Sebring: Touring Car qualifying notes

Auberlen shatters track record to take SCCA SPEED Touring Car pole at Sebring.

SEBRING, Fla. (March 13, 2003) -- Bill Auberlen, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., returned to SCCA Pro Racing Speed World Challenge Touring Car competition in style, shattering the Sebring qualifying record to take his second-career series pole position. Roger Foo, of Hayward, Calif., and Mike Fitzgerald, of Phoenix, Ariz., completed the top three.

Driving the No. 93 Turner Motorsports/H&R Springs BMW 325i, Auberlen turned a fastest lap of 2:26.701 (90.797 mph), besting Pierre Kleinubing's 2002 record (2:30.288) by 3.413 seconds. Auberlen did not race in the SCCA Speed World Challenge in 2002 after recording one win and one pole with the Turner team in 2001.

"We tested for several days before the event," said Auberlen. "I went in a totally different direction with the setup than had been done with the BMW. I told the team at the end of the test to not change a thing."

Foo, driving the No. 88 H&R Springs/Advanced Clutch/BBS Mazda Protege ES, returned to the front row for the first time since 2001 after a disappointing season last year with a fastest lap of 2:27.498 (90.306 mph). Fitzgerald turned a quick time of 2:28.003 (89.998 mph) in his Team FBR/Trans Sport Lexus IS300 for third.

Robert Stretch, of Dallas, Texas, and Paul Bonaccorsi, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., completed the top five.

The SCCA Speed Touring Car Championship Round One race makes its standing start on Friday at 1:15 p.m., part of the Mobil1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. For more information, visit www.world-challenge.com.

-scca pro racing-