NA-F2000: Mid-Ohio Qualifying Results 98-06-13

BESNARD TAKES FIFTH POLE OF SEASON AT MID-OHIO

LEXINGTON, Ohio – Australian David Besnard continued his domination in the U.S. F2000 National Championship, taking his fifth pole of the season at the U.S. Road Racing Classic. Local driver Sam Hornish Jr. will start second.

Besnard, who has won four of the first six races this season, turned a record-setting lap of 1:25.300 (100.116 mph) in the No. 13 Primus Racing Karts Van Diemen Ford, topping teammate Hornish Jr., of Defiance, Ohio, by 0.432-second. Both drivers set their respective fastest times in the first round of qualifying on Friday. Saturday's session was run in wet conditions.

"We had a miss in the engine in qualifying, so I think we can go faster in the race tomorrow," said Besnard. "I think Sam and I will try to just run with it. We've got some distance on the Tatuuses on the grid, and the Van Diemen is better through the corners. Unlike other tracks, we don't have any problems with them on the straights."

Starting third is Ryan Jones, of Honeoye Falls, N.Y., followed by Marc-Antoine Camirand, of St. Leonard D'Aston, Quebec, and Alejandro Garcia, of Venezuela.

Besnard leads the point standings 180 to 136 over Ryan Hampton, of Glendora, Calif., who will start eighth.

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Starters for the 20-lap, 48.0-mile U.S. F2000 National Championship Round Seven Race, race part of the U.S. Road Racing Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with starting position, car number in parenthesis, driver, hometown, class, car, time and speed in miles-per-hour.

1. (13), David Besnard, Sydney, Australia, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:26.300, 100.115. 2. (7), Sam Hornish Jr., Defiance, Ohio, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:26.732, 99.617. 3. (24), Ryan Jones, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:26.889, 99.437. 4. (96), Marc Antoine Camirand, Quebec, Can., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:26.977, 99.336. 5. (30), Alejandro Garcia, Venezuela, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:26.998, 99.312. 6. (2), Robby McGehee, St. Louis, Mo., F2A, Tatuus Ford, 1:27.131, 99.161. 7. (28), Jonathan Bottoms, Buffalo, N.Y., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.399, 98.856. 8. (88), Ryan Hampton, Glendora, Calif., F2A, Tatuus Ford, 1:27.427, 98.825. 9. (51), Greg LeMond, Medina, Minn., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.481, 98.764. 10. (11), Steve Rikert, Rhinebeck, N.Y., F2A, Tatuus Ford, 1:27.525, 98.714. 11. (52), Bobby Oergel, Palmetto, Fla., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.533, 98.705. 12. (8), Mike Johnson, Gainsville, Ga., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.562, 98.672. 13. (5), Andy Lally, Northport, N.Y., F2A, Bowman BC5 Ford, 1:27.575, 98.658. 14. (4), Duncan Dayton, North Salem, N.Y., F2A, Bowman BC5 Ford, 1:27.769, 98.440. 15. (25), Christian Coggins, Atlanta, Ga., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.777, 98.431. 16. (15), Ric Rushton, Santa Fe, N.M., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.783, 98.424. 17. (66), Larry Oberto, Seattle, Wash., F2B, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.821, 98.381. 18. (95), Anthony Simone, Stouffville, Ontario, Can., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.873, 98.323. 19. (64), Rolando Quintanilla, Nuevo Larado, Mexico, F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:27.929, 98.261. 20. (75), Guy Cosmo, Bohemia, N.Y., F2B, Van Diemen Ford, 1:28.114, 98.054. 21. (77), Jon Herb, Indianapolis, Ind., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:28.189, 97.971. 22. (22), James Yott, Montreal Quebec, Can., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:28.260, 97.892. 23. (6), Joey Scarallo, Hauppauge, N.Y., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:28.305, 97.842. 24. (34), Tim Duit, Edmond, Okla., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:28.396, 97.741. 25. (33), Jeff Smith, Terre Haute, Ind., F2A, Tatuus Ford, 1:28.677, 97.432. 26. (45), T.J. Bell, Sparks, Nev., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:29.392, 96.652. 27. (9), Dana LaLiberte, Ann Arbor, Mich., F2B, Van Diemen Ford, 1:29.813, 96.199. 28. (49), Howie Liebengood, Vienna, Va., F2B, Van Diemen Ford, 1:30.095, 95.898. 29. (40), Billy Puterbaugh Jr., Brownsburg, Ind., F2A, Van Diemen Ford, 1:30.880, 95.070. 30. (63), Jason Bach, Toledo, Ohio, F2B, Van Diemen Ford, 1:31.579, 94.344. 31. (55), Wilmer Valentin, Bayamon, Puerto Rico, F2B, Van Diemen Ford, 1:54.190, 75.663.