IPS: Watkins Glen I/II: RLR/Andersen Racing Friday practice notes

RLR/Andersen Racing's Prendeville and Scarallo Practice at Watkins Glen Friday

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y., July 6 - Drivers Andrew Prendeville and Joey Scarallo and the rest of the RLR/Andersen Racing team were hard at work at Watkins Glen International Friday preparing for an Indy Pro Series doubleheader here tomorrow and Sunday.

Prendeville, of Morristown, N.J., was 11th while Scarallo, of Smithtown, N.Y., was 19th in the first round of qualifying Friday afternoon. The starting line-up for Saturday's 29-lap race won't be determined until after the second round of quals at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning, as each driver's best lap from either session will be the one that counts.

The starting line-up for Sunday's 29-lap race will be set by the finishing order of Saturday's race, with the exception of a yet-to-be-determined number of finishers from Saturday's race being inverted for the top of Sunday's starting line-up.

Prendeville's best lap in the first round of qualifying Friday with his Best Friends Animal Society No. 5 was a 1:38.9313 for an average speed of 122.631 miles per hour. Scarallo's best lap with the GroupAWheels.com No. 15 was a 1:40.4272 for an average speed of 120.804 mph.

Prendeville was sixth in the first practice session and eighth in the second practice session. Scarallo was 17th and 14th in the earlier sessions.

The team was concerned about a bad crash today involving Indy Pro Series driver Richard Heistand, who was racing with Michael Crawford Motorsports. Heistand was transported to Arnot-Ogden Medical Center in Elmira, N.Y. and has been diagnosed with a mild concussion and a chest contusion, according to the official pit reports. It is anticipated that he'll be released from the hospital later today but will not be cleared to drive for at least seven days.

In addition to the two cars it is fielding in Indy Pro Series competition at Watkins Glen, Andersen Racing is fielding two cars driven by Jonathan Goring and Jonny Baker in Star Mazda action in Toronto this weekend.

Goring was ninth in the first practice session at Toronto with a 1:10:882 and fourth in the second practice session with a 1:09.829. Baker was 15th in the first practice with a 1:11.490 and tenth in the second practice with a 1:10.417. Their qualifying session is tomorrow at 8 a.m. followed by their race at 3:30 p.m. Eastern.

On Sunday the team's VCR and DVDs will be set on SPEED at 2 p.m. Eastern when the Cleveland Star Mazda race that Goring won airs.

Andrew Prendeville: "We have another chance tomorrow morning, when it will be cooler and the lap times will be faster."

Joey Scarallo: "I love the track; we just need to find that fine line to go faster. We'll try again in the morning."

-credit: rlr/ar