Archer puts Viper on SPEED GT pole at Road America
For Immediate Release Archer puts Viper on SPEED GT pole at Road America ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (Aug. 19, 2006) - Tommy Archer of Duluth, Minn. blazed to the top of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED GT time charts in qualifying for the Generac 500 weekend at Road America, taking his second pole of the season and the fourth of his career. Lawson Aschenbach of Gaithersburg, MD., will start Sunday's Round Seven race second. Driving the No. 5 c3controls/Dodge Motorsports/Dodge SRT Viper, Archer grabbed the SPEED GT pole on his first flying lap of the session with a 2:15.333 (107.681 mph). Archer credited the pole to a change in car setup after Friday's practice. "We adjusted the car yesterday in practice and we made a mistake," said Archer. "We went the wrong way, so the car was a little bit off. Last night we sat down and talked about it. We kind off went backwards and readjusted the car to what I felt would be good with the team. It was good enough for a lap. "This track is hard on tires and hard on brakes, so obviously starting up front helps, because hopefully you're not going to be in all the traffic," continued Archer. "We just have to get the car adjusted a little bit better so it will work good over the long haul." Many in the paddock were predicting a Viper on pole this weekend, but Archer wouldn't call Road America a Viper track. "I don't know that Vipers have ever done well here," remarked Archer. "Usually about this time of the year we've got a lot of REWARDS weight. Unfortunately I've had kind of an off-year and I don't have any REWARDS weight to speak of so the car is a little bit lighter than normal and I think that this track will work for us this weekend." Archer will start next to the No. 66 AXA Financial Porsche 911 GT3 of Aschenbach. Aschenbach, the current Piloti SPEED GT Rookie of the Year point leader, posted a time of 2:15.858 (107.265 mph) on his second flying lap, to put himself on the front row for the second time this season. James Sofronas of Newport Beach, Calif., in the No. 14 Global Motorpsorts Group Porsche 911 GT3, completed the top three with a time of 2:15.884 (107.244 mph). While Leighton Reese of Minnetonka, Minn., in his No. 6 Banner Engineering Chevrolet Covette C6, clocked a 2:16.110 (107.066 mph), and the No. 64 AXA Financial/Cavenas Elevators Porsche 911 GT3 of Venezuelan Ricardo Imery turned a 2:16.196 (106.998 mph) to put themselves at fourth and fifth respectively. Ron Fellows (Cadillac CTS-V), Andy Pilgrim (Cadillac CTS-V), Mike McCann (Dodge Viper), Johnny Mowlem (Aston Martin DB9) and Rob Foster (Dodge Viper) completed the top 10. Point leader Lou Gigliotti in the No. 28 LG Pro Long Tube Headers Chevrolet Corvette, finds himself starting 14th on the grid, his worst starting position of the season. Sunday's SPEED GT race is scheduled to start at 10:45 a.m. locally, 11:45 a.m. (EDT). The race will be broadcast on SPEED Channel Saturday, Aug. 26, at 2 p.m. (EDT). To follow the action via Live Timing & Scoring Presented by SRT and live race notes, please visit www.world-challenge.com <http://www.world-challenge.com/> . -30- Attached Image: Tommy Archer grabs pole for Sunday's SPEED GT race at Road America. Credit: (c) Mark Weber/SCCA ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Starting lineup for Sunday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Round Seven race, part of the Generac 500 weekend at Road America, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, hometown, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour. 1, (5), Tommy Archer, Duluth, Minn., Dodge Viper, 2:15.333, 107.681. 2, (66), Lawson Aschenbach(R), Gaithersburg, Md., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:15.858, 107.265. 3, (14), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:15.884, 107.244. 4, (6), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:16.110, 107.066. 5, (64), Ricardo Imery(R), Caracas, VN, Porsche 911 GT3, 2:16.196, 106.998. 6, (16), Ron Fellows, Mississauga, Ontario, Cadillac CTS-V, 2:16.390, 106.846. 7, (1), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, 2:16.544, 106.726. 8, (82), Mike McCann, N. Canton, Ohio, Dodge Viper, 2:16.832, 106.501. 9, (44), Johnny Mowlem, Charvil Berkshire, England, Aston Martin DB9, 2:16.895, 106.452. 10, (17), Rob Foster(R), Phoenix, Ariz., Dodge Viper, 2:16.898, 106.450. 11, (24), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, Volvo S60R, 2:17.072, 106.315. 12, (13), Bob Woodhouse, Blair, Neb., Dodge Viper, 2:17.375, 106.080. 13, (56), Ritch Marziale, Tempe, Ariz., Dodge Viper Comp Coupe, 2:17.404, 106.058. 14, (28), Lou Gigliotti, Dallas, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:17.777, 105.771. 15, (87), Doug Peterson, Bonita Sprints, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:18.600, 105.142. 16, (83), Jim McCann_Jr, Canton, Ohio, Dodge Viper, 2:18.713, 105.057. 17, (34), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:18.780, 105.006. 18, (51), Lenny Diller, Garden City, N.Y., Dodge Viper, 2:18.823, 104.974. 19, (23), Bob Miller, Sykesville, Md., Porsche 911 Cup, 2:19.400, 104.539. 20, (11), Mike Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Mustang Cobra, 2:20.135, 103.991. 21, (31), Sonny Whelen, Old Saybrook, Conn., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:20.293, 103.874. 22, (26), Claudio Burtin, Atlanta, Ga., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:20.593, 103.652. 23, (96), Skip Sauls(R), Longmont, Colo., Dodge Viper, 2:20.685, 103.584. 24, (25), Brian Kubinski, Plainfield, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:20.858, 103.457. 25, (02), Adel Elsayed, Boonton Twp, N.J., Dodge Viper, 2:21.215, 103.195. 26, (42), Mark LoPilato, Granbury, Texas, Porsche 911 Turbo, 2:21.414, 103.050. 27, (43), Tom Papadopoulos, East Hills, N.Y., Aston Martin DB9, 2:22.340, 102.380. 28, (76), John Bourassa, Jupiter Island, Fla., Porsche 911 Turbo, 2:22.344, 102.377. 29, (53), Mike Hartley, Cherry Hill, N.J., Dodge Viper GTS, 2:22.759, 102.079. 30, (40), Greg Weirick(R), Malibu, Calif., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 2:23.463, 101.578. 31, (47), Bob Taylor, Denver, Colo., Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 2:23.760, 101.369. 32, (04), Michael Greenberg(R), LaCanada, Calif., Dodge Viper, 2:25.923, 99.866. 33, (9), Adam Malmquist, Chicago, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 2:25.946, 99.850. Erin Cechal SCCA Public Relations Specialist ecechal@scca.com 800/770-2055