Sebring: Touring Car Wednesday practice notes

Curran Leads Strong RealTime Effort in SCCA SPEED Touring Car Practice at Sebring

SEBRING, Fla. (March 15, 2006) – Eric Curran, of Hampton, Mass., swept both SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Round One practice sessions Wednesday at Sebring International Raceway, and led a practice 1-2-3 sweep for RealTime Racing as his teammates Peter Cunningham, of Grafton, Wis., and Pierre Kleinubing, of Coconut Beach, Fla., finished with the day’s second and third best times, respectively.

In the No. 43 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles/RealTime Acura RSX, Curran took the morning session with a 2:21.050 (94.434 mph) and then topped the warmer afternoon’s session with a 2:21.158 (94.362 mph).  Both times were under the current SPEED Touring Car qualifying record of 2:23.199, which Bill Auberlen set in 2004. 

That mark appears likely to fall Thursday as the top 15 SPEED Touring Car drivers were under that time in combined practice.

Curran said that his quick times may have been the result of having a year of experience with his car and his team.

“The comfort level is very high for me right now.  I’m feeling very good about this place,” Curran said.  “It is nice to have a year in the car and then come back at it again.  I’m in a different position than I was last year. 

“It’s absolutely important,” Curran said when asked what the good start to the weekend, and the season meant. “Obviously, (team owner) Peter Cunningham over here is happy to see me up there.  And it is fun to be up there with him and Pierre and my great teammates.  Yes, we have big goals for this year.”

Though not slow in the first session as he was fifth in his No. 1 Acura Certified Pre-Owned Vehicles/RealTime Acura TSX with a 2:21.635, Cunningham turned up the wick in the second 20-min. practice, dropping his time down to a 2:21.061 (94.427 mph) – just 0.011-sec. off of Curran’s pace.

Kleinubing was behind Curran to start the afternoon, but fell to third even though he also improved his time from a 2:21.083 (94.412 mph) – only 0.022-sec. behind Cunningham.

Auberlen, of Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., held several spots in the top five, including the top spot briefly, between the two sessions before settling for fourth in his No. 2 Turner Motorsports/H&R Springs BMW 325i with a 2:21.410 (94.194 mph).

Randy Pobst, of Gainesville, Ga., was fifth with a 2:21.478 (94.149 mph) in the No. 73 Mazdaspeed/Tri-Point Motorsport Mazda 6.

-scca pro racing