ACRL: Phoenix Friday pit notes

PRACTICE:
The American City Racing League Western Division cars took to the track in their first and only 2001 outing with the Grand American Road Racing series.

Marvin Jones of Team Denver surprised the rest of the Super Sports 2000 competitors by setting fastest time at a 1:01.188 in his Carbir. Fiorenzo Tirinnanzi of Team Hollywood was right on his heels at 1:01.190, with his teammate John Lombardo returning to the series in excellent form at 1:01.230.

Lombardo's Carbir is fresh from a rebuild, and Team Hollywood engineer Eric Purcell said that Tirinnanzi's car Carbir has been so extensively modified by the Aerocell team that it could be called a "Car-ocell". Defending SS2000 Champion Peter Zarcades of Team Las Vegas could only manage fourth-fastest at 1:01.495 aboard his Swift.

In the Sports 2000 class, Team San Diego's Dan Dubrovich continued his Phoenix domination, his Doran setting fifth-fastest overall time at 1:01.932. Brad Pierce of Team Las Vegas was sixth fastest in his SS2 Carbir, followed by San Diego's Margie Smith Haas' SS2 Falcon in seventh. Team Denver's Jeff Littrell was eighth in a S2 Swift, followed by first-time ACRL competitor John Fujii of Las Vegas (S2, Swift), defending S2000 Champion David Ferguson of Salinas (Swift), San Diego's Jay Messenger (S2 Swift), Doug Ota of Denver (S2 Swift), Salinas driver Dave Jansen (SS2, Lola), Gary Holcomb of Hollywood (S2 Swift), and Las Vegas racer Paul Schroeder in the lone SVC Sports 1600 entry.

QUALIFYING - ROUND ONE:
In the first qualifying session, Pierce grabbed the provisional pole just past the halfway point with a lap at 1:00.299. Tirinnanzi, who had set fast time early on, wasn't able to muster enough speed to surpass Pierce, and had to settle for second at 1:00.688. Lombardo got in a lap at 1:01.080 for third, followed by Jones at 1:01.186. Zarcades elected not to run the session, banking on a quick time in the second qualifying run on Friday. Dubrovich walked off with the quick S2000 time, a 1:01.964. Smith-Haas, battling an overheating problem that saw the water temperature soar to 250 degrees, nevertheless managed sixth-fastest overall at 1:02.406. Ferguson moved up to second in S2 late in the session, turning a 1:02.618 to bump Littrell's 1:02.911 to third in class. Fujii made creditable showing in his ACRL debut, qualifying eighth overall and fourth in class at 1:03.426. Messenger was next, but fell afoul of Turn One and had to be towed in after only five laps. Ota also ended his session early, as did Jansen, who lost his engine, and will not start the race on Saturday. Schroeder, continuing a run of bad luck that started at Phoenix three weeks ago, experienced electrical gremlins and also had a short session

Final qualifying runs take place at 2:45pm Friday.

-ACRL