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SCC: Mid-Ohio: Qualifying report

Trinkler, Burrows Will Make Up Front Row for Sunday's Grand-Am KONI Challenge Street Tuner Race at Mid-Ohio Sunday's two-and-a-half hour race will start at 12:45 p.m. LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 21, 2008) -- Owen Trinkler posted a lap time of 1:37.638 ...

Trinkler, Burrows Will Make Up Front Row for Sunday's Grand-Am KONI Challenge Street Tuner Race at Mid-Ohio

Sunday's two-and-a-half hour race will start at 12:45 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 21, 2008) -- Owen Trinkler posted a lap time of 1:37.638 (83.254 mph) during Saturday afternoon's Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Street Tuner qualifying session at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to become the third different series class polesitter this season, and will lead a 47-car field to the green flag in Sunday's two-and-a-half hour race.

Trinkler, in the No. 196 RSR Motorsports Cruise America Inc./CaseTech Mini Cooper S, will start the car in Sunday's race before hopping into the team's No. 198 Mini Cooper S. The pole marked the first in his Grand-Am career, as he traditionally finishes races rather than starting them. Co-driving the No. 196 will be team owner Randy Smalley and Ohio native BJ Zacharias, while Trinkler will take over the No. 198 from Smalley during his second driving stint.

The Nashville, Tenn. native will be joined on the front row by defending series co-champion Adam Burrows, who piloted the No. 74 Compass360 Racing Skunk2/Sunday Group Management Acura TSX to a time of 1:38.083 (82.877 mph). Burrows, who drives with fellow defending series co-champion Trevor Hopwood, is on the front row for the first time this season.

Georgian Bay Motorsports continued its strong qualifying runs as teammates Jamie Holtom and Ashley McCalmont swept the second row in the Chevrolet Cobalts. Point co-leader Holtom -- who has combined with co-driver and fellow point co-leader Eric Curran to win the last two ST races -- lapped the track with a time of 1:38.108 (82.856 mph). In turn, McCalmont -- who posted her best qualifying starting position of third June 13 at Mosport International Raceway -- was fourth with a time of 1:38.119 (82.846 mph). She will co-drive the car with Kirk Spencer.

Mark White rounded out the top five with a lap time of 1:38.182 (82.793 mph) in the No. 181 APR Motorsport BBS/Motul Volkswagen GTI. The Volkswagen was the fourth different manufacturer in the top five. The team was overcoming engine problems during Friday's practice session.

Overall, eight different models qualified in the top 10. Defending race co-winner Chuck Hemmingson was sixth in the No. 111 ICY/Phoenix Racing Subaru Legacy (1:38.213; 82.793 mph), Matthew Bell seventh in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i (1:38.389; 82.619 mph), Tony Rivera eighth in the No. 51 Brass Mitchell Racing Mazda RX-8 (1:38.563; 82.473 mph), Chad Gilsinger in the No. 29 Bill Fenton Motorsports Honda Civic Si (1:38.627; 82.420 mph) and David Thilenius in the No. 27 Bill Fenton Motorsports Civic Si (1:38.632; 82.415 mph).

The cars were stopped briefly after a spin by Ian Baas, though no other incidents were recorded during the 15-minute session.

The two-and-a-half hour race is scheduled to start at 12:45 p.m. Sunday. The race will be broadcasted at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 28 .

NOTEBOOK

Engine Troubles Plague APR: Engine problems and a variety of other issues -- including a spin during qualifying -- have plagued the APR Motorsport team this weekend, but Ian Baas, Dion von Moltke and Aaron Povoledo will hope those issues are fixed by Sunday. The trio is scheduled to drive the No. 171 APR Motorsport Volkswagen. Baas spun during qualifying and the car was unable to record a time.

Johnson Replaces Walker at Mid-Ohio for Weekend: Former Compass360 Racing driver Billy Johnson will be in the No. 76 Compass360 Racing Skunk2/Hawk Brakes Acura RSX-S this weekend with Christian Miller, replacing Travis Walker for the weekend. Last season, Johnson and car owner Karl Thomson posted four victories together.

DRIVER QUOTES

Owen Trinkler (No. 196 RSR Motorsports Cruise America Inc./CaseTech Mini Cooper S; Qualified on the Pole): "After that black flag, the crew had me came in and I got in towards the end. The guys came on the radio and told me that five minutes were left, we've got to make it happen. I've got to give it to some of the guys out there. The other cars didn't slow me down, and I was able to get in two fliers to make it happen. It was a good run for us, Cruise America and Case Tech, they've done a great job. The guys have been working real hard, and I'm glad to start on the pole."

(on how he was able to win the pole): "I think the heat was a key to winning the pole. If you go back and look at our practice times, we've been consistently in the top three on the sheets all weekend. Really, this is a surprise to us, because we've been looking to get the car to hook up in a longer run. We knew we will be racing during the heat of the day. So we didn't know who was holding back. We're a little shocked, we thought we'd be in the first couple roles, but not on the pole."

(on the team's strategy on Sunday) "I've got a great co-driver, BJ Zacharias; he's coming in tonight. Unfortunately, he hasn't been here all weekend, but this is his home track. We want to get good start, run a clean race and hand the car in good shape to him. Then, I've got to finish the No. 197 car, and try to finish it in the top 10. It will be a busy day for me, but I'm looking forward to it."

Adam Burrows (No. 74 Compass360 Racing Skunk2/Sunday Group Management; Qualified Second): "I was fortunate after we came in for the black flag that, when we lined up, we had only two cars in front of us. I was able to get by both of them quickly. Then, right in front of me, were the Cobalts. So I had the bite in my teeth and I was trying to go after them. That produced a real good lap. The car handled great all the way through. I couldn't be more pleased. Thanks to the Compass360 Racing crew for working so hard and giving us a great handling car in which to record this second-place starting position."

-credit: garra

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