Ken
Gone but not forgotten
From Slam Sports:
Sat, June 18, 2005
Out for redemption
James Sofronas says Mosport owes him
James Sofronas led all but two of 29 laps in 2004 at Mosport International Raceway, but wasn't leading when it counted most -- on the final lap.
Yesterday, the native of Newport Beach, Calif., put his No. 92 Anchor Racing BMW M3 on the pole for today's Grand Am race for the Father's Day 500 with a lap of one minute, 29.508 seconds.
Sofronas said he feels that Mosport owes him a win and he hopes it comes as a result of his pole position.
"I just feel I have to redeem myself," Sofronas said. "The car was absolutely perfect (yesterday). Now I all I need to do is to give the team a good result in the race."
Fighting a cold
Grand Am points leader David Empringham of Toronto was suffering the after effects if a nasty cold yesterday and turned qualifying duties for the No. 5 Multimatic Ford Mustang over to co-driver Gunar Jeannette.
Jeannette took the Mustang to the outside pole with a time of 1:30.204 around Mosport's 2.49 mile road course.
Sofronas expects Empringham and Jeannette to be tough when the race get under way.
"The Mustangs have great start and great torque," he said. "But the M3 should be able to catch them by turn three."
Sofronas, however, said that any advantage the BMWs may gain in the corners the Mustangs will get back on Mosport's long Andretti straight.
"On that straight, we know the Mustangs will be coming," he said.
Empringham said he'll be ready to race today.
"I'm actually feeling a lot better. I'll be ready to go (today)," he said. "Gunar will start the race and I will finish it."
Empringham said that the team worked hard on the balance of the No. 5 Mustang yesterday and he thinks it will pay off in the race.
He said starting on the front row is also going to be an advantage.
"With more than 50 cars in the race you don't want to start in the middle of the pack," Empringham said. "Starting on the front row is a big advantage because you don't want to get caught up in somebody else's problem early in the race.
"But after the first few laps it isn't that much of an advantage."
Spencer Pumpelly, in a Race Prep Motorsports Porsche 996, was third fastest yesterday with a lap of 1:30.448.
The Grand Am race get the green flag tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
The CASCAR Super Series will hold its qualifying session today for tomorrow's Power Water 250, the first road course race of the year for Canada's top stock car racing series.
FELLOWS STARTS FIFTH
Toronto's Ron Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell will have to start fifth in today's 24 Hours of Le Mans after qualifying their No. 63 Corvette C6-R yesterday behind two Aston Martins, a Ferrari and another factory Corvette team on the famed French road course.
Fellows and O'Connell will team up with former Champ Car driver Max Papis to take on the world's most famous sports endurance race.
Indy Racing League driver Tomas Enge claimed the pole for today's race with a lap of three minutes, 48:576 seconds in an Aston Martin DBR9.
David Brabham was second fastest in another Aston Martin DBR9 at 3:49:739 before the No. 64 Corvette C6-R driven by Oliver Gavin posted a 3:52:739 for third spot.
Russian Nikolai Fomenko in a Ferrari 550 drove to fourth place on a lap of 3:55:309 with O'Connell fifth at 3:55:914.
But Fellows said while the threat from Aston Martin is real he isn't ready to wave the white flag just yet.
"(The Aston Martins) are showing tremendous straight-line speed and acceleration out of the corners," Fellows said yesterday. "We're just going to have to outlast them."
Fellows said that reliability will play an important part in today's race.
"A big part of the success of Corvette Racing has been its durability and teamwork, particularly on longer races," Fellows said. "We are in a fight for sure. Ironically, our biggest advantage may be when we are stopped since our pit stops are so strong."
The 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin at 10 a.m. with Speed Channel televising 17.5 hours of live coverage.
STREET LEGAL RACING
All those high octane muscle cars and high performance imports that parade up and down main streets everywhere now have a place to show their speed -- legally.
The Ontario Street Racing Association will take over Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga -- near Hamilton -- on the Canada Day weekend where hundreds of hot rods will test themselves at the quarter-mile drag-strip.
The weekend involves three rounds of racing that start at 10 a.m. July 2.
Sat, June 18, 2005
Out for redemption
James Sofronas says Mosport owes him
James Sofronas led all but two of 29 laps in 2004 at Mosport International Raceway, but wasn't leading when it counted most -- on the final lap.
Yesterday, the native of Newport Beach, Calif., put his No. 92 Anchor Racing BMW M3 on the pole for today's Grand Am race for the Father's Day 500 with a lap of one minute, 29.508 seconds.
Sofronas said he feels that Mosport owes him a win and he hopes it comes as a result of his pole position.
"I just feel I have to redeem myself," Sofronas said. "The car was absolutely perfect (yesterday). Now I all I need to do is to give the team a good result in the race."
Fighting a cold
Grand Am points leader David Empringham of Toronto was suffering the after effects if a nasty cold yesterday and turned qualifying duties for the No. 5 Multimatic Ford Mustang over to co-driver Gunar Jeannette.
Jeannette took the Mustang to the outside pole with a time of 1:30.204 around Mosport's 2.49 mile road course.
Sofronas expects Empringham and Jeannette to be tough when the race get under way.
"The Mustangs have great start and great torque," he said. "But the M3 should be able to catch them by turn three."
Sofronas, however, said that any advantage the BMWs may gain in the corners the Mustangs will get back on Mosport's long Andretti straight.
"On that straight, we know the Mustangs will be coming," he said.
Empringham said he'll be ready to race today.
"I'm actually feeling a lot better. I'll be ready to go (today)," he said. "Gunar will start the race and I will finish it."
Empringham said that the team worked hard on the balance of the No. 5 Mustang yesterday and he thinks it will pay off in the race.
He said starting on the front row is also going to be an advantage.
"With more than 50 cars in the race you don't want to start in the middle of the pack," Empringham said. "Starting on the front row is a big advantage because you don't want to get caught up in somebody else's problem early in the race.
"But after the first few laps it isn't that much of an advantage."
Spencer Pumpelly, in a Race Prep Motorsports Porsche 996, was third fastest yesterday with a lap of 1:30.448.
The Grand Am race get the green flag tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.
The CASCAR Super Series will hold its qualifying session today for tomorrow's Power Water 250, the first road course race of the year for Canada's top stock car racing series.
FELLOWS STARTS FIFTH
Toronto's Ron Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell will have to start fifth in today's 24 Hours of Le Mans after qualifying their No. 63 Corvette C6-R yesterday behind two Aston Martins, a Ferrari and another factory Corvette team on the famed French road course.
Fellows and O'Connell will team up with former Champ Car driver Max Papis to take on the world's most famous sports endurance race.
Indy Racing League driver Tomas Enge claimed the pole for today's race with a lap of three minutes, 48:576 seconds in an Aston Martin DBR9.
David Brabham was second fastest in another Aston Martin DBR9 at 3:49:739 before the No. 64 Corvette C6-R driven by Oliver Gavin posted a 3:52:739 for third spot.
Russian Nikolai Fomenko in a Ferrari 550 drove to fourth place on a lap of 3:55:309 with O'Connell fifth at 3:55:914.
But Fellows said while the threat from Aston Martin is real he isn't ready to wave the white flag just yet.
"(The Aston Martins) are showing tremendous straight-line speed and acceleration out of the corners," Fellows said yesterday. "We're just going to have to outlast them."
Fellows said that reliability will play an important part in today's race.
"A big part of the success of Corvette Racing has been its durability and teamwork, particularly on longer races," Fellows said. "We are in a fight for sure. Ironically, our biggest advantage may be when we are stopped since our pit stops are so strong."
The 24 Hours of Le Mans will begin at 10 a.m. with Speed Channel televising 17.5 hours of live coverage.
STREET LEGAL RACING
All those high octane muscle cars and high performance imports that parade up and down main streets everywhere now have a place to show their speed -- legally.
The Ontario Street Racing Association will take over Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga -- near Hamilton -- on the Canada Day weekend where hundreds of hot rods will test themselves at the quarter-mile drag-strip.
The weekend involves three rounds of racing that start at 10 a.m. July 2.
