Trois-Rivieres: Practice one report

TROIS-RIVIÃˆRES, Quebec -- Scott Pruett set the fastest time during first-round Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrichÂ® Tires Cup practice at Le Grand Prix de Trois-RiviÃ¨res. In fact, the driver of the No. 7 Jaguar R Performance XKR was the only ...

TROIS-RIVIÈRES, Quebec -- Scott Pruett set the fastest time during first-round Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup practice at Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. In fact, the driver of the No. 7 Jaguar R Performance XKR was the only driver in the session to break the one minute, five second mark with a 1:04.900-minute lap (84.353 miles per hour) turned late in the session.

Tomy Drissi, who finished third in last year's Trois-Rivières race, was second fastest in his No. 5 Stuck on You, The Movie Jaguar XKR with a lap at 1:05.046 minutes. Local favorite Claude Bourbonnais was third quickest with a 1:05.272-minute effort in the No. 3 Rocketsports Jaguar XKR. Randy Ruhlman was (No. 12 Preformed Line Products Canada/COYOTE Closures Chevrolet Corvette) and Michael Lewis (No. 12 Westward Tools/The Crank Jaguar XKR).

"The car seemed really good," said the two-time Trans-Am Series champion Pruett. "The shock change during the session was planned. The first session early in the morning at a street circuit is kind of write off. You can get confused if you try to make too many setup decisions based on a green track.

"I'm a little rusty," added Pruett, who has only one previous Trans-Am start here. "We'll figure it out in the next few sessions. I just don't remember that much and don't have much history here. So we'll be breaking some new ground."

Bourbonnais was pleased with his first laps in a Trans-Am Series car.

"Well, now I've made my Trans-Am practice session debut," said Bourbonnais. "The track was pretty much what I expected for a Friday morning practice session at a street circuit. But it was easier for me because I know the track so well; like I know my own house.

"I only tested briefly in the Jaguar prior to this race, so I still have to figure some stuff out and learn how to manage the tires," added Bourbonnais. "But every session we'll be better."

Second-round practice is scheduled to take place today at 1:45 p.m., followed by a 45-minute qualifying session at 3:35 p.m. Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Round 7 of the 2003 Trans-Am Series championship, will take the green flag Saturday, Aug. 2 at 1 p.m. The race will air LIVE on SPEED.