Front-row start for Camaro Z/28.R at Laguna Seca

Three Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R race cars will start in the first seven positions for Saturday’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Eric Curran qualified second in CKS Autosport’s No. 01 Camaro Z/28.R on Friday with a lap of 1:35.979 (83.943 mph).

It’s the second consecutive race that Curran put his Camaro on the outside of the front row, following a similar effort at Sebring International Raceway. Curran, who was just 0.031 seconds off the pole time, will team with Lawson Aschenbach in Saturday’s two-and-a-half-hour Grand Sport (GS) race that begins at 3:45 p.m. ET.

Stevenson Motorsports’ No. 6 Camaro Z/28.R will start behind Curran in the fourth position after Andrew Davis’ qualifying run of 1:36.154 (83.791 mph). He and Robin Liddell scored the Z/28.R’s first victory at Sebring in just the car’s second race.

Andy Lally qualified seventh in the No. 9 Stevenson Camaro that he drives with Matt Bell. Ashley McCalmont was 19th in the No. 00 CKS Camaro; she shares it with Bob Michaelian.

The Camaro brand has a rich history at Laguna Seca. The Camaro GS.R won in the Continental Tire series at the track in 2011 and 2012 and was second in 2013. Compared to the previous car, the Z/28.R is an improvement in many key areas.

The Chevrolet engine, suspension components and aerodynamic elements all have seen major upgrades for the Camaro Z/28.R. It also is the closest link between production Camaro and racing version Chevrolet has produced.

Eric Curran, NO. 01 CKS Autosport Camaro Z/28.R
“What a difference. Yesterday we had a day that felt like it was 90 degrees, and the car was sliding all over the place. This was a nice change for us. I think it’s a bigger benefit to us than it is the other cars just because of the additional weight the series added to us prior to this race. But the CKS guys did a fantastic job. The car is awesome. Right away we were P1 and we held it most of the way but just got nipped there at the end. We’re really happy and just need a solid run to the end tomorrow.

“This is a place where you need some horsepower with some uphill climbs – especially going up to the Corkscrew. But ultimately this is a handling track. You better have your brakes working, as well as your chassis and suspension really working. (Team owner) Kirk (Spencer) and all the guys were spot-on. Lawson did a good job tweaking the car earlier in the day and we got a setup that was just about perfect for what we’re working with. We’re 200 pounds heavier than the car that’s on the pole. But this Camaro Z/28.R is pretty awesome.”

Team Chevy Racing