VIR: Series practice one report

Lopez Quickest in Opening Trans-Am Practice at VIR ALTON, Va. (September 10, 2010) -- In the first of two practice sessions on Friday morning, RJ Lopez, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, topped the time charts at the end of the 30-minute ...

Lopez Quickest in Opening Trans-Am Practice at VIR

ALTON, Va. (September 10, 2010) -- In the first of two practice sessions on Friday morning, RJ Lopez, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, topped the time charts at the end of the 30-minute session.

Driving the No. 6 Disco 106/ECR Engines/Goodyear Chevrolet Corvette, Lopez turned a best lap at 1:47.538 (109.468 mph). Lopez is looking to rebound from a fourth-place result last week at Brainerd, which was only the second time this season that he did not finish inside the top three. He earned his first career Trans-Am victory at Toronto in July.

Second quick in opening practice was Amy Ruman, of Kent, Ohio, at 1:48.719 (108.279 mph) in the No. 23 McNichols/Goodyear/Cenweld Chevrolet Corvette. Ruman is the only woman in this weekend's Trans-Am field and has finished on the podium in each of her past three starts in the series. She is making her fifth Trans-Am start of the season this weekend.

Bobby Sak, of Kalamazoo, Mich., wound up third in the No. 17 The Pita Pit/The Grotto at Capone's Chevrolet Corvette. Sak's best time was a 1:48.864 (108.135 mph). He made his first Trans-Am appearance since 2003 in last weekend's race at Brainerd, earning a sixth-place result.

Defending series champion Tomy Drissi, of Hollywood, Calif. took fourth on the time charts at 1:49.250 (107.752 mph) in the No. 5 Unstoppable Jaguar XKR. Drissi owns four podium results from the season's eight races to date, including a victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park at the start of the 2010 season.

Simon Gregg, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., completed the top five in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette at 1:50.780 (106.264 mph). Gregg is carrying the momentum of his second podium result of the season last weekend at Brainerd, where he finished third. His best Trans-Am result in two previous starts at VIR was fourth last year.

Championship leader Tony Ave, of Maiden, N.C., was sixth in the opening practice session at 1:51.138 (105.922 mph) in the No. 4 Lamers Racing/McMahon Group/Optech/PME Chevrolet Corvette. Ave is hoping to wrap up the 2010 Trans-Am title this weekend and will need to leave with a lead of more than 139 points in order to do that. He currently leads Lopez by 137 points in the standings, 1,030-893.

The Trans-Am Series will have a second, 30-minute practice session at VIR on Friday afternoon beginning at 2:40 p.m. ET.