Crescentini Tops SPEED GT Practice Day at Mosport

CANADA, May 16, 2009: Dino Crescentini, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., topped the afternoon practice session to lead the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship into qualifying for Sunday’s Round Four race, part of the Victoria Day Weekend at Mosport International Raceway. Tony Rivera, of Missouri City, Texas, and Tony Gaples, of Libertyville, Ill., completed the top three.

In the afternoon session that offered a drier track than the morning session, although not yet ideal, Crescentini toured the 10-turn, 2.459-mile circuit in his No. 4 Stoptech/GMG Porsche 911 GT3 with a fast lap of 1:27.958 (95.542 mph), approximately five seconds off of what is expected to be a fast dry time.

It is Crescentini’s first time back in the car since a massive crash at Long Beach forced him to miss the last two Rounds after starting his season off with a pole position at Sebring in March.

Rivera was just 0.019-second off Crescentini’s pace, with a 1:27.977 (100.643 mph) in his No. 97 Tax Masters/Mirage Group Porsche 911 GT3. Gaples was another four tenths behind in his No. 34 Kleinschmidt/Blackdog Racing Chevrolet Corvette, with a best time of 1:28.361 (100.184 mph).

James Sofronas (No. 14 Global Motorsports Group Porsche 911 GT3) and Jason Daskalos (No. 5 Daskalos Developments Dodge Viper) completed the top five.

Andy Pilgrim, who topped the morning session with a 1:43 lap time, was sixth after turning a handful of laps in his No. 8 K-Pax Racing Volvo S60 with a 1:31.386 (96.868 mph).

Several cars elected not to go out at all in the two sessions Saturday, having tested under dry conditions Friday with a better weather forecast for Sunday, including point leader Brandon Davis in his No. 10 Applied Computer Solutions/SunMicro Ford Mustang Cobra.