Ave's Practice Time Foreshadows Potential Trans-Am Mid-Ohio Qualifying Record

LEXINGTON, May 30, 2009): Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C., fired the first shot of the weekend, running just off Tommy Kendall’s 12-year old qualifying record in preparation for this afternoon’s qualifying for Sunday’s Muscle Milk SCCA Trans-Am Series Round Four race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Jorge Diaz Jr., of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Tomy Drissi, of Los Angeles, Calif., completed the top three.

Driving the No. 10 McMahon Group/Stumpf Ford Mustang, Ave turned a fast lap time of 1:22.665 (98.334 mph) on his final lap around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course circuit. His time was just 0.138-second off Kendall’s mark of 1:22.527 (98.499 mph) set during his historic run to 11-straight Trans-Am wins in 1997.

Ave seeks his third pole in four Trans-Am races this season later today.

Diaz Jr. led much of the session in his No. 2 JD Racing Jaguar XKR, and finished just off Ave’s best time with a 1:22.887 (98.070 mph). The two-time series winner captured his first-career pole position two weeks ago at Mosport International Raceway before finishing third.

Drissi, the only other series winner in this weekend’s field and the driver currently tied atop the point standings with Ave, ran a 1:24.357 (96.361 mph) in his No. 5 Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Jaguar XKR.

Drissi’s Rocketsports Racing teammate, Daniel Ramoutarsingh, of Trinidad, was fourth quickest in his No. 8 Trinico Steel & Wire Products Jaguar XKR, with a lap of 1:25.357 (95.233 mph). Amy Ruman, of Kent, Ohio, was just behind him after turning a 1:25.567 (94.999 mph) in her No. 23 McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Corp Chevrolet Corvette.

John Schaller (Chevrolet Camaro), R.J. Lopez (Chevrolet Corvette), Edison Lluch Sr. (Chevrolet Corvette), Simon Gregg (Chevrolet Corvette) and Ryan McManus (Ford Mustang) completed the top 10.

Qualifying for Sunday’s Muscle Milk SCCA Trans-Am Series Round Four race is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 3:45 p.m. (EDT) but may run late due to morning delays for other on-track sessions. To follow Live Timing & Scoring, and for more series information, please visit www.sccatrans-am.com.