Fontana Friday report

Quintanilla Cruises On Top In Friday Practice At California California-Based Driver Sets The Pace On The Track Where He Made His Debut FONTANA, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2001) - Setting the pace on the same track where he made his series debut in 1999, ...

Quintanilla Cruises On Top In Friday Practice At California
California-Based Driver Sets The Pace On The Track Where He Made His Debut

FONTANA, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2001) - Setting the pace on the same track where he made his series debut in 1999, Rolando Quintanilla (Telmex/Roquin Motorsport, L.L.C. Lola) was the surprise pacesetter Friday in the opening day of practice for Sunday's Dayton Indy Lights Championship race at California Speedway.

Quintanilla lapped at an average speed of 187.986 mph (38.856 seconds) around the 2.029 mile superspeedway. He was closely followed by the Dorricott Racing duo of Damien Faulkner (Dorricott Racing Lola) and recently crowned Dayton Indy Lights Championship titleist Townsend Bell (DIRECWAY Lola).

Faulkner's best lap averaged 187.062 mph (39.048 seconds) while Bell clocked in at 186.756 mph (39.112 seconds).

Quintanilla topped a practice for the first time in his more than two-year Indy Lights career that began here at California in 1999. Driving for Conquest Racing, Quintanilla had a competitive first start, and charged to the front of the field after qualifying 17th. He was challenging for third in the late going when he was uninjured after hitting the wall after coming together with another driver.

Mario Dominguez (del Valle/Corona/Televisa/PacWest Lights Lola) and Derek Higgins (Mexpro/ StarlightDiamonds.com/PrecioBase.com Lola) rounded out the top five.

Sunday's Dayton Indy Lights Championship race will be telecast in same-day coverage on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. PT (late Monday morning, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. ET).