Elkhart lake Qualifying Story

GENTILOZZI ON POLE FOR ROAD AMERICA NTB TRANS-AM SERIES RACE

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Paul Gentilozzi will start on the pole at Saturday's 25-lap, 101.2-mile NTB Trans-Am Series race at Road America after posting a quick time of 2:11.173 (111.096 mph). Gentilozzi, of Lansing, Mich., scored his eighth pole of the year to top the 35-car field in his No. 3 AutoLink Chevrolet Corvette, with Brian Simo, in the No. 2 Valvoline Ford Mustang, starting on the outside pole.

"That session was totally bizarre," said Gentilozzi. "We pulled in line, started the car and it only had seven cylinders. So we took the hood off, checked everything, put the hood back on, and it still only had seven cylinders. So we took the hood back off, fooled around with it a little more, I pulled away, and it only had seven cylinders. So I took the short cut back up the hill through the crowd - and got lost on my way back to the pit. Then we pulled all the spark plugs out and everything was fine. So then I pulled the dumbest move of the day -- I went 105 mph through the CART pit thinking I'd gone past the last radar gun, but there's another one at the end – so I had to come in for a black flag. By then, the other cars had oiled and graveled the race track, and then on my fast lap I totally blew the last corner, slid through it and just made a mistake, and then it was checkered. So all I've got to say to these guys is you ain't seen nothing yet!"

Gentilozzi's teammate Bill Saunders will start third, followed by Stu Hayner and John Miller IV.