Toronto: Series practice one report

Drissi Leads Opening Trans-Am Practice Session at Toronto TORONTO, Ontario, Canada (July 16, 2010) -- In the opening practice session of the weekend for the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series on Friday morning at the Honda Indy Toronto, defending ...

Drissi Leads Opening Trans-Am Practice Session at Toronto

TORONTO, Ontario, Canada (July 16, 2010) -- In the opening practice session of the weekend for the SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series on Friday morning at the Honda Indy Toronto, defending series champion Tomy Drissi emerged as the man to beat.

Drissi, of Hollywood, Calif., posted a best lap at 1:13.448 (86.020 mph) in the No. 5 Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps Jaguar XKR. Drissi's lap was more than one second quicker than his next closest competitor. Jaguar XKRs have won the last two Trans-Am races on the streets of Toronto.

Second quickest in the morning session was championship leader Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C. Ave drove the No. 4 Lamers Racing/McMahon Group/Optech/PME Chevrolet Corvette to a best lap at 1:14.528 (84.774 mph). Ave will be looking for his fourth consecutive Trans-Am victory in the race on Sunday afternoon.

RJ Lopez, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, wound up third in the session. Lopez's best lap in the No. 6 Disco 106/ECR Engines/Goodyear Chevrolet Corvette was a 1:15.091 (84.138 mph). He heads into Sunday's race in search of his first career Trans-Am victory and his fifth podium result in six races.

Amy Ruman, of Kent, Ohio, was fourth in opening practice with a best lap at 1:16.850 (82.212 mph) in the No. 23 McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette. In her most recent series start at Road America last month, Ruman earned her second career Trans-Am podium result with a third-place run.

Blaise Csida, of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, rounded out the top five. Csida logged a best time of 1:17.130 (81.913 mph) in the No. 07 Canadian Primedia/Signal Technologies Assoc./Gateway Racing Chevrolet Corvette. Like Ruman, Csida also earned a podium result in his last Trans-Am start, taking third at his home track of Mosport International Raceway in May.

The morning session was run without any red flags. Elmer Shannon, of San Francisco, Calif., had a spin early on in the session and his No. 27 Spectra Holdings/Gateway Racing/Eatmon Racing Engines Chevrolet Corvette came to a stop without power near the pit entrance late in the session. Glen Jung, of Osteen, Fla., was forced to pit lane midway through the session after corner workers reported smoke trailing from his No. 77 Rotary X-treme/MAZDASPEED/Goodyear Mazda RX-7.

A second Trans-Am practice session is scheduled to run from 3:45 to 4:10 p.m. ET this afternoon.