Peterson fends off Ruman for pole
June 20, 2014
Lawrence sets track record en route to TA2 pole, Berkeley and Napieralski lead TA3
Doug Peterson and the #87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette will start on pole for the VP Small Engine Fuels 100 Miles of Madness, Round 6 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship, at Road America.
Throughout the qualifying session Peterson battled back and forth with Amy Ruman, behind the wheel of the #23 McNichols Company Chevrolet Corvette, each outdoing the other from lap to lap. And while ultimately Peterson’s time of 2:05.375 was enough to secure his place at the front of the grid tomorrow, it was by a small margin; as Ruman’s final time of 2:05.675 was just off pace. The two will start side by side tomorrow for the second race in a row—appropriate given that they only have 2 points separating each other in the Championship standings.
Road America veteran and hometown favorite Cliff Ebben, in the #36 Stumpf Ford/ McMahon Group Ford Mustang, came in third. Ebben has a long history of success on this, his home track, including a win in 2011. He also has not missed a podium here since then—coming in second in 2012 and 2013.
The top five in the TA class was rounded out by Simon Gregg, in the #59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, and John Baucom, in the #86 Baucom Motorsports/ RoadRaceparts.com Chevrolet Corvette.
In TA2, Cameron Lawrence, current TA2 defending Champion and current points leader, set a track record pace of 2:16.124 on his way to the pole position for tomorrow’s race. Lawrence, in the #1 Trick Titanium Chevrolet Camaro, will have Adam Andretti, in the #44 ECC Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, start alongside him. Andretti, currently second to Lawrence in the points, and Lawrence have started side by side every race this year; but Andretti has claimed the last three pole positions.
Joe Ebben, son of Cliff Ebben and driver of the #14 Stumpf Ford/ McMahon Group Ford Mustang, will start third in TA2, following his father’s example in the top three.
Ron Keith, in the #25 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang, and Bob Stretch, in the #98 FixRim Mobile Wheel Repair Ford Mustang, will start fourth and fifth, respectively.
In TA3, Jason Berkeley, driving the #67 BMG Management Chevrolet Corvette, led the way for both the International Group and the entire TA3 class with a time of 2:19.554. He was followed in the International Group by Trans Am newcomer Jerry Greene, in the #93 Ever Greene Jewelry Porsche GT3 Cup, and Clint Sawinski, driving the #94 Temp Air/ Porsche Super Cup.
The American Muscle Group was led by Todd Napieralski, in the #39 Tremec/SKF/Backstreet Performance/ Chevrolet Performance Chevrolet Camaro, with a time of 2:24.407, just edging Ernie Francis, Jr., in the #9 Breathless Performance Chevrolet Camaro, who put in a time of 2:24.445, just a few hundredths off Napieralski.
Rich Jones, in the #37 JOMAC Bodies/ Cranes-Debs Peppers Ford Mustang, will start third in the American Muscle Group.
Trans Am will take to the track at 5:15 p.m. CDT tomorrow, June 21, for the 100 mile Trans Am race for Round 6 of the 2014 Trans Am Championship. Keep up with the action before, during and after the race at www.gotransam.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam and on Twitter at @gotransam.
