Autobahn: K-PAX/3R Racing qualifying report

Pobst and Pilgrim qualify K-PAX Volvo S60s 2nd and 4th at Illinois Autobahn

Joliet Illinois (July 25, 2009): Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim qualified their K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60s in second and fourth for Sunday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Grand Prix at Autobahn Presented by Blackdog Speed Shop.

Randy Pobst, of Gainesville Georgia, opened the qualifying session with a time of 2:27.165 on his first hot lap for an average speed of 87.086 MPH around the tight 3.56 mile Autobahn Country Club track. This lap time was at the time and would eventually hold up for 2nd fastest of the day but defending GT champion Randy Pobst wasn't satisfied as he was just over 2 tenths slower than the pole sitting Porsche of James Sofronas..

Pobst pitted for tire pressure adjustments and took a late session run at the pole and although his #1 K-PAX Volvo S60 was much better he over cooked it into a turn and spun ending his late session charge to capture the pole.

"My car wasn't quite right and Will Moody threw an adjustment at it and my car was much better," said Pobst. "I liked it a lot so I went out and I went for it but we were running out of time so we really only had one or two laps to get it done. I was hitting these corners for the first time with the new setup and I was trying my best to win the pole but unfortunately out in the back of the course I got in to a corner too hot and it was too much and I got the car sideways."

Qualifying the #1 K-PAX Volvo in 2nd was somewhat bittersweet for Pobst because he had set the pace all weekend and had hoped for better but he was none the less happy to be starting Sunday's race on the front row.

"I cannot hide my disappointment because today was a good news bad news story," said Randy Pobst. "We qualified 2nd and 5th and that is great but I thought that this track was our best shot to win a pole and the race and so far we haven't been able to do either. But, maybe we can still get the win. That is our objective now.

"Early in the weekend I had this track kinda figured out right from my very first lap," said Randy Pobst. "We came off the trailer ready and I knew the track and everybody else had a lot of learning to do. I had an advantage early but session, by session, by session they kept getting closer and closer and I was watching that and I was getting worried.

"My K-PAX Volvo has been fantastic and we thought that this track would suit the Volvo very well because our S60s handle well, we have all-wheel drive to come off tight corners and the Autobahn race course has really short straight-a-ways compared to anywhere else we go.

"The good news is that we are starting second on the front row and the coin toss did not invert the field which is great. Also good news is that my K-PAX Volvo S60 is handling great and I love driving it. The bad news is that if there was any track where we were going to be competitive it was going to be here."

Andy Pilgrim, of Boca Raton Florida, qualified his #8 K-PAX Volvo S60 in the 4th position with a best lap of 2:27.458. Pilgrim had been dealing with an under steer condition with his car earlier in the weekend but reported that his car was much better for qualifying.

"My K-PAX Volvo S60 was much better today," said Andy Pilgrim. "I went over a half a second faster than I have all weekend. I'm ecstatic. Anytime you go a half a second faster in qualifying that you had all weekend you have to be happy.

"Yes the car was still a little tight and still pushing but it was much better than it was yesterday afternoon. We went the wrong way yesterday afternoon so we went back and made it even better this morning. I knew it was going to be very tight at the top today and I was hoping for a tip five and that was what we got so I'm happy with that."

The K-PAX/3R Racing Volvo S60s of Randy Pobst and Andy Pilgrim will race for the win in Round Six of the SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championships at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet Illinois at 3:10 PM Central Time on Sunday July 26th 2009.

-credit: k-pax/3rr