Birmingham: CyberSpeed Racing qualifying report

CyberSpeed Racing's Ave Qualifies 13th For Sunday's Rolex Series Race at Barber Motorsports Park

LEEDS, Ala., July 29 - Tony Ave of Mooresville, N.C. will start Sunday's Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant Rolex Series race at Barber Motorsports Park here in the lucky 13th spot after qualifying the CyberSpeed Racing Riley Pontiac No. 97 in that position Saturday afternoon with a lap in 1:23.965 (98.613 miles per hour).

Ave's fastest lap in the session, his sixth circuit, was the fastest one he's run so far here in preparation for Sunday's race, and he said it was as fast as the car could go under the afternoon's hot and humid conditions. "The car has a good balance, but we haven't optimized our car for when it's really hot," he said afterwards. "Today we were just sliding around.

"I ran all our tires to choose the best set for qualifying, and I did have the best set," he added. "We are definitely getting beaten down the straightaways. We have too much drag. We're going to work on that a little, but not too much in the time we have left.

"I think we have a comfortable, dependable car for the race, and that's what's important," he concluded.

Ave said that he'll drive until the first full-course caution tomorrow and then pit to let team owner and co-driver Skip Cummins of Houston take over.

"The boss will get in after the first caution, and then I'll get back in when he wants me to," Ave said.

Colin Braun won the pole in the Krohn Racing Riley Ford No. 76 with a 1:22.022 (100.948 mph).

-cyberspeedracing.us