Lime Rock: Friday practice report

LAKEVILLE, Conn. -- Johnny Miller topped both rounds of Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup practice Friday at Lime Rock Park.

The driver of the No. 64 Eaton Cutler-Hammer Jaguar XKR backed up his time from earlier in the day to post the fastest time during second-round practice, a 51.488-second effort at an average speed of 106.976 miles per hour. Miller's time in the first session, run in damp conditions, was 52.928 seconds at an average speed of 104.066 miles per hour around the 1.53-mile, eight-turn permanent road course.

"The car was good again," said Miller. "I think it was a pretty good session. Some of the guys didn't know the way around slower cars, which made it a little tough. The slower cars were all going about the same speed, so it was hard to really get a clean lap.

"We went ahead and scuffed in some race tires in case we need to start on them," he added. "So we came in with 20 minutes to go and it took me until six minutes to go to get a clean lap, and that's when I set my fastest lap. I caught someone on the next lap and it would have been another five laps, so we quit."

Scott Pruett (No. 7 Jaguar R Performance XKR), Brian Simo (No. 3 Jaguar R Performance XKR), Michael Lewis (No. 12 Westward Tools/The Crank Jaguar XKR), and Stu Hayner (No. 2 Trenton Forging/GMAC Commercial Finance) completed the top five.

Lap by Lap Notes:
Second Round Practice, 40 minutes
Conditions: Overcast, 58 degrees, track is dry.

3:25 p.m. GREEN FLAG

Lap 2 John Baucom (No. 86 Jaguar XKR) locks up brakes going into turn one

Lap 3 Johnny Miller (No. 64 Jaguar XKR) fastest (53.772 seconds, 102.432 miles per hour), Peter Rogal (No. 36 Jaguar XKR) reported to have no brake lights

Lap 6 Brian Simo (No. 3 Jaguar XKR) locks up brakes into turn one, nearly spins out.

Lap 10 Tomy Drissi (No. 5 Jaguar XKR) reported smoking. Miller tops the charts again (52.352, 105.211)

Lap 11 Scott Pruett (No. 7 Jaguar XKR) locks up the brakes into turn one

Lap 11 Rogal receives mechanical black flag for non-operational brake lights.

Lap 13 Top five: Miller, Pruett, Lewis, Simo, Bobby Sak (No. 10 Chevrolet Corvette)

Lap 18 HALFWAY MARK CALLED

Lap 19 Tim Cowen (No. 75 Ford Mustang) locks up his brakes into turn one

Lap 21 Cowen reports flat left side tire, retires to the paddock.

Lap 23 Top 10: Miller, Pruett, Lewis, Hayner, Simo, Sak, Randy Ruhlman (No. 49 Chevrolet Corvette), Jorge Diaz, Jr. (No. 8 Jaguar XKR), Paul Newman (No. 78 Chevrolet Corvette), John Baucom (No. 86 Jaguar XKR).

Lap 26 Hayner pits with smoke in the rear, retires from session        .
Probably engine failure                                                .

Lap 27 Garrett Kletjian (No. 20 Chevrolet Corvette) pits with loose hood

Lap 28 Miller sets his fastest lap (51.488 seconds, 106.976 mph). Ruhlman spins in turn three and continues

Lap 30 Kletjian goes off into the runoff area in turn one, continues

Lap 31 Kletjian reported to have a loose hood, pits.

4:05 p.m. CHECKERED FLAG

Notebook:
Many fans attending Friday's first-round practice for the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup at Lime Rock Park. Actor Paul Newman, making his return to the Series this weekend after a nine-year hiatus, is driving a Chevrolet Corvette painted in a very similar style to the Nissan 300ZX Turbo he drove to victory here in 1986. The red, white and blue Vette was driven to Rookie of the Year honors by Butch Leitzinger last year.

-scca pro racing-