Denver: Touring Car Friday practice notes

CRESCENTINI FASTEST IN SPEED TOURING CAR DENVER PRACTICE DENVER (Aug. 12, 2005) -- Hot off his first-career SCCA SPEED GT win in Portland two weeks ago, Dino Crescentini, of Malibu, Calif., topped practice for Saturday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED ...

CRESCENTINI FASTEST IN SPEED TOURING CAR DENVER PRACTICE

DENVER (Aug. 12, 2005) -- Hot off his first-career SCCA SPEED GT win in Portland two weeks ago, Dino Crescentini, of Malibu, Calif., topped practice for Saturday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Championship Round Nine race, part of the CENTRIX Financial Grand Prix of Denver Presented by PacifiCare.

Driving the No. 74 Mazdaspeed/Centric Parts/Tri-Point Mazda 6, Crescentini turned a fastest lap of 1:21.626 (73.079 mph) around the 1.657-mile circuit in the second of twin 25-minute practice sessions Friday evening. It is the second time this season that Crescentini has led SPEED Touring Car practice. The first occurrence was at the series other visit to a temporary street circuit in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"Perhaps as indicated by the white paint on my right-rear fender, I might have taken a couple more chances than I should have," Crescentini said after a slight brush of the wall. "I think the times were extremely close, so you really can't base anything off of practice.

"That was an indication of what I am capable of doing," Crescentini added on coming off his first-career win at Portland, making a guest appearance in a Chevrolet Corvette. "Certainly, you gain some confidence, but if you get a little over-confident and you see what happens--you smash into the wall!"

Chip Herr, of Lititz, Pa., was fastest in the opening session in the No. 48 US Air Force Reserve Ford Focus, and went faster in the second session, but not quite fast enough, running a lap 0.161-second slower than Crescentini. Herr's lap of 1:21.787 (72.935 mph) edged the A-SPEC/RealTime Racing Acura RSX of Eric Curran, who was third with a time of 1:21.832 (72.895 mph).

Pierre Kleinubing (No. 43 A-SPEC/RealTime Racing Acura TSX) was fourth quick with a time of 1:21.850 (72.879 mph), followed by Jeff Altenburg's Mazdaspeed/Tri-Point Mazda 6 with a time of 1:21.860 (72.870 mph).

Local driver Brandon Davis, a student at Denver University, was sixth fastest in his Acura TSX.

Qualifying for the Air Force Reserve Pole is scheduled for 11:45 a.m. (MDT) on Saturday, with the race making its standing start at 6:15 p.m. (MDT).