Drissi captures third consecutive Mid-Ohio pole
Tomy Drissi, in the No. 71 Straight Outta Compton Chevrolet Corvette, captured his third consecutive TA class pole at Mid-Ohio with a lap time of 1:23.187 in his first Trans Am appearance of the year. Drissi, who won the Trans Am Championship in 2009, is also racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend at Mid-Ohio, a course on which he has continued to show his qualifying dominance year after year. Now, Drissi will attempt to convert his qualifying speed into the podium success that has somehow eluded him here over the past two races.
Cliff Ebben, driver of the No. 36 Stumpf Ford/McMahon Group Ford Mustang, was second quickest in the incredibly tight TA class qualifying–his time of 1:23.220 was only hundredths off of Drissi. Current points leader, Amy Ruman, driver of the No. 23 McNichols Company/FirstEnergy Chevrolet Corvette, was third in the session with a time of 1:23.340.
Paul Fix, in the No. 4 StopFlex.com/TheCarCoach.com Chevrolet Corvette, and David Pintaric, in the No. 57 Kryderacing Chevrolet Corvette, rounded out the “Fast Five" with times of 1:23.623 and 1:23.846, respectively.
TA2 qualifying immediately followed and saw two-time defending Champion Cameron Lawrence put the brand new No. 1 MOPAR Dodge Challenger on pole with a time of 1:26.955–a new track record. Lawrence, who debuted the Challenger here at Mid-Ohio in 2014, seems set to rebound after a streak of poor luck over the past three races as he continues his pursuit of a third consecutive TA2 Championship.
Shane Lewis, in the No. 72 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, was second fastest in the session with a time of 1:27.010–just short of Lawrence’s time. Lewis’ Robinson Racing teammate Gar Robinson, in the No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, was just behind with a time of 1:27.055.
The TA2 “Fast Five" was completed by Tony Buffomante, in the No. 34 Bestline Superior Lubricants Ford Mustang, and Lawrence Loshak, in the No. 5 Raybestos Powertrain Ford Mustang, with times of 1:27.383 and 1:27.395. In total, the TA2 “Fast Five" all turned times within a spread of just under four tenths of a second.
The TA3 field was led by Randy Mueller, in the No. 0 Epic Motorsports BMW M3, with a time of 1:29.035. Mueller, who already has a Trans Am victory under his belt this year from Lime Rock Park, will look to replicate that feat and use his pole position and the BMW platform to his advantage around the Mid-Ohio course and its 17 turns.
Defending TA3 American Muscle Champion and current group points leader Ernie Francis, Jr., in the No. 98 Breathless Racing Chevrolet Camaro, will start second, courtesy of a 1:30.858 lap time. His main challenger to the 2015 title, Todd Napieralski, driver of the No. 39 Tremec/SKF/Backstreet Performance Chevrolet Camaro, was third with a time of 1:31.556.
Mueller’s teammate Michael Camus, in the No. 08 Epic Motorsports BMW M3, will start fourth after a qualifying time of 1:31.616; while current International Group points leader Lee Saunders, in the No. 84 Landsearch LLC Dodge Viper, will start fifth after logging a 1:32.337 lap time.
Trans Am will hold several more sessions over the course of the day with a second set of practice sessions commencing with TA2 at 11:15 a.m. ET and TA and TA3 at 11:30 a.m. The second chance to qualify will follow immediately at 11:45 a.m.
The FirstEnergy Muscle Car Challenge, presented by 3-Dimensional Services, a TA2 exclusive 101.96 mile, 45-lap race, will take place at 4:45 p.m. this afternoon, while the Next Dimension 100, presented by FirstEnergy, an identical race featuring TA and TA3 will take place tomorrow, Saturday, August 15 at 12:50 p.m.