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SCCA: Gentilozzi takes Cleveland pole after Simo's car fails technical inspection

1 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

CLEVELAND--Paul Gentilozzi, of Lansing, Mich., took his 24th career BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am series pole for Saturday's Simple Green 100 at the Burke Lakefront Airport after Brian Simo's fastest time was disallowed following post-qualifying technical inspection. Randy Rhulman, of Greensboro, N.C., and Johnny Miller, of Johnson City, Tenn., completed the top-three.

Driving the No. 1 Johnson Controls/HomeLink Jaguar XKR, Gentilozzi posted a time of 1:14.226 (102.142 mph) around the 2.106 mile, 10-turn airport circuit, good enough for second, behind Simo's 1:13.396 (103.396). However, a post-qualifying technical inspection found Simo's car to be too low in the front, disallowing his times from the session and moving him to the back of the grid.

The pole for Gentilozzi was his fourth this season and third in a row. Gentilozzi won the last BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series Race, at Detroit, June 17.

"We new that Brian would be tough," said Gentilozzi. "We set our standards high and the tires that we chose determined our strategy. Winning is all that matters though. They don't put your picture in the magazine for this stuff, only winning."

Ruhlman, driving the No. 49 Preformed Line Products Oldsmobile Aurora, will start second on tomorrow's grid. Ruhlman posted a time of 1:14.354 (101.966) during his final trip around the circuit.

"Our program is coming along, the Aurora is a good package," said Ruhlman. "We need to put a race together and close the deal."

Miller will start the No. 64 Automationdirect.com/UPS Chevrolet Corvette third after posting a time of 1:15.045 (101.027 mph).

"We posted a good time after rebuilding most of the car since Detroit," said Miller. "The car was only 90 percent this afternoon and we will work on it tomorrow morning at the practice session."

Michael Lewis, of San Diego, Calif., and Jack Willes, of Cornelius, N.C., complete the Fast Five.

Gentilozzi stands to win an additional $30,000 in Simple Green "Clean Sweep" money if he can lead every lap of the Simple Green 100 and set the race's fastest lap. The Simple Green 100 begins Saturday at 4:45 p.m.

Text provided by Eric Prill

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