NTB Trans-Am: Gentilozzi on Pole for Road America Race
15 August 1998
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., - Paul Gentilozzi will start on the pole at Saturday's 25-lap, 101.2-mile NTB Trans-Am Series race at Road America after posting a quick time of 2:11.173 (111.096 mph).Gentilozzi, of Lansing, Mich., scored his eighth pole of the year to top the 35-car field in his No. 3 AutoLink Chevrolet Corvette, with Brian Simo, in the No. 2 Valvoline Ford Mustang, starting on the outside pole.
"That session was totally bizarre," said Gentilozzi. "We pulled in line, started the car and it only had seven cylinders. So we took the hood off, checked everything, put the hood back on, and it still only had seven cylinders. So we took the hood back off, fooled around with it a little more, I pulled away, and it only had seven cylinders. So I took the short cut back up the hill through the crowd - and got lost on my way back to the pit. Then we pulled all the spark plugs out and everything was fine. So then I pulled the dumbest move of the day -- I went 105 mph through the CART pit thinking I'd gone past the last radar gun, but there's another one at the end -- so I had to come in for a black flag. By then, the other cars had oiled and graveled the race track, and then on my fast lap I totally blew the last corner, slid through it and just made a mistake, and then it was checkered. So all I've got to say to these guys is you ain't seen nothing yet!"
Gentilozzi's teammate Bill Saunders will start third, followed by Stu Hayner and John Miller IV.
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Starters for Saturday's 25-lap, 101.2-mile NTB Trans-Am Series race at Road America, with at Road America, with starting position, car number in parenthesis, driver, hometown, car, time and speed in miles-per-hour.
1. (3), Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:11.173,
111.096.
2. (2), Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:11.889,
110.492.
3. (8), Bill Saunders, Dallas, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:12.375,
110.087.
4. (58), Stu Hayner, Yorba Linda, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:12.487,
109.994.
5. (64), John W. Miller.IV, Johnson City, Tenn., Chevrolet Camaro,
2:12.561, 109.932.
6. (40), Chris Neville, Scottsdale, Ariz., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:12.597,
109.902.
7. (83), Max Lagod, Barrington, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:12.615, 109.888.
8. (12), Michael Lewis, San Diego, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:13.331,
109.297.
9. (92), Ross Thompson, Phoenix, Ariz., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:13.723,
108.977.
10. (49), Randy Ruhlman, Greensboro, N.C., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:13.949,
108.793.
11. (28), Lou Gigliotti, Garland, Texas, Chevrolet Corvette, 2:14.421,
108.411.
12. (5), Brian DeVries, East Grand Rapids, Mich., Chevrolet Camaro,
2:14.433, 108.402.
13. (88), Steve Hodge, Hillsboro, Ore., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:14.957,
107.981.
14. (10), Don Sak, West Bloomfield, Mich., Oldsmobile Cutlass, 2:15.014,
107.935.
15. (70), Peter Shea, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:15.271,
107.730.
16. (66), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Pont.Grand Prix, 2:15.544,
107.513.
17. (15), Dino Crescentini, Brentwood, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:15.879,
107.248.
18. (99), Mark Pielsticker, Oakland, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:15.905,
107.227.
19. (4), Bruce Barkelew, Columbia, Mo., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:16.225,
106.976.
20. (46), Steve Pelke, Lansing, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:16.792, 106.532.
21. (24), Rick Dittman, Prairie View, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:16.810,
106.518.
22. (44), Bruce Qvale, San Francisco, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:16.872,
106.470.
23. (23), Bob Ruman, Munroe Falls, Ohio, Chevrolet Camaro, 2:17.526,
105.964.
24. (59), Simon Gregg, Jacksonville, Fla., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:20.023,
104.074.
25. (6), Dwayne Grohavec, Palos Park, Ill., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:20.772,
103.520.
26. (50), Bruce Nesbitt, Chicago, Ill., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:22.134,
102.528.
27. (82), Dick Greer, Columbus, Ohio, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 2:23.647,
101.448.
28. (77), Rob Blair, Calgary Alberta, Oldsmobile Cutlass, 2:25.336,
100.269.
29. (47), Frank Cioppettini, Morristown, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:26.331,
99.587.
30. (42), James Briody, Cherry Hill, N.J., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:26.481,
99.485.
31. (29), Ed Hinchcliff, Ypsilanti, Mich., Ford Mustang Cobra, 2:26.672,
99.356.
32. (98), Jim Moyer, Kokomo, Ind., Chevrolet Corvette, 2:32.638, 95.472.
33. (51), Jim Trotnow, Mequon, Wis., Chevrolet Camaro, 2:41.007, 90.510.
34. (57), Tony Paterniti, Big Pine Key, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, no time.
35. (26), G.J. Mennen, Austin, Texas, Chevrolet Camaro, no time.
