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Laguna Seca: Audi qualifying notes
The Champion Audi RS 6's take the front row during qualifying at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca SALINAS, Ca. (September 6, 2003) -- For the third time this year, the Champion Audi RS 6 team swept the front row in the eighth round of the SPEED World ...
Published: Sep 7, 2003, 3:50 PM
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The Champion Audi RS 6's take the front row during qualifying at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca
SALINAS, Ca. (September 6, 2003) -- For the third time this year, the Champion Audi RS 6 team swept the front row in the eighth round of the SPEED World Challenge GT Series with Randy Pobst (Gainesville, GA.) taking the pole for Sunday's Fry's Electronics Sports Car Championships at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Teammate Michael Galati (N. Olmstead, OH) will start alongside.
Driving the No. 2 Champion Racing Audi RS 6, Pobst turned a fast time of 1:32.662 (86.948 mph) around the 2.238-mile circuit to earn his second pole of the season and move him to within one point of second place in the Drivers' Championship.
"I'm thrilled. I didn't think we had a shot at the pole, frankly," Pobst said describing his sixth front row appearance in eight races. "The Audi RS 6 has always qualified well. The quattro advantage that this car has drives all four wheels and it has a twin turbo V8 which is pretty much out of the street car. It's one of the only [unmodified] street engines running in this series. It results in us having to carry more weight. I am very pleased to have the Audi RS 6 on the pole. The car deserved it. It has never been better."
The standing start for the 50-minute race on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will take place on Sunday, September 7th at 3:05 p.m. (PDT). All SPEED World Challenge races are broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on SPEED Channel.
Driver quotes:
Michael Galati:
"It's fantastic for both Audis to be on the front row of grid but the race will be another story. Laguna is a very technical track with many elevation changes which, over a 50-minute race duration, will work the Audi's brakes very hard due to the weight of the RS 6. Although I've won the Speed GT title for the past two years, I've never won here for Audi in three attempts. I started from the front row in 2000 while my best finish was a fourth last year - despite leading both of those races in the Audi S4 Competition. Perhaps this is the year when Audi breaks its Laguna duck."
Randy Pobst:
"I'm thrilled at taking pole-position. I like being No.1 and I'm hoping I can repeat last year's Laguna Seca Speed GT victory I scored. Champion Racing has made real progress with the RS 6's handling and front-end grip due to on-going shock development and a new front aero package. The Audi RS 6 Competition invariably qualifies well - this is my sixth front row start of the season. But I'm under no illusion that the race is going to be very tough especially when our main rivals will have to show what they are really capable of as opposed to their sudden, mysterious lack of speed in qualifying."
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