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Kleinubing Leads Wet Opening Touring Car Session in Jersey


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MILLVILLE, May 1, 2009: Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Creek, Fla., paced the opening practice for Saturday’s SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship Round Two race at New Jersey Motorsports Park’s Thunderbolt Raceway. Andrew Aquilante, of Phoenixville, Pa., and Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., completed the top three.

In damp conditions, Kleinubing turned a fastest time of 1:43.125 (78.600 mph) around the 2.25-mile circuit in his No. 42 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX. Traditionally very tough to beat in the rain, he led the majority of the session, getting faster with each lap before turning his fastest time on his 11th, and final, lap.

“That was the first time I drove that car in the wet,” Kleinubing said of his brand-new 2009 TSX. “I was pleasantly surprised how fast that car was in the wet. It was very easy to drive. It was very hooked up. The track felt pretty good. It was better than I anticipated. The Subaru got pretty close at the end, but we’ll see what happens. It was only one practice.”

Kleinubing opened the season with a second-place finish at Sebring, but that was in last-year’s car.

“This is the first weekend with the car and I am pretty happy.”

Just 0.006-second behind Kleinubing was the all-wheel drive No. 35 Phoenix Performance Subaru WRX of Aquilante. Like Kleinubing, Aquilante improved throughout the session, jumping to second at the end with a 1:43.059 (78.595 mph).

Cunningham also turned his fastest time late in the session in the No. 1 Acura/RealTime/Red Line Oil Acura TSX, just 0.014-second off Kleinubing, with a 1:43.067 (78.589 mph).

TriPoint Racing teammates Eric Foss and Jason Saini, both of Fort Worth, Texas, completed the top five in their Mazdaspeed/Stoptech/ProParts MAZDA6s, turning laps of 1:43.387 (78.346 mph) and 1:43.834 (78.009 mph), respectively.

Kuno Wittmer (Acura TSX), Charles Espenlaub (MAZDA6), James Clay (BMW 328i), Toby Grahovec (Acura TSX) and point leader Seth Thomas (BMW 328i) completed the top 10.