SCCA PRO (LAGUNA SECA) - Pobst Quickest in SPEED GT Practice at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Current Drivers' Championship point leader Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., paced morning practice at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for Round Ten of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship, part of the Monterey Sports Car Championships. His teammate, Michael Galati, of Olmstead, Ohio, was second, followed by Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton, Fla.

With his eyes firmly set on claiming the 2007 SCCA SPEED GT Drivers' Championship, Pobst laid down the fastest practice time of the 20-minute morning session, despite battling a case of food poisoning. Driving the No. 22 K-PAX Racing LLC/Jim Haughey Porsche 911 GT-3, Pobst landed at the top of the time sheets with a 1:30.118 (89.402 mph)

"What I keep hearing around the paddock is that Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a Porsche track," Pobst said. "I'm not exactly convinced of that, but I hope they're right. We've made steady progress on the Porsche at K-PAX and I think we're in a good position at the moment. I don't feel like I'm taking risks to make the car go fast and that's a really good place to be.

"I do have a speed secret though: I got food poisoning last night. I was up all night sick as a dog. I just limped in this morning, but once I put the helmet on and buckled the seatbelt it was as if nothing ever happened. But, as soon as I stopped in the paddock again, I wanted to take a nap."

Galati, ended the session 0.075-second behind his teammate, turning a 1:30.193 (89.328 mph) in the No. 23 K-PAX Racing LLC/Jim Haughey Porsche 911 GT-3. Pilgrim completed the top three in the No. 8 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V with a time of 1:30.470 (89.055 mph). Pilgrim was followed on the timesheets by Ron Fellows, of Mississauga, Ont., also in the No. 16 XM/Mobil 1/Motorola/Bose Cadillac CTS-V, who clocked a 1:30.566 (88.960 mph).

James Sofronas, of Newport Beach, Calif., completed the top five, turning a 1:30.610 (88.917 mph) in the No. 14 GMG/Tolar Manufacturing Porsche 911 GT3.

Scotty B. White (Dodge Viper), Lawson Aschenbach (Cadillac CTS-V), Cindi Lux (Dodge Viper), Michael McCann (Dodge Viper) and Jeff Courtney (Dodge Viper) completed the top ten.