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SCCA: Miller scores first pole with new record for Sebring Trans-Am opener

17 March 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

FIVE DIFFERENT CARS MAKE UP THE FAST FIVE

SEBRING, Fla. (March 16) - Johnny Miller, driving the No. 64 Automationdirect.com Chevrolet Corvette, earned his first career pole, setting a new course record in the process to front a 34-car field for the BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series season opening race at Sebring International Raceway.

Including Millers pole-winning Corvette, the Fast Five qualifiers were all in different car models, with seven of the top-eight spots claimed by different models. The all-time series record for race-winning model diversity is seven (Road Atlanta, 1987, positions one through seven).

Miller, of Johnson City, Tenn., posted a top time of 2:03.999 (107.420 mph), shaving more than a second off the previous qualifying record of 2:05.445, set by Paul Gentilozzi in 1999.

"This is just fantastic, this is the best," said Miller. "A lot of details went into this pole, and we worked very hard to be ready for this race, putting in 900 miles of testing in the off season. We had a setback early in the week in testing (losing a motor), but we regrouped and here we are."

In 55 previous career starts, Miller has 14 Fast Five qualifying efforts, posting eight top-three finishes.

"This race will be won at the last turn of the last lap, and we plan to be right there," added Miller.

Qualifying second at 2:04.127 (107.309 mph) was Boris Said, driving the No. 12 AmeriSuites Ford Mustang Cobra. Said, who will compete in the 48th Annual Superflo 12 Hours at Sebring, subbed in practice and qualifying for series regular Michael Lewis, who is expected to start the 27-lap, 99.9-mile race (from the back of the grid) but missed the early sessions due to the death of his father.

Defending Sebring race winner and two-time Drivers Champion Gentilozzi, driving the No. 1 Johnson Controls/HomeLink Jaguar KXR in its series debut, was third fastest, posting a time of 2:04.322 (107.141 mph), followed by Brian Simo, in the No. 88 Tommy Bahama Mangusta, and Leighton Reese, in the No. 66 Banner Engineering/Phillips 66 Pontiac Grand Prix.

"I messed up my fast lap - my tires werent yet up to temperature, I ran too hard, and the car pushed," said Gentilozzi. "But Im not making an excuse - with Johnnys time, we probably wouldnt have had the pole today anyway. We just finished the cars last Sunday night, and were still off. Its going to take a while to get up to speed, so if theres ever a chance for our competitors to get a leg up, this is it."

Chris Neville was sixth fastest, driving the No. 84 Soenen Motorsports Mustang Cobra, followed by Randy Ruhlman, in the No. 49 Preformed Line Products Oldsmobile Aurora, and G.J. Mennen, in the No. 40 American Health Products Chevrolet Camaro, the seventh different car in the top-eight qualifying positions.

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SEBRING, Fla. - Starting lineup for Fridays 27-lap, 99.9-mile BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series season-opening race at the Sebring International Raceway, part of the 48th Annual Superflo 12 Hours at Sebring, with starting position, car number in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car, time and speed in miles-per-hour.

1. (64), Johnny Miller, Johnson City, Tenn., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:03.999, 107.420.

2. (12), Boris Said, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:04.127, 107.309.

3. (1), Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich., Jaguar XKR, 2:04.322, 107.141.

4. (88), Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif., Mangusta, 2:04.872, 106.669.

5. (66), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Pontiac Grand Prix, 2:05.089, 106.484.

6. (84), Chris Neville, Scottsdale, Ariz., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:05.254, 106.343.

7. (49), Randy Ruhlman, Greensboro, N.C., Oldsmobile Aurora, 2:05.899, 105.799.

8. (40), G.J. Mennen, Austin, Texas, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:06.004, 105.710.

9. (5), Jeff Altenburg, Baltimore, Md., Jaguar XKG, 2:06.588, 105.223.

10. (23), Bob Ruman, Munroe Falls, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:07.291, 104.642.

11. (16), Willy T. Ribbs, San Jose, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:07.836, 104.196.

12. (48), Jack Willes, Cornelius, N.C., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:08.443, 103.703.

13. (10), Donald Sak, W. Bloomfield, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:08.973, 103.277.

14. (98), Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:09.194, 103.100.

15. (70), Peter Shea, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:09.566, 102.804.

16. (31), Don Meluzio, York, Pa., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:09.748, 102.660.

17. (18), Jon Leavy, Miami, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:09.757, 102.653.

18. (11), Mike Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:09.784, 102.632.

19. (59), Simon Gregg, Jacksonville, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:09.836, 102.591.

20. (28), Lou Gigliotti, Dallas, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:09.973, 102.482.

21. (19), Steve Pelke, Lansing, Ill., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:10.607, 101.985.

22. (9), Gary Johnson, Knoxville, Tenn., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:10.869, 101.781.

23. (14), John Macaluso, Winter Haven, Fla., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:10.895, 101.761.

24. (38), Kerry Alexander, Indianapolis, Ind., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:10.945, 101.722.

25. (46), Bill Bentley, Longwood, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:11.178, 101.541.

26. (8), John Paul Jr., West Palm Beach, Fla., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:13.464, 99.802.

27. (82), Dick Greer, Columbus, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:14.657, 98.917.

28. (24), Jim Briody, Cherry Hill, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:15.122, 98.577.

29. (27), Steve Ahlgrim, Chicago, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:16.075, 97.887.

30. (17), Jerry Kinn, Anchorage, Alaska, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:17.117, 97.143.

31. (43), Andre Toennis, Houston, Texas, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:17.968, 96.544.

32. (08), Richard La Barbera, East Stroudsburg, Pa., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:19.049, 95.793.

33. (25), Monica Kolvyn, Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:21.679, 94.015.

34. (15), Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:29.244, 89.249.

Text provided by SCCA

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