SCC: VIR: Blackforest qualifying report

Nastasi leads Mustang brigade at VIR

Alton, VA (6 October 07)- Blackforest Motorsports pilot Tom Nastasi opened the 2007 Grand-Am KONI Challenge season with a run of three straight victories, and after posting a strong qualifying effort on Saturday, is well placed to close the year out on top once again.

With a fast lap time of 2:04.801-seconds in qualifying, Nastasi secured fourth on the thirty-two car grid for Sunday's six hour final KONI race of the season at Virginia International Raceway.

With ten other Mustangs taking the green flag with pilots including newly signed NASCAR driver Colin Braun and Mustang expert Scott Maxwell, it was Nastasi's famed No. 5 USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang FR500C that was the leading Blue Oval entry for Sunday's six hour finale. Nastasi will co-drive with David Empringham, with whom he shared the victory at Daytona as the two look to book-end the year with wins.

"I didn't believe the readout in the car when my time came up," joked Nastasi after the session. "Our cars have always been strong here and this is the fastest that we've ever gone here. I don't usually worry about this place because the cars we bring here are strong, and it isn't really a track where the extra weight on the car hurts us. This is a great car and I know we've got a car that can win here. I don't think that we're at a disadvantage at all this weekend, and think that we actually have an advantage on the straightaways with the power that our Mustang is putting out. It should be a fun race."

The other Blackforest Motorsports USG Sheetrcok/Raset Tools Mustang entry, shared by Valerie Limoges and Travis Walker, will start from the eleventh row after Walker paced the 3.27-mile track in 2:06.1550 seconds.

-credit: bfms