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TRANS-AM: Simo Takes Road America Trans-Am Pole

10 July 1999


 ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Series point leader Brian Simo, of Carlsbad, Calif.,
took his third BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series pole of the season, and will
lead Michael Lewis, of San Diego, Calif., and Paul Gentilozzi, of Lansing,
Mich., to the green flag for Saturday's 25-lap, 101.2-mile contest at Road
America.

 Simo, driving the No. 2 Valvoline Ford Mustang Cobra, turned a lap of
2:10.947 (111.28 mph) around the 14-turn 4.048-mile circuit for his fifth
career pole. Simo leads Gentilozzi in series points (101 to 97) after four
1999 rounds.

 "The team is going well," said Simo. "They've made good decisions and we've
had good results. This race is a 100-mile all-out sprint. You don't save
nothin' in these races unless you're planning on taking parts home. We plan
to use everything up during the race."

 Driving the No. 12 AmeriSuites Ford Mustang Cobra, Lewis joins Simo on the
front row for the second time this season with a lap of 2:11.165 (111.10
mph). Lewis sits third in points, with 92, and is the only driver to finish
all four 1999 races in the top-10.

 "We're real happy where we are," said Lewis. "I'd love to get my first
Trans-Am win here. Our sponsorship program with AmeriSuites has made a
testing program possible and the team is poised to make an advance."

 Gentilozzi drove the No. 1 Johnson Controls/Homelink Ford Mustang Cobra to
a fast time of 2:11.357 (110.94 mph) despite a brake problem during
qualifying. The defending series champion was six turns away from winning
the 1998 Road America event before a mechanical problem dropped him from
contention.

 "After running the Corvette last year, we're still learning about the car,"
said Gentilozzi. "We put new brake calipers on right before qualifying and
didn't get all the air out. It wasn't worth taking a chance on wrecking the
car for a few tenths. And at Road America, you gotta know when you're going
to stop."

 Max Lagod, of Barrington, Ill., and Dorsey Schroeder, of Osage Beach, Fla.,
completed the BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series five fastest qualifiers.

-30-

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. -- Starters for Saturday's 25-lap, 101.2-mile BFGoodrich
Tires Trans-Am Series Round Five race, part of the Texaco/Havoline 200
Weekend at Road America, with starting position,  car number in parenthesis,
driver, hometown, car, time and speed in miles-per-hour.

   1. (2), Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:10.947, 111.287.
   2. (12), Michael Lewis, San Diego, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:11.165, 111.102.
   3. (1), Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:11.357, 110.940.
   4. (83), Max Lagod, Barrington, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:12.289, 110.158.
   5. (7), Dorsey Schroeder, Osage Beach, Mo., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:12.622, 109.882.
   6. (49), Randy Ruhlman, Greensboro, N.C., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:12.772, 109.758.
   7. (28), Lou Gigliotti, Garland, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:12.959, 109.603.
   8. (4), G.J. Mennen, Austin, Texas, Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:13.095, 109.491.
   9. (64), Johnny W. Miller IV, Johnson City, Tenn., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:13.240, 109.372.
 10. (66), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Pontiac Grand Prix, 2:14.429, 108.405.
 11. (23), Bob Ruman, Munroe Falls, Ohio, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:14.656, 108.222.
 12. (40), Steve Pelke, Lansing, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:15.159, 107.819.
 13. (10), Don Sak, West Bloomfield, Mich., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 2:15.688, 107.399.
 14. (84), Chris Neville, Scottsdale, Ariz., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:16.038, 107.123.
 15. (89), Bill Gray, Springdale, Ark., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:16.263, 106.946.
 16. (15), Tomy Drissi, Hollywood, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:16.600, 106.682.
 17. (24), Rick Dittman, Prairie View, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:16.864, 106.476.
 18. (75), Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:17.495, 105.987.
 19. (59), Simon Gregg, Jacksonville, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:17.824, 105.734.
 20. (8), Tom Coleman, Asheville, N.C., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:17.912, 105.667.
 21. (36), Claudio Burtin, Atlanta, Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:20.951, 103.389.
 22. (42), James Briody, Cherry Hill, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:21.238, 103.179.
 23. (82), Dick Greer, Columbus, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:22.576, 102.210.
 24. (26), Jerry Kinn, Anchorage, Alaska, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:22.922, 101.963.
 25. (27), Mike Gagliardo, Chicago, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:23.512, 101.544.
 26. (76), Jerry Simmons, Ancaster, Ontario, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:24.635, 100.755.
 27. (13), C. David Seuss, Charlestown, Mass., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 2:24.768, 100.663.
 28. (6), Frank Cioppettini, Far Hills, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:25.861, 99.908.
 29. (98), Jim Moyer, Kokomo, N.Y., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:30.631, 96.745.
 30. (38), Dan Furey, Columbus, Ohio, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:41.420, 90.278.
 31. (11), Kenny Bupp, Ft. Laudersdale, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, no time.
 32. (37), Jeff Simunaci, Omaha, Neb., Chevrolet Monte Carlo, no time.

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