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SCC: Phoenix: ST qualifying, GS practice notes

Haskell Takes Pole Position for Grand-Am Cup Series Phoenix ST 200 PHOENIX (September 8, 2005) -- Grand-Am Cup Series Sport Touring (ST) class points leader David Haskell picked up his fourth class pole position of the season in qualifying for ...

Haskell Takes Pole Position for Grand-Am Cup Series Phoenix ST 200

PHOENIX (September 8, 2005) -- Grand-Am Cup Series Sport Touring (ST) class points leader David Haskell picked up his fourth class pole position of the season in qualifying for Friday's Phoenix ST 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. It was also the 10th class pole of Haskell's Grand-Am Cup Series career.

Haskell clocked a best lap at 1:09.906 (77.762 mph) in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 that he co-drives with Sylvain Tremblay. The No. 70 duo will be looking for its fifth ST victory of the season in the penultimate round of the 2005 Grand-Am Cup Series campaign. Haskell and Tremblay are also the defending champions of the Phoenix ST 200.

"We had a condensed day today," Haskell said. "We had two practice sessions and qualifying all in one day, and we've never really had something like that. Our crew is real good at adapting. We came here with a good game plan and had good notes from last year. Sylvain did a very good time in the second practice session and gave me a lot of confidence. We decided at the end of that session to put new tires on and see what we can do. The car's real good. I was just fortunate enough to be out there in the car when we did the time."

Starting alongside Haskell will be Eric Curran in the No. 27 Bill Fenton Motorsports Acura RSX-S with a lap at 1:10.033 (77.621 mph). It will be Curran's fourth front-row starting position of the season, although he and co-driver Bob Endicott are still looking for their first victory this year.

Hugh Plumb made it two Bill Fenton Motorsports cars in the top three with a lap at 1:10.092 (77.555 mph) in the team's No. 29 Acura RSX-S. Plumb will co-drive with Bob Beede in the Phoenix ST 200. Starting fourth will be Will Turner in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i he shares with co-driver Don Salama following a best qualifying lap at 1:10.180 (77.458 mph).

Bo Roach placed the No. 32 Franklin American Mortgage Chevrolet Cobalt fifth on the grid to make it four different manufacturers in the top five. Roach turned a best lap at 1:10.180 (77.458 mph) in the car he will share with Tom Lepper.

Phoenix native Steve Pfeffer will start sixth in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i following a best lap at 1:10.448 (77.163 mph) in the car he co-drives with Tim Pappas. Jamie Holtom--who claimed the ST class victory in the Mid-Ohio 200 less than two weeks ago alongside co-driver Andy Lally--qualified seventh in the No. 00 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt with a lap at 1:10.863 (76.711 mph).

Eighth-quickest was Jim Holtom in the No. 01 Georgian Bay Motorsports Chevrolet Cobalt he shares with Ed Magner at 1:10.881 (76.692 mph), as the top-eight cars qualified within one second. Starting ninth will be Karl Thomson in the No. 06 Compass360/Racing BMW Z3 with a lap at 1:11.126 (76.428 mph). Thomson will co-drive with David Sterenberg. Matt Connolly completed the top 10 with a lap at 1:11.192 (76.357 mph) in the No. 64 Matt Connolly Motorsports BMW 330ci he co-drives with Tom Milner and Billy Johnson.

MURRY LEADS GRAND-AM CUP GS PRACTICE FOR LUKE AIR FORCE BASE 200

David Murry turned a best lap at 1:07.452 (80.591 mph) in the No. 13 Unitech Racing Nissan 350Z to lead the opening day of practice for Saturday's Grand-Am Cup Series Grand Sport (GS) class Luke Air Force Base 200. Murry and co-driver Blake Rosser are looking for their second Grand-Am Cup victory of the season.

"It looks like I won practice," Murry said. "I'm still looking for my trophy right now, but I can't find where it is. That's why they call it practice, but it's nice to know that you're competitive. Our car finds speed in different ways than other cars do. I think this track is going to suit the Nissan better than some of the other ones."

Second-quickest in GS practice was Dave Lacey in the No. 17 Doncaster Brumos Porsche 996. Lacey clocked a best lap at 1:07.895 (80.065 mph) in the car he shares with Darren Law. Third-quickest on the day was Bill Auberlen in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 at 1:08.007 (79.933 mph). Auberlen and co-driver Justin Marks head into Saturday's Luke Air Force Base 200 looking for their fifth victory of the season.

Michael McDowell was fourth-quickest in the No. 60 Finlay Motorsports BMW M3 he co-drives with car owner Rob Finlay. McDowell's best lap was 1:08.031 (79.905 mph). Kelly Collins completed the top five with a lap at 1:08.204 (79.702 mph) in the No. 81 Synergy Racing Porsche 997 he shares with Brent Martini.

-garra-

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