Trois-Rivieres: Touring Car qualifying notes

Kleinubing edges Espenlaub for Trois-Rivieres Touring Car pole. CANADA (August 3, 2002) - Pierre Kleinubing, of Erexim, Brazil, captured his third SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Woody's Ice Pole Position of 2002 today at Le ...

Kleinubing edges Espenlaub for Trois-Rivieres Touring Car pole.

CANADA (August 3, 2002) - Pierre Kleinubing, of Erexim, Brazil, captured his third SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car Woody's Ice Pole Position of 2002 today at Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres. Kleinubing will lead the 37-car field at the standing start Sunday morning. Charles Espenlaub, of Lutz, Fla., will start alongside Kleinubing on the front-row.

Driving the No. 1 RealTime Racing Acura Integra R, Kleinubing set a fastest lap of 1:16.618 (71.466 mph) midway through the qualifying session. As the session progressed, several drivers challenged Kleinubing's time, but were unable to better it, giving the Brazilian his record 24th career World Challenge pole position.

"The car was great," said Kleinubing, who won the most recent World Challenge was in Trois-Rivieres, in 1999. "I drove my butt off! I hit the wall twice, so obviously I didn't leave a lot on the table. I expect it to be a good race, however the Mazda horsepower could make it real interesting."

Espenlaub, who has never raced in Trois-Rivieres previously, was able to put together a flier late in the session to challenge Kleinubing. Driving the No. 96 APR Performance/JT Designs Mazda Protégé, Espenlaub came up 0.059-second short, capturing his first career front-row start.

Peter Cunningham, of W. Bend, Wis., was third, followed by Will Turner, of Newburyport, Mass., and Chuck Hemmingson, W. Des Moines, Iowa.

Round Seven of the SPEED Touring Car Championship will begin its 32-lap contest Sunday at 10:45 a.m. (EDT).