Mosport: Touring Car qualifying notes

Rookie Davis Scores First SPEED Touring Car Pole At Mosport

CANADA (Sept. 3, 2005) -- Rookie Brandon Davis, of Denver, Colo., captured his first-career SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge Touring Car pole position Saturday, in preparation for Sunday's Round 10 race at Mosport International Raceway, part of the Labour Day Weekend Grand Prix of Mosport. Charles Espenlaub, of Lutz, Fla., and Eric Curran, of S. Deerfield, Mass., completed the top three.

Driving the No. 44 A-SPEC/RealTime Racing Acura TSX, Davis turned a lap of 1:29.745 (98.639 mph) around the historic 2.459-mile circuit in Bowmanville, Ontario to capture his first-career Air Force Reserve Pole one race after clinching The Winning Team Racing Apparel Rookie of the Year award.

"We had a plan for qualifying," 19-year old Davis said. "That was for all of the orange and white [RealTime Racing] cars to go out together and hopefully use some of the draft. I went out there and was catching Eric [Curran] on my first lap, and I actually thought it wasn't going to be as good of a lap. It turned out it was excellent.

"I'm ecstatic about the lap and, honestly, dumbfounded about the result!"

Espenlaub spoiled an Acura 1-4 with his second-place effort in the No. 97 Sparco/Oakley/Tindol Motorsport Mazda 6, turning a fastest lap of 1:29.904 (98.465 mph) to make his second appearance on the front row in 2005. In 2004, Espenlaub recorded a career-best finish of second place at Mosport after starting 28th.

Like his teammate Davis, Curran, who won the most recent SCCA SPEED Touring Car race in Denver, set his fastest time on the first-flying lap in his No. 45 A-SPEC/RealTime Racing Acura RSX with a 1:30.115 (98.234 mph). Four-time Mosport winner Pierre Kleinubing was fourth in his A-SPEC/RealTime Racing Acura TSX with a time of 1:30.134, followed by point leader Peter Cunningham in his similar mount, with a 1:30.156.

The race will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on SPEED Channel at noon, Sunday, Sept. 10.

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