Sonoma Saturday press notes 22-44

Press Notes 22-44, Saturday

22. Good morning. Today is Saturday, July 12. The weather forecast is for clear, warm weather. There is a full schedule of SportsCar racing today, beginning with qualifying for the Black Magic Pro Series and concluding with the three-hour SPEEDVISION Cup for Stock SportsCars race at 3 p.m.

23. ENTRY LIST CHANGES

EXXON SUPREME GT SERIES Presented by Virgin Interactive Cars CAR CLASS CHANGE 41 GTS-3 DELETE Bruce Busby

24. GREEN FLAG drops at 8:50 a.m. to start 30-minute qualifying session for Black Magic Pro Series...session black flagged midway through to clear incident at Turn #2...David Tenney fastest qualifier with a time of 1:44.893/86.488 m.p.h., followed by Mike Davies in time of 1:45.024/86.380 m.p.h. and Rain Pilve, with a time of 1:45.257/86.189 m.p.h.

DRIVER QUOTES: David Tenney: "I was able to shake loose of the traffic and get one clean lap. I was able to get the power down coming out of Turn 11. The track is quite slick; there's no grip in some of the turns. The new World Sports Racers are very good...they're as good as any "spec" car that I've ever driven.

"I'd also like to thank Mike Atkins, who owns TRP Racing, Jim Porterfield, who sponsors me in the car and Red Line Oil for their support."

25. GREEN FLAG drops at 9:30 a.m. to start 40-minute practice session for Exxon Supreme GT Series Presented by Virgin Interactive cars...#66 GTS-1 Ford Panoz of Bundy/Wallace fastest with time of 1:33.342/97.190 m.p.h., followed by #91 GTS-1 Chevrolet Camaro of Schramm/Hayner with time of 1:34.098/96.410 m.p.h.and #27 GTS-1 Ford Mustang Cobra of Canadians Scott Maxwell and Jason Priestley with a time of 1:35.969/94.530 m.p.h....28 cars on track for session...#10 GTS-3 BMW M3 of Auberlen/Said fastest in class while #61 Porsche 911 Turbo of Konrad/Ham is first in GTS-2 class.

26. GREEN FLAG drops at 10:20 a.m. to start 20-minute practice session for Exxon World SportsCar championship...#1 Oldsmobile R&S MK III of Taylor/van de Poele is fastest during session with a time of 1:25.804/105.729 m.p.h., followed by #16 Ford R&S MK III of Dyson/Weaver with time of 1:26.348/105.063 m.p.h. and #30 MOMO Ferrari 333 SP of Hermann/Montermini with time of 1:26.439/104.953 m.p.h....18 cars running during session.

27. GREEN FLAG drops to start 15-minute qualifying session for Exxon Supreme Presented by Virgin Interactive GTS-3 cars at 12:35 p.m....12 cars on track...#77 BMW M3 fastest early in the session...#76 Porsche 911 of Trejos/Moser into tire wall heavily at Turn #2, not in racing line so no yellow or black flag...#10 BMW M3 of Auberlen/Said fastest qaulifier midway through with time of 1:37.273/93.263 m.p.h., followed by #6 BMW M3 of Hill/Quiros with time of 1:37.438/93.105 m.p.h. Auberlen in #10 car, Hill in #6 car...#39 Porsche 911 pulls into pits, David Murry out of car, fifth fastest...Halsmer in #77 car.

28. GREEN FLAG drops to start 15-minute qualifying session for Exxon Supreme GTS 1 & 2 Presented by Virgin Interactive cars...#66 Ford Panoz with Andy Wallace driving sets track qualifying record with time of 1:31.646/98.990 m.p.h., followed by #91 Chevrolet Camaro of Hayner is second with time of 1:33.700/96.820 m.p.h....in GTS-2, fastest qualifier is #61 Porsche 911 Turbo of Nick Ham.

28. CORRECTION TO QUALIFYING for Exxon Supreme GT Presented by Virgin Interactive: #61 Porsche 911 of Franz Konrad/Nick Ham was fastest qualifier in GTS-2 class, not Martin Snow as first indicated.

29. GREEN FLAG drops 1:25 p.m. to start final qualifying session of Exxon World SportsCar...#40 Pontiac Bennett MK II car is black flagged for being on-track with wrong tires...session black flagged for incident at Turn #2 when #20 Ford R&S MK III hit the tire wall heavily in turn #11...#30 MOMO Ferrari 333SP with Montermini at wheel has best time in session with 1:25.284/105.578m.p.h....Butch Leitzinger driving #20 Ford R&S MK III, set second fastest time of 1:25.670/105.895 m.p.h. before his incident...third is #16 Ford R&S MK III with James Weaver at wheel, 1:25.781/105.758 m.p.h.

30. DRIVER NOTES from Exxon Supreme GT Series Presented by Virgin Interactive: ANDY WALLACE #66 Ford Panoz: "This is my first time at Sears Point. I can't believe what a great track it is. It's very busy, not time to rest at all, so many elevation changes, so many blind corners. The car is handling very well. Mechanically, the car has to be working very well for the race because there is no rest for it. The same with the tires, they're great for a few laps but it's going to be tough for everybody. It would be very hard to be competitive unless you know it. It's very hard to pass so you have to learn where you should and should not pass. I have to rely on my team-mates and the other drivers.

"Doc Bundy is really great to work with. He and I work very well together. The only problem is that he is bigger than me so when I get in the car after he has been driving we have to add a sponge pad in front to tighten the seatbelts enough, otherwise we're very compatible.

"It is very easy to spin the wheels in these cars. the carbon fiber brakes in the European cars are stunning so when I get back into these cars, I complain about the brakes on the GT cars.

"We're anticipating that we can do the race on one fuel stop but you never know. We'll change tires at the fuel stop but it's going to be tough on the tires and once the tires start to go off, the car will start to slide around a lot. If you continue to push hard you can get into big trouble. If it all goes absolutely horribly, we might have to make a second stop."

31. THANKS TO THE MEDIA: Michael Wanner, driver of the SPEEDVISION Cup #64 Touring Volkswagen Golf, hit the Turn 10 wall in Saturday's morning warmup session, seriously damaging the car's front end. "We came here from Lancaster, Pa., so we don't have enough spare body parts," Wanner said. "However, Volkswagen of America has a couple of journalists here from European Car Magazine. And VW had given them a Golf to drive. Instant car parts!

"We had to borrow the grille, the headlights and the radiator, but we have two VW factory technicians here, and we promised them they'd have the car back just like new."

32. GREEN FLAG drops at 3 p.m. to start the 3-hour SPEEDVISION Cup race...clean start...#70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo of Nick Ham, goes from sixth place to first on first lap...Jason Priestley driving #98 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R into second place on lap #3...top Sports car is #86 Toyota Supra with Taz Harvey driving...#27 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R in pits with left front flat tire...changed back out...#59 Sports BMW 328is smoking...#4 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird in pits to change right rear tire because of vibration. Also has damage to left front bumper and hood from earlier incident...FULL COURSE CAUTION on lap #7 for #71 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo which hits tire wall, extensive left side damage, across the track at Turn #9, breaks concrete wall. Race RED FLAGGED to repair wall, driver Bob Towery out, OK...fuel cell knocked loose...15 minutes gone.

33. BOB TOWERY QUOTE: "It felt like there was something on the track. I got one wheel off and couldn't get it back. Then two wheels went off and I hit hard. I'm fine but I'll have a lot of muscle soreness tomorrow." Towery was taken to track hospital by ambulance, checked out and released.

34. GREEN FLAG at 3:55 p.m. restarts race with 2:20 left in race when pace car crosses start/finish line. Drivers in car when race red flagged receive credit for time spent in pits while race on hold...#09 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird has damage to left front wheel...came together with #77 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 on Turn #4, both continue and pit...#33 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird, off track...#34 Touring Honda Prelude Si pits, driver change, Earwood in, fuel...#32 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits...#41 Touring Mazda MX-6 in pits, Dubinsky in, Nonnamaker out...leaders are #70 Grand Touring Mazda RX-7 Turbo, followed by #29 Grand Touring Toyota Supra Turbo...#96 Compact Mazda Miata pits, Courtney in, Jordan out, fuel...#07 Touring Nissan 240SX pits, Jones in, Webber out, fuel...#49 Compact Honda Civic Del Sol pits, Nowicki out, Alheim in...#38 Touring Honda Prelude Si pits, driver change to Green, fuel and tires...#32 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird, broken power steering rack, wrestling with the car...#36 Touring Honda Prelude Si in pits, tires, fuel, Blackman in, Loebel out...#94 Touring Honda Accord EX in pits, fuel, Lance Stewart in...#82 Touring Honda Accord EX in pits, driver change, Skavnes in.

35. GREEN FLAG restarts race at 1:11:03.512 mark...#40 Compact Civic Del Sol in pits, Banaccorsi in...#70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo, with Nick Ham driving, overall leader at one-hour mark, followed by #29 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo is second...#70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo has done fastest lap of race, 1:52.108/80.922 m.p.h. to 1:15 mark...#92 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo makes contact with another car in Turn 11, spins off course, back on, no apparent damage...#11 Compact BMW in pits, driver change to Pfeiffer, adds fuel...#49 Compact Honda Civic Del Sol in pits with overheating problem, water added, goes back out.

36. AT HALFWAY MARK, #70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo leading after 28 laps, followed by #54 Grand Sports BMW M3, #29 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo, #88 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo, #47 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra...Sports is #86 Honda Prelude VTEC (16th overall), followed by #67 Sports Honda Prelude VTEC...#03 Touring Nissan 240SX SE is first in class, 24th overall...#97 Compact Mazda Miata retires with engine problem...#21 Grand Touring Mustang Cobra pits, driver change to Snipes, fuel...#09 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, Thompson in, fuel...#70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo and #77 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo, alternate drivers ready to take over but cars won't pit unless there is yellow flag...differential from first to second place is less than six seconds on lap 33...#98 Grand Sports Ford Mustang pits, Pilgrim in, Priestley out, brake fluid and gas added, new tires...#45 Grand Sports BMW M3 pits, driver change to Dibos, fuel...#04 Touring Nissan 240SX pits, driver change to Hunholz, fuel...#25 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra pits, driver change to Sachs, fuel...#98 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra back in pits, hood up, right front wheel off, working brakes.

37. LEADER #70 GS Mazda RX-7 Turbo, pits on lap #38, driver change to Tremblay, added fuel, oil...#40 Compact Honda Civic del sol retires with engine problems...#11 Compact BMW retires with overheating problems...#54 Grand Sports BMW M3 pits on lap #40, driver change to Bonaccorsi, add fuels, front tires..#92 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo pits, driver change to Collins, adds fuel, tires....#37 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, driver change to Harrington, adds fuel, tires...#29 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo pits, driver change to Pennington, adds fuel...#39 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, driver change to Heinricy, adds fuel...#77 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo pits, driver change to Gou, adds fuel, oil...#23 Compact Mazda Miata pits, driver change to Bourassa, adds fuel...#81 Sports BMW 328is pits, driver change to Fitzgerald...#0 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, driver change to Schumacher, adds fuel.

38. AT THE TWO-HOUR MARK, #47 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R leading, with #17 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R 9 seconds back...#3 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, driver change to Murry, add fuel, new left side tires...#47 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R and #17 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R running one-two...#17 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R pits first, driver change to Lapcevich, takes fuel and tires...#3 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird loses its brakes, goes off track, loses right front tire, limps back toward pits on lap 50, replaces right front tire, adds fuel...#59 Sports BMW 328is pits, driver change to Peeler, adds fuel...#95 Sports BMW 328is pits, driver change to Hill, adds fuel...#67 Sports Honda Prelude VTEC pits, driver change to Galati, adds front tires...#84 Sports Toyota Supra pits, driver change to Downes, adds fuel, tires...#27 Grand Sports Ford Mustang pits, driver change to Wilkins, add fuels, front tires.

39. RACE LEADER #47 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R pits, changes driver to Smith, adds fuel, tires...#09 Grand Sports Ponitac Firebird retires from race...race leader at 2:25 mark is #32 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird on lap 55. Car will have to pit for fuel...#54 Grand Sports BMW M3, #70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo, #47 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R have made pit stops and should be able to finish race without further stops...#27 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra's long pit stop drops car to 27th overall with 40 minutes left...#32 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, driver change to Miller, adds fuel, no tires...difference between first and second-place cars is 12.5 seconds.

40. WITH HALF-HOUR left in race, #54 Grand Sports BMW M3 leads, followed by #70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo, #32 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird, #39 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird...#38 Touring Honda Prelude Si & #35 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird come together on lap #61...#9 Sports BMW 328is pits, adds fuel only...#37 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird pits, driver change to Harrington, power steering hose breaks, car back out without power steering...#29 Grand Sports Toyota Supra Turbo off course at Turn #5, hits wall head on, bounces back onto track, causing full-course yellow with 21 minutes left in race. Driver Pennington out of car, OK. Yellow allows field to bunch up...#38 Touring Honda Prelude Si pits to remove dangling bodywork on left front bumper, adds fuel, back on track still on yellow.

41. GREEN FLAG drops to restart race with 11 minutes remaining with #54 Grand Sports BMW M3 leading, followed by #70 Grand Sports Mazda RX-7 Turbo, #32 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird, #39 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird, #47 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R. Top Touring car is #82 Honda Accord EX, followed by #03 Nissan 240SXSE. First Sports car is #67 Honda Prelude VTEC (11th overall), followed by #81 BMW 328is and #84 Toyota Supra...#4 Grand Sports Pontiac Firebird off course, loses right front wheel, limps back into pits, front end damage...#27 Grand Sports Ford Mustang Cobra R off at Turn #4, back on course...leader has 5.2 second lead.

42. CHECKERED FLAG ends race with leader completing 75 laps...Total elapsed time of race is 3:08.13.925, winner's best lap was on #45, 1:52.512/80.631 m.p.h....Top 3 finishers in each class are: GRAND SPORTS: #54 BMW M3, #70 Mazda RX-7 Turbo, #39 Pontiac Firebird. SPORTS: #81 BMW 328is, #67 Honda Prelude VTEC, #84 Toyota Supra. TOURING: #03 Nissan 240SXSE, #82 Honda Accord EX, #36 Honda Prelude Si. COMPACT: #96 Mazda Miata, #8 Honda Civic, #40 Honda Civic Del Sol. It was the first victory for Jim Jordan, Mike Courtney and Mazda Miata in the Series.

43. SPEEDVISION CUP DRIVER QUOTES:

Terry Borcheller, Grand Sports: "This is very meaningful to me because I obviously want to continue to do well in this series. Down the road, I hope to get to the Indy Racing League. I'd love to run at Indy. I'm just going to keep plugging along and moving ahead. I'm too old to go backward."

Jeff Purner, Sports: "Mike did a terrific job throughout the race. He was really battling among four or five cars all the time. He kept his cool and did a great job. I'm not quite sure when we took the lead but it was after the last caution. I knew I had to do something real quick. I saw the opportunity and took it."

John Norris, Touring: "This is my second win at Sears Point. I also won here last year. It's good to be back and I certainly enjoyed racing on my favorite track in America. To come back here and win again after moving up a class is certainly a great feeling." Norris won in the Compact class last year. It is his third career victory.

Jim Jordan, Compact: "We hurt the motor yestereday in the first practice session. We were fastest in the first session but we hurt the motor doing it. We basically spent the last day building a motor. We finally fired it up about 45 minutes before the race. We had no time to do any hardship laps. SportsCar was nice enough to let us start and we were dead last on the grid. We're a worst-to-first story today. I just got to give all the credit to the crew. We're really undermanned this weekend, and Mike Courtney did a fabulous job. I had the easiest job. My responsibility was to start the race, stay on the lead lap and not crash."

44. THAT concludes the SportsCars press notes for Saturday. Good night!