#63 Genoa Racing Oreca FLM09: Eric Lux, Christian Zugel
Darren Pierson
Genoa Racing Starts Fourth at Road America
ELKHART LAKE, Wisc., August 19, 2011 - Genoa Racing will be starting fourth Saturday at Road America for the Time Warner Road Race Showcase after a very strong qualifying run by Eric Lux. In just his second trip to the four mile, 14 turn circuit, Lux posted a time of 1:59.400, just 0.138 seconds behind class pole sitter Butch Leitzinger in American Le Mans Series-Presented by Tequila Patrón competition.
The result was not without drama. With just enough time left in the session for one flying lap, Lux delivered by claiming third place with his best lap time of the day. Moments after he flashed by the timing line, Gunnar Jeannette edged Lux by 0.043 seconds, relegating the Genoa pilot to fourth. With the top four separated less than half of a second, Lux and co-drivers Elton Julian and Christian Zugel are poised to make a run for the win.
"Genoa gave me a great car and we went out there and gave it everything," said Lux. "I think we're right where we need to be. On my fast lap, I was just a little bit off in the last corner and I think that would have been good enough for pole. At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter where you qualify, and I'm very confident about tomorrow."
Qualifying marked the first time that the number 63 green dot/p.u.r.e./ZaisGroup ORECA FLM09 prototype had put in a lap time under two minutes. Despite spending much of the Thursday test session at the top of the time charts with both Zugel and Lux at the wheel, Genoa fell to fourth in the LMPC class by day's end.
The search for more speed continued in Friday morning practice but ultimately yielded the same result. In Friday afternoon practice, the team spent much of the time getting Julian up to speed. A late addition to Genoa's driver lineup, Julian arrived Friday morning and was quickly turning times equal to those of his teammates.
Lux was tabbed to qualify the car and quickly has fallen in love with the Road America circuit. "I'm fairly new to this track, except for a test we did a few months ago," said the Buffalo, New York resident, "and it has turned out to be one of my favorite circuits I've driven."
With only a 20 minute warm-up session Saturday morning to prepare for the four hour race, the team is confident in their strategy heading into the Time Warner Road Race Showcase.
"At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter where you qualify," said Lux. "I'm very confident about tomorrow. We have a four hour race to keep the car pointed in the right direction and I think we have to pace to really take it to those Core Autosport guys. "
While weather conditions were nothing short of perfect Thursday and Friday, there is a chance for inclement weather during the race Saturday. After a wet and wild weekend the last time out at Mid-Ohio, weather could once again make for a challenging rac
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