GRAND AM (LAGUNA SECA) - Wilden Puts No. 01 Scada Pack Chevrolet Cobalt on Pole

After fighting for the top time in the KONI Challenge Street Tuner (ST) throughout Friday’s 15-minute qualifying session, Kenny Wilden put the No. 01 Scada Pack Chevrolet Cobalt owned by Georgian Bay Motorsports on the pole for Saturday’s Monterey 200 with a time of 1:42.018 (78.974 mph).

Wilden—who is co-driving the No. 01 machine with Jamie Holtom—was among the top seven drivers throughout the 15-minute session, and put together his best lap with two minutes remaining. He had previously been seventh after putting together a couple slower laps than he had turned early in the session.

But when Wilden noticed he had fallen out of the top five, he mashed the pedal as hard as he could, and swept through the famed “Corkscrew” the smoothest he had during the session, grabbing a two-tenths advantage over Joe Scarbrough’s No. 63 Tolliver House Restaurant/Winterhaven Farms, LLC Mazda RX-8, owned by Roar Racing.

“I’m a little bit surprised, actually,” Wilden said. “We were sitting second and I figured that was about as much as we were going to get out of it. I did a cool-down, probably two cool-down laps, and by that time, I was sitting seventh, so I had a little panic going. I got real nice lap in, probably the best I’ve gotten through The Corkscrew and the left-hander right after The Corkscrew.

“I just had the grip. I think the cool-down lap really helped with that. I was pushing pretty hard, and I thought, ‘sitting seventh, maybe I’ll get up to third or something.’ I think the cool-down laps is what brought the tires back for me and gave me the grip. Right at the initial turn-in was where it was the best. I’m pretty happy for Scada Pack and Chevy. It’s good.”

Adam Burrows, driving the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i, landed the second quick time on his penultimate lap, clocking in at 1:42.210 (78.826 mph), and he will start on the outside of the front row. Burrows and co-driver Trevor Hopwood enter Saturday’s race sharing the KONI Challenge Series ST points lead.

“To qualify on the front row after not having driven here in over a decade is a great way to start the weekend,” said Burrows. “I have to thank the Turner Motorsport guys because they did a lot of work on this car overnight. We had some engine challenges yesterday and a slight handling imbalance earlier today but, clearly, everything was just perfect for qualifying. I wish I could have gotten the pole for the guys, but I know Trevor (Hopwood) will do another great job tomorrow and hopefully we can keep our momentum up in the points.”

Scarbrough was third with a time of 1:42.244 (78.826 mph) in the car he shares with Andy Brumbaugh. Leo Maia, in the No. 86 Classic BMW – Plano BMW Z4 was fourth at 1:42.412 (78.800 mph) and will co-drive with Toby Grahovec. Glenn Bocchino was fifth in the No. 31 i-MOTO Racing Cobalt Friction/Alpine Stars Acura TSX at 1:42.422 (78.663 mph). Bocchino’s co-driver is Nick Wittmer.

Saturday’s KONI Challenge ST race is slated for a 12:20 p.m. start and is scheduled for 112 laps (250.656 miles, 400 kilometers), with a two-and-a-half hour time limit.

SEGAL TOPS GRAND SPORT PRACTICE CHARTS

With a best lap at 1:36.833 (83.203 mph) in the day’s first of two practice sessions, Jeff Segal stood atop the practice time charts in the No. 09 Fresh From Florida/Automatic Racing BMW M3. Segal and co-driver Jep Thornton have finished inside the top five in two of their three Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series starts with a best result of third at Iowa Speedway last month.

“It’s really good to be quickest in practice,” Segal said. “I mean, obviously, it’s not the race and it’s not qualifying, but we’ll take it. The cars are really hooked up. The entire Automatic Racing/Fresh From Florida team has just worked really hard this season to put some good cars together. We’ve been consistent. We’ve been in the top five pretty frequently, so hopefully we can just keep it together and bring home another big points haul.”

Second-quickest in GS was Todd Snyder in the No. 137 ACKGO Inc. Consulting Group Ford Mustang GT with a lap at 1:37.108 (82.967 mph). Snyder is sharing the ride with Mark Ackley for JBS Motorsports, and also set his quickest time of the day in the morning session.

Andy Lally was third-quickest with a lap at 1:37.130 (82.949 mph) during the afternoon session in the No. 41 Carlsen Porsche/Mitchell Global Porsche 997. Lally is co-driving with Ted Ballou in one of four KONI Challenge Series entries for the Petaluma, Calif.-based TRG team.

Kris Wilson was fourth-quickest in the No. 25 Denon/C-MAX Porsche 997 with a lap at 1:37.166 (82.918 mph). Wilson is sharing the car with Dave Riddle on the Fiorano/C-MAX Racing team. Conrad Grunewald rounded out the top five in the No. 91 Gluekos Sports Drink/Fresh From Florida BMW M3 with a lap at 1:37.912 (82.896 mph). Grunewald, a resident of Monterey, Calif. is co-driving with Tim George Jr. in another BMW from Automatic Racing.