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NA-F2000: Series Lime Rock qualifying one notes

F2000: Erickson Inherits Race One Pole in the Rain at Lime Rock Lakeville, CT -- A crazy F2000 qualifying session in heavy rain at Lime Rock saw Daniel Erickson inherit his fourth pole of the year. The Australian rookie capitalized on ...

F2000: Erickson Inherits Race One Pole in the Rain at Lime Rock

Lakeville, CT -- A crazy F2000 qualifying session in heavy rain at Lime Rock saw Daniel Erickson inherit his fourth pole of the year. The Australian rookie capitalized on Masters Class driver Keith McCrone -- who had set fast time in his R-Sport Van Diemen before a crash saw his car airborne in turn one. McCrone emerged unhurt, but because he brought out the caution he surrenders two grid positions, giving the top spot to Erickson.

Lining up alongside Erickson on row one for the first F2000 race of the weekend, scheduled for Saturday morning at 10:30 am, is Fabio Orsolon. Rounding out the top five were Keith McCrone, Stevan McAleer and Cole Morgan.

Championship points leader Victor Carbone was fastest in the morning practice session, but also incurred a two-grid-position penalty for running the checkered flag. Carbone will line up sixth.

Interestingly enough, McCrone will keep three bonus points for fast time, as the F2000 rulebook only states that he will only lose two grid positions. It is unclear whether his car will be ready for tomorrow's two 35-lap or 30-minute races.

"I went to get on the brakes going into turn one and the car got twitchy and snapped out," said McCrone, who is sitting fifth in F2000 Championship points. "The grass just made the car pick up more speed since it was wet and then it continued into the tire wall. That last lap was a flyer though, and we have been consistently moving up in the finishing order each weekend this season."

Erickson is coming off sweeping the Watkins Glen weekend by winning both races. In his only start before that, at VIR, Erickson took two poles, finished second by a hair in the first race, set a new track record and ran away with second race before a loose spark plug wire ruined his day.

"It's not the best way to start first but I'll take it," said Erickson. "We had the speed to put it on pole outright but we were trying to find a gap and you couldn't see too much with the spray. Credit to the Primus Racing/Quantum Mechanics team because the car was brilliant."

Orsolon will start alongside the Australian in the #26 entry for Alegra Motorsports. "I need to thank the Alegra guys for all their hard work," Orsolon commented. "That was probably the scariest session of my career because I couldn't see anything. I was just trying to drive as quickly and safely as possible."

Stevan McAleer qualified fourth for the Race House team, in only his third F2000 qualifying session ever. "We were just looking for a clear lap trying to stay out of trouble," said the Scottish rookie. "I was being careful with the spray since I didn't want to run into anyone."

Phil Lombardi used his years of Lime Rock experience to qualify the GTP Motorsports Van Diemen seventh ahead fellow Masters Class competitors Jeff McCusker and John Dole.

Felix Serralles was the surprise of the session as the up-and-coming driver will start tenth for race one. It was his second session ever in an F2000 car and the Puerto Rican is also currently contesting the Skip Barber National Series.

The F2000 action continues tomorrow, Saturday, July 24 with both races. The green flag drops on race one at approximately 10:30am, race two follows at 5:15pm.

-source: f2000 championship

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