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TOURING: Plumb takes first Speedvision Touring Car pole at Vegas

29 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
LAS VEGAS, Nev.--Hugh Plumb, of Chadds Ford, Pa., earned his first-career pole in a last-lap effort at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for this afternoon's Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car Championship Round Nine race. Mike Fitzgerald, of Phoenix, Ariz., and Will Turner, of Newburyport, Mass., completed the top-three, which was separated by only 0.075-second.

Driving the No. 43 BuySellorHold.com/RealTime Racing Acura Integra R, Plumb was outside of the top-five for the final nine minutes of the 20-minute qualifying session, but ripped off the fastest lap as the checkered flag fell, with a time of 1:30.661 (89.393 mph).

"I worked with my teammate at the beginning of the session, but neither of us are fast in a straight line," said Plumb. "At the end, I pulled my head out of my rear end and followed Neal Sapphe gave me a good tow. After the season I've had, this makes me feel really good. It gives me more self confidence, particularly since this is probably not a very good Acura track. It should be a good race with everyone so close."

Turner topped the charts for much of the session with a lap of 1:30.686 (89.319 mph) in his Turner Motorsport/H&R Springs BMW 328is, but was trumped by Fitzgerald's Pure Image/TCKlineRacing.com BMW 328Ci with one minute left. However, Fitzgerald's lap of 1:30.652 (89.352 mph) did not hold up.

Sapp, of Elicott City, Md., and Kevin Schrantz, of Boulder, Colo., completed the top-five.

Speedvision commentator John Bisignano, of Breckenridge, Colo., qualified 23rd in his first professional race since 1977. Bisignano will provide in-car commentary from behind the wheel of the Road&Track/Hikari Racing Toyota Celica GTS.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Qualifying times for Saturday's Speedvision World Challenge Touring Car Round Nine Race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, part of the Grand Prix of Las Vegas Presented by EnjoyTheDrive.com weekend, with position, car number in parenthesis, hometown, car, fastest time and speed in miles-per-hour.

1. (43), Hugh Plumb, Chadds Ford, Pa., Acura Integra R, 1:30.611, 89.393.
2. (12), Mike Fitzgerald(R), Phoenix, Ariz., BMW 328Ci, 1:30.652, 89.352.
3. (92), Will Turner, Newburyport, Mass., BMW 328is, 1:30.686, 89.319.
4. (2), Neal Sapp(R), Elicott City, Md., BMW 328Ci, 1:30.825, 89.182.
5. (44), Kevin Schrantz, Boulder, Colo., Acura Integra R, 1:30.923, 89.086.
6. (42), Pierre Kleinubing, Erexim, Brazil, Acura Integra R, 1:31.010, 89.001.
7. (51), Alfred duPont, Kennett Square, Pa., BMW 328is, 1:31.012, 88.999.
8. (94), Don Salama(R), Avon, Conn., BMW 328is, 1:31.692, 88..339.
9. (26), Steve Pfeffer(R), Etna, N.H., BMW 328is, 1:31.696, 88.335.
10. (21), Shauna Marinus(R), Folsom, Calif., BMW 328Ci, 1:31.794, 88.241.
11. (8), Taz Harvey, Danville, Calif., Acura Integra R, 1:31.917, 88.122.
12. (22), Justin Marks(R), Woodside, Calif., BMW 328is, 1:32.061, 87.985.
13. (00), Mark C. Reed, London, England, Acura Integra R, 1:32.685, 87.392.
14. (83), Steve Lisa, Scottsdale, Ariz., Mazda 626, 1:32.777, 87.306.
15. (02), Walter Markes Jr., Bronx, N.Y., BMW 328i, 1:32.905, 87.185.
16. (95), Drew Hagestad(R), Long Beach, Calif., VW Jetta, 1:32.932, 87.160.
17. (84), David Rosenblum, Langehorn, Pa., Mazda 626, 1:33.211, 86.899.
18. (49), Jeff Littel(R), Wilmington, Md., BMW 328is, 1:33.229, 86.882.
19. (80), Ken Dobson(R), Carmel Valley, Calif., Pont Sunfire GT, 1:33.285, 86.830.
20. (32), Davy Jones(R), Lake Tahoe, Nev., BMW 328Ci, 1:33.614, 86.525.
21. (60), Fred Pignataro, E. Northport, N.Y., BMW 328, 1:33.838, 86.318.
22. (46), Carlos Steyer(R), Porto Alegre, Brazil, Acura Integra R, 1:33.889, 86.272.
23. (98), John Bisignano(R), Breckenridge, Colo., Toyota Celica, 1:34.327, 85.871.
24. (17), Grant Lockwood, Cumming, Ga., Honda Prelude, 1:34.401, 85.804.
25. (82), Mike Buzzetti(R), San Francisco, Calif., Olds Achieva, 1:34.441, 85.767.
26. (56), Leo Capaldi(R), Lenox Twp., Mich., Mercury Cougar, 1:34.580, 85.641.
27. (99), Kurt Buchwald, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, Toyota Celica, 1:34.712, 85.522.
28. (62), Peter Bovenberg(R), Campbell, Calif., Honda Civic Si, 1:35.044, 85.223.
29. (01), Manny Matz, Somers, N.Y., BMW 328is, 1:35.263, 85.027.
30. (45), Fred Meyer, Dallas, Texas, Acura Integra R, 1:35.270, 85.021.
31. (50), Paul Alderman(R), Newark, Del., BMW 328is, 1:35.324, 84.973.
32. (53), Daniel Geiger(R), Grafton, Wis., Honda Prelude, 1:35.638, 84.694.
33. (33), Nick Vitucci(R), Bronx, N.Y., Acura Integra R, 1:36.587, 83.862.
34. (3), Albert Mirko, Morgan Hill, Calif., Ford Contour, 1:36.677, 83.784.
35. (04), Dan Wall(R), Carmel Valley, Calif., BMW 328i, 1:37.051, 83.461.
36. (57), Peter Miller, Phoenix, Ariz., Honda Civic, 1:41.082, 80.132.
37. (93), Peter Ackroyd(R), New Zealand, BMW 328is, no time.

Text Provided By Eric Prill

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