Archer Captures Round Nine Speed GT Pole at Road Atlanta

BRASELTON, Ga. (Sept. 28, 2006) – Tommy Archer, of Duluth, Minn., set a new SPEED World Challenge GT qualifying record en route to capturing his third SPEED GT pole of the season at Road Atlanta. Defending SPEED GT champion Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla., and Leighton Reese, of Minnetonka, Minn., completed the top three.

Driving the No. 5 c3controls/Dodge Motorsports Dodge SRT Viper, Archer grabbed the pole position for tomorrow’s penultimate round of the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Championship in his first flying lap around the 12-turn, 2.54-mile track with a time of 1:26.441 (105.783 mph).

“It just totally surprised me,�?? Archer said of his qualifying effort. “They said, ‘you’re P1,’ and I said ‘P1!’ I knew the car was decent, but we couldn’t get a full lap in over the week because we were always in traffic. I tend to do it different then everyone else. I don’t worry about what my lap time is until it counts.�??

Pilgrim, who is coming off a disappointing 21st-place finish at Mosport, hopes to better that effort when he starts on the outside of row one tomorrow. Pilgrim powered his No. 1 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/On Star Cadillac CTS-V to a quick time of 1:26.539 (105.663 mph) in his first lap.

Starting third in his No. 6 Banner Engineering Chevrolet Corvette C6, Reese is still looking for his first SPEED GT win since returning to the series in 2004. Reese set a fast time of 1:26.581 (105.612 mph).

Lou Gigliotti, of Dallas, is looking for his third win of the season and will start fourth in his No. 28 LG ProLong Tub Headers Chevrolet Corvette C6 after turning a 1:27.144 (104.929 mph). Max Angelelli, of Monte Carlo, Monaco, turned a 1:27.318 (104.720 mph) to qualify fifth in his No. 12 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/On Star Cadillac CTS-V.

Gigliotti had provisionally qualified fifth, but he, and all other drivers, moved up one position after the No. 23 At Speed Motorsports Porsche 911 Cup of Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., did not clear post-qualifying tech due to the car being underweight.

The standing start for Friday’s Round Nine race is scheduled for 4:55 p.m. (EDT). Live Timing and Scoring Presented by SRT and live race notes will be available during the race via the SCCA Pit Board through the event home page www.world-challenge.com.

BRASELTON, Ga. - Starting lineup for Friday’s SCCA Pro Racing SPEED WORLD CHALLENGE GT Round Nine race, part of the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, 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 SRT Viper, 1:26.441, 105.783.

2,(1), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, 1:26.539, 105.663.

3,(6), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 1:26.581, 105.612.

4,(28), Lou Gigliotti, Dallas, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette C6, 1:27.144, 104.929.

5,(12), Max Angelelli, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Cadillac CTS-V, 1:27.318, 104.720.

6,(16), Ron Fellows, Mississauga, Ontario, Cadillac CTS-V, 1:27.354, 104.677.

7,(14), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:27.480, 104.526.

8,(66), Lawson Aschenbach(R), Gaithersburg, Md., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:27.515, 104.485.

9,(82), Mike McCann, N. Canton, Ohio, Dodge Viper, 1:27.526, 104.471.

10,(13), Bob Woodhouse, Blair, Neb., Dodge Viper, 1:27.862, 104.072.

11,(17), Rob Foster(R), Phoenix, Ariz., Dodge Viper, 1:28.187, 103.688.

12,(87), Doug Peterson, Bonita Sprints, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 1:28.453, 103.377.

13,(64), Ricardo Imery(R), Caracas, VN, Porsche 911 GT3, 1:28.514, 103.305.

14,(21), Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, Calif., Pontiac GTO, 1:28.646, 103.151.

15,(31), Sonny Whelen, Old Saybrook, Conn., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 1:28.929, 102.823.

16,(24), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, Volvo S60R, 1:28.955, 102.793.

17,(83), Jim McCann_Jr, Canton, Ohio, Dodge Viper, 1:28.959, 102.789.

18,(44), Johnny Mowlem, Charvil Berkshire, England, Aston Martin DB9, 1:29.055, 102.678.

19,(56), Ritch Marziale, Tempe, Ariz., Dodge Viper Comp Coupe, 1:29.114, 102.610.

20,(26), Claudio Burtin, Atlanta, Ga., Chevrolet Corvette C6, 1:29.298, 102.398.

21,(77), Brett Pearson(R), Orlando, Fla., Dodge Viper, 1:30.121, 101.463.

22,(43), Tom Papadopoulos, East Hills, N.Y., Aston Martin DB9, 1:30.192, 101.383.

23,(9), Adam Malmquist, Chicago, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette Z06, 1:31.234, 100.225.

24,(20), Dane Moxlow, Grosse Ilt, Mich., Pontiac GTO, 1:31.348, 100.100.

25,(76), John Bourassa, Jupiter Island, Fla., Porsche 911 Turbo, 1:31.382, 100.063.

26,(58), Kenny Hawkins(R), Raleigh, N.C., Dodge Viper, 1:31.652, 99.768.

27,(11), Mike Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 1:30.357, 101.198.

28,(23), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Porsche 911 Cup, no time.