, Fla., Mazda Protege, 1:30.439,
79.213.

28,(86), Kenny Yin, Hong Kong,   , Honda Civic Si, 1:32.538, 77.416.

29,(35), Hal Brown(R), Blacksburg, Va., Dodge SRT4, no time.

30,(45), Neil Vannie, Cupertino, Calif., Honda Civic, no time.

31,(66), Dan Aweida(R), Boulder, Colo., Dodge SRT-4, no time.

32,(95), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, Mazda 6, no time.

 

Photo Credit: Mark Weber/SCCA (c) 2006

Photo Caption: Chip Herr (pictured) put Audi on top of SPEED Touring Car
after the first of two practices at Infineon Raceway.

 

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