SCCA Trans-Am Qualifying Results from Minneapolis
7 July 1997
KENDALL FASTEST FOR SPRINT PCS TRANS-AM AT MINNEAPOLIS MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Tom Kendall extended his two-season-long fastest-qualifier streak to 10 with a record 1:16.799 (75.000 mph) lap in qualifying for the 63-lap, 100.8 mile Sprint PCS Trans-Am race on the street of Minneapolis. "We made things tough on ourselves today by changing the brakes, including new rotors," said Kendall. "It takes a while to bed in new brakes and we didn't really have it. I spun when I locked a wheel going down the straight. That gave me dirty tires and then I went down the escape road. I managed to get a good lap in, then Dorsey turned a fast one, but I couldn't fight back because my tires weren't up to another fast lap." Kendall, the defending Minneapolis race-winner and victor in the season's first five races, will start his No. 11 All Sport Body Qencher Ford Mustang Cobra fifth after the Trans-Am's random drawing for the Goodyear Fast Five top-five qualifiers. Posting the second-fastest lap in qualifying was Dorsey Schroeder at a time of 1:17.118 (74.690 mph), followed by Paul Gentilozzi, Brian Simo and Bill Saunders. "I then cooled my tires for a couple laps, cruised around a bit, then I got on it," said Schroeder. "I turned a very fast lap that closed the gap to Tommy and my crew chief came on the radio and said that I needed only 0.3 second more. But I called him back and said that if I tried that he'd need a new car." After the random drawing, Schroeder, in the No. 12 Raybestos Mustang Cobra, will start third. Paul Gentilozzi, in the No. 5 RISO Chevrolet Camaro, will start on the pole with Brian Simo, in the No. 22 Valvoline Mustang Cobra, starting second. Bill Saunders, in the No. 8 HighwayMaster/AutoLink Camaro, wil start fourth. "This race will be a survival race," said Gentilozzi. There is only one sure place to pass and that is going into the chicane. A pass can be made under braking-there are a couple other places where one can get past, after the short straights on the other side of the track, but you have to force your way past, and the other guy has to cooperate." MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Starters for Sunday's 63-lap, 100.8-mile Sprint PCS Trans-Am race at the Minneapolis street circuit, with starting position after random drawing for the Goodyear Fast Five top-five qualifiers, car number, driver and hometown, car, time and speed in miles-per-hour. Pos No Driver Car Time Speed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 5 Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich. Chevrolet Camaro 1:17.391 74.427 2 22 Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:18.092 73.759 3 12 Dorsey Schroeder, Osage Beach, Mo. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:17.118 74.690 4 8 Bill Saunders, Dallas, Texas Chevrolet Camaro 1:18.226 73.632 5 11 Tom Kendall, Santa Monica, Calif. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:16.799 75.000 (record) 6 64 John W. Miller IV, Johnson City, Tenn. Chevrolet Camaro 1:18.652 73.233 7 4 Mike Borkowski, Middlebury, Conn. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:18.901 73.002 8 16 Jon Gooding, Longwood, Fla. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:19.319 72.618 9 40 Jim Derhaag, Chaska, Minn. Chevrolet Camaro 1:19.502 72.451 10 7 R.J. Valentine, Hingham, Mass. Chevrolet Camaro 1:19.988 72.010 11 23 Bob Ruman, Monroe Falls, Ohio Chevrolet Camaro 1:20.315 71.717 12 83 Max Lagod, Barrington, Ill. Chevrolet Camaro 1:20.318 71.714 13 66 Leighton Reese, Eden Prairie, Minn. Pontiac Grand Prix 1:20.513 71.541 14 6 Greg Pickett, Alamo, Calif. Chevrolet Camaro 1:20.698 71.377 15 55 Michael Lewis, San Diego, Calif. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:20.828 71.262 16 10 Don Sak, West Bloomfield, Mich. Oldsmobile Cutlass 1:21.277 70.868 17 24 Rick Dittman, Prairieview, Ill. Chevrolet Camaro 1:21.545 70.635 18 31 Don Meluzio, York, Pa. Chevrolet Camaro 1:21.988 70.254 19 34 Bruce Barkelew, Columbia, Mo. Chevrolet Camaro 1:22.203 70.070 20 70 Peter Shea, Newport Beach, Calif. Chevrolet Camaro 1:22.353 69.942 21 50 Bruce Nesbitt, Chicago. Ill. Ford Mustang Cobra 1:25.844 67.098 22 07 Michael Starnes, Mission, Kan. Ford Thunderbird 1:35.530 60.295 23 42 Jim Briody, Cherry Hill, N.J. Chevrolet Camaro no time
