SCC: Qualifying report

Hainer Captures Grand-Am Cup 250 Pole in Miami

MIAMI, Fla. (March 27, 2004) -- Anders Hainer picked up his first Grand-Am Cup Series pole on Saturday, posting the fastest lap time during qualifying for the Grand-Am Cup 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hainer turned a 1:28.470 lap at 93.591 mph at the wheel of the Istook/Aines Motorsport Group No. 04 Audi S4.

"I got a clean lap. I didn't get stuck in traffic," Hainer said. "I took the advice of (car owner) Don Istook and went for it right away, and I got lucky. We were able to put it together, and we're happy with it. We're excited starting first, and hopefully, we can finish up first. That's the plan."

This weekend is the first time the Grand-Am Cup Series has raced on Homestead-Miami Speedway's road course since the oval portion was reconfigured, increasing the former six degrees of banking to a variable banking system with a maximum of 20 degrees. Although the reconfiguration increased the road course length from 2.21 miles to 2.3, the new banking has increased speeds and resulted in much quicker lap times. As a result, Hainer's qualifying lap shaved nearly three seconds off the previous Grand-Am Cup Series track record set by Pete Argetsinger last season.

Craig Stanton will start from the outside pole position after turning a 1:28.764 lap at 93.281 mph in TheRaceSite.com Racing No. 44 Porsche 996. Stanton and co-driver Terry Borcheller enter this weekend's race with the points lead after winning the opening round of the season in Daytona.

"The Nonnamaker (TheRaceSite.com Racing) program is really awesome," Stanton said. "They do a great job. The guys are really focused, and all of the cars look the same. Terry should be pretty happy with this. We wanted the pole, but we're happy with second."

Bobby Julien will start in the number-three position in Sunday's race after posting a 1:29.127 lap at 92.901 mph at the wheel of the Doncaster Racing No. 91 Porsche 996. Joe Nonnamaker will lineup beside Julien on second row in TheRaceSite.com Racing No. 43 Porsche 996.

South Florida driver Shane Lewis, of Jupiter, was the fast qualifier in the Sport Touring class, turning a 1:32.521 lap at 89.493 mph. His quick lap in the Nuzzo Motorsports No. 20 Mini Cooper S makes him the first to put one of the new Mini Coopers on a class pole. Thanks in part to the track's reconfiguration, Lewis trimmed nearly three seconds off the previous ST track record set by Pete Halsmer last year.

"This pole position was the result of a lot of hard work by Tony Nuzzo and his crew," Lewis said. "The car's working really well. Sometime you've got to think small in a Mini before you think big. These Hoosier tires really rock. That's what gave me the fast lap. My fast lap was my first 'flyer.'"

Another local favorite, David Haskell from Plantation, turned the second-fastest time in ST class with his 1:33.507 lap at 88.550 mph. Haskell is teamed with Sylvain Tremblay, of Coral Springs, in the No. 70 Maxda RX-7 of SpeedSource, based in nearby Sunrise.

Turner Motorsports, which made its Grand-Am Cup Series debut in round one at Daytona earlier this year, recorded the third-quickest lap time during qualifying for the ST class. Driver Tim Pappas put together a 1:33.932 lap at 88.149 in the No. 97 BMW 330i.

The Grand-Am Cup Series 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will get underway at 12:30 p.m., on Saturday. Tickets for the race are on sale at the gate for $10.

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