Sears Point: Rocketsports qualifying notes

Rocketsports Qualifies Second and Third at Infineon

SONOMA, Cal. June 25, 2004 --Four-time Trans-Am Series Champion, Tommy Kendall captured the outside pole for the Infineon Trans-Am 100 driving the No. 11 Jaguar R Performance XKR. Kendall turned a lap of 1:15.099 (94.339 mph) around Northern California's 1.968 permanent road course powered by the AJ-V8 Jaguar production based 4-vavle engine. Last weeks pole-setter, Tomy Drissi makes his second straight top-three start after piloting the No. 5 Jaguar XKR around the Infineon Raceway at 1:15.277 (94.116 mph). Both Kendall and Drissi have never started outside the top-six at Infineon. Boris Said, set the fast time of the day running a lap of 1:14.736 (94.798 mph).

Kendall, in only his fourth Infineon raceway start in the Trans-Am series, extended his streak of top-5 starting positions to four by matching his best starting position set in 1990. Kendall missed the pole by less than three tenths of a second. "I am very happy with the second place starting position, I thought we had the potential coming into today for the pole. In Portland we were the car to beat but we weren't the fastest car in qualifying," reflected Kendall. "Boris hasn't seen this tom cat all tuned up, it fast and easy on tires."

Tommy Drissi starts from row two in his 62nd career start and only his third at the northern California road course. Drissi bettered his highest starting position of fourth set in 2003. Drissi momentum from his Portland pole continued as he showed that his Jaguar XKR will continue to be strong every weekend. "I think in the back of my head I was still in Portland where I put to many laps on my race tires, so I was I little more conservative. I wanted to go back out and be on the front row but Kendall came out and bumped me to third," said Drissi. "But to be starting up front with Boris and Tommy is a great thing and tomorrow's race should be fun to watch."

-rsr-