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SCCA Runoffs - Provisional Polesitters Set In 12 Classes Tuesday At Road America


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ELKHART LAKE, Sep. 19, 2012: Twelve drivers will go to sleep Tuesday night as provisional polesitters following the opening day of the 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs® at Road America.

It was a cool, yet sunny day built for speed, with seven different drivers setting event qualifying records. Ten classes ran two of the three qualifying sessions used to set the grid for this week’s National Championship-deciding races, with GT-1 and GT-2 on track just once on opening day.

Three different drivers sit at the top of the charts after the first day in an effort to extend consecutive Gumout Pole streaks to four. Corey Fergus, of Lewis Center, Ohio, is on his way to stretching his Sports 2000 streak, lowering his own track record on Tuesday to 2:15.826 (106.018 mph) in his No. 00 Hoosier Tires/Carbotech Brakes Carbir CS2/Ford. Cliff Ebben, an Appleton, Wis. native, topped the GT-1 standings in the No. 36 McMahhon Group/Stumpf Ford/Hoosier Ford Mustang, running a 2:04.743 (115.437 mph) in his lone session of the day at his home track. Three-time defending Formula Enterprises Champion Scott Rettich once again leads the class, posting a 2:14.007 (107.457 mph) in the No. 17 Alliance Autosport/Springboro Car Wash Formula Enterprises/Mazda.

Doug Peterson, of Bonita Springs, Fla., had quite a day in the two classes in which he’s participating. Peterson set a new Formula Mazda track record in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Star Formula Mazda with a lap time of 2:14.877 (106.764 mph), and also sits second in GT-1. Peterson turned a lap of 2:05.390 (114.842 mph) in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette and, with two session to go in GT-1, sits just 0.647-second behind Ebben for the pole.

Four of the classes that posted times on Tuesday saw a gap of just two-tenths of less at the top, with two of those coming in the Showroom Stock category. Luke Wilwert, of Marysville, Ohio, drove his No. 79 HPD/BFGoodrich Tires/Alpinestars Honda Civic Si to a lap of 2:42.252 (88.751 mph), just 0.207-second ahead of Ralph Porter’s No. 32 Dryer & Reinbold BMW/Hoosier Tire BMW Z4 for the provisional pole in Showroom Stock B. Charlie James, of Joplin, Mo., leads Showroom Stock C by just 0.068-second in the No. 0 SafeRacer/Alpine Stars/BFGoodrich Tires Hyundai Tiburon after Brian Husting lowered the No. 65 BFGoodrich Tires/Team Associated Chevrolet Cobalt’s fast lap in the day’s second session.

On his last flying lap of the class’s second session, Scott Tucker just grabbed the Super Touring® Over pole with a 2:15.751 (106.077 mph) in the No. 55 Hoosier Porsche 996. Tucker swiped the lead from David Pintaric’s No. 40 Kryderacing/Carbotech/Hoosier Dodge Viper ACR by 0.011-second after Pintaric had posted a 2:15.762 (106.068 mph). Both times were under the existing record.

Defending Touring 1 champ John Buttermore is on the provisional Gumout Pole after two sessions on Tuesday, though the No. 52 Hoosier/Carbotech/Stoptech Chevrolet Corvette sat out the second of the 30-minute qualifying runs. Buttermore’s time of 2:21.824 (101.534 mph) was only 0.188-second ahead of the 2:22.012 (101.400 mph) that Andrew Aquilante turned in the No. 36 Phoenix/Hoosier/Hawk Ford Mustang Cobra SVT.

The three classes running in the final two groups of the day also set track records. Gerald Szykulski, of Edina, Minn., drove the No. 31 Rotary Systems Inc./Arms Up Motorsports Van Diemen DP08 Ford to a 2:10.218 (110.584 mph) in Formula Continental®, while Tim Kautz placed his No. 88 Braeburn/Two Dogg/Hoosier/Euroquipe Piper DF3D Honda at the top in Formula F, with a 2:20.563 (102.445 mph).

Andy McDermid, of Howell, Mich., ended the day with his No. 24 WeatherTech/Felice Performance Eng/T&A Shocks Ford Mustang on the American Sedan pole after a 2:26.361 (98.387 mph).

Qualifying continues on Wednesday in a new-for-2012 rolling schedule that includes both qualifying and racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and a full day of races on Sunday. Gumout Pole Positions will be set in these 12 classes on Wednesday, with the remaining 29 classes participating as the week progresses.

Follow all the live timing and scoring at www.scca.com/runoffs. Live Twitter stream is available @SCCALive. Follow this week’s activities on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SCCAOfficial.

The SCCA National Championship Runoffs®, The Pinnacle of American Motorsports, will crown Sports Car Club of America’s Club Racing National Champions for the 49th-consecutive year in 2012. National Champions will be crowned Thursday, September 20 through Sunday, September 23.

Each race will be broadcast live on www.speedcastTV.com.

Provisional polesitters following Tuesday’s qualifying sessions for this weekend’s 49th SCCA National Championship Runoffs at Road America, with class: provisional pole sitter, hometown, car, fastest time (speed); second place driver, hometown, car, fastest time (speed). * - Denotes better than existing track record.

*American Sedan: Andy McDermid, Howell, Mich., Ford Mustang, 2:26.361 (98.387); Thomas West, Standish, Mich., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:28.248 (97.135).

*Sports 2000: Corey Fergus, Lewis Center, Ohio, Carbir CS2/Ford, 2:15.826 (106.018); Mark Mercer, Aurora, Colo., Lola 90/91/Ford, 2:17.326 (104.860).

*Formula Continental: Gerald Szykulski, Edina, Minn., Van Diemen DP08 Ford , 2:10.218 (110.584); Nicholas Coello, Dousman, Wis., Firman RFR 2000, 2:11.059 (109.874).

Formula Enterprises: Scott Rettich, Camden, Ohio, Formula Enterprises/Mazda, 2:14.007 (107.457); Patrick Gallagher, Thornville, Ohio, Formula Enterprises/Mazda, 2:15.220 (106.493).

*Formula F: Tim Kautz, Geneva, Ill., Piper DF3D Honda, 2:20.563 (102.445); Lewis Cooper III, Grosse Point, Mich., Van Diemen RF00 Ford, 2:20.707 (102.340).

*Formula Mazda: Douglas Peterson, Bonita Springs, Fla., Star Formula Mazda, 2:14.877 (106.764); Robert Noell, Cary, N.C., Star Formula Mazda, 2:15.688 (106.125818053181).

GT-1: Cliff Ebben, Appleton, Wis., Ford Mustang, 2:04.743 (115.437); Douglas Peterson, Bonita Springs, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:05.390 (114.842).

*GT-2: Pete Peterson, Lumberton, N.C., Toyota Celica, 2:15.992 (105.889); Tom Wickersham, San Ramon, Calif., Porsche GT3 Cup, 2:17.397 (104.806).

Touring 1: John Buttermore, Wixom, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:21.824 (101.534); Andrew Aquilante, Chester Springs, Pa., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:22.012 (101.400).

*Super Touring Over: Scott Tucker, Overland Park, Kan., Porsche 996, 2:15.791 (106.077); David Pintaric, Canfield, Ohio, Dodge Viper ACR, 2:15.762 (106.068).

Showroom Stock B: Luke Wilwert, Marysville, Ohio, Honda Civic Si, 2:42.252 (88.751); Ralph Porter, Kokomo, Ind., BMW Z4, 2:42.459 (88.638).

Showroom Stock C: Charlie James, Joplin, Mo., Hyundai Tiburon, 2:48.727 (85.345); Brian Husting, Irvine, Calif., Chevrolet Cobalt, 2:48.795 (85.311).