SCC: Mosport: Automatic Racing qualifying notes

Automatic Racing takes Grand Sports II pole at Mosport; Thornton sets new lap record

BOWMANVILLE, Ontario- After three months of extensive testing and development, Automatic Racing put their BMW E46 M3 on the Grand Sports II pole for the Sunoco 94 Mosport 3 Hour Grand-Am Cup race at Mosport International Raceway. Jep Thornton handled qualifying for the team, setting a new qualifying lap record of 1:32.8.

Thornton and his co-driver David Russell dominated the time sheets during practice. It is the first time that the pair has competed in Automatic Racing's E46 model of the BMW M3. Automatic Racing has been developing and testing the car all season, and the team is glad to be back at the top of the GSII field.

Thornton's pole is the first he has earned in his professional racing career. "I got in the car and did a couple of laps," explained Thornton. "And then one thing led to another and I just started clicking laps off."

"This is a really hard race track, and it's all about the driver here," commented Russell. "At this track, it's the driver who wins the race, not horsepower or performance advantages."

The Sunoco 94 Mosport 3 Hour will get underway on Saturday, September 13, at 3:00 p.m.

Automatic Racing is sponsored by Automatic Commercial Aircraft, LandAir, BBS, Engine Music Studios, Redline Oil and Moton Shocks.

More information about Automatic Racing can be found on the team's website at www.AutomaticRacing.com.

-ar-