Spaude awarded Kia 200 pole; Mat Pombo scores ST pole

- Bret Spaude will start the Kia 200 from the pole after Nick Longhi's qualifying time was disallowed. -

Grand-Am Link

Homestead, FL. – Apr. 27, 2012

– Bret Spaude will start from the pole position in Saturday's GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Kia 200 after GRAND-AM officials disallowed the time for original pole sitter Nick Longhi due to an unapproved modification (wing adjustment) on the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche Carrera.

Spaude lapped the 2.3-mile course in the No. 35 Subaru Road Racing Team Subaru WRX-STI at 1:25.927 (96.361 mph), which is now the CTSCC Grand Sport (GS) class qualifying record. He will be joined on the front row by Jade Buford in the No. 51 Roush Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302R at 1:26.296 (95.949 mph). Tonis Kasemets will now start third following a best lap at 1:26.512 (95.709 mph) in the No. 71 Aston Martin Racing/Multimatic Aston Martin Vantage.

Kia captured its third consecutive pole in Street Tuner qualifying, with Mat Pombo ending teammate Andy Lally’s two-race pole streak.

Pombo ran a lap of 1:31.171 (90.818 mph) in the No. 12 Kinetic/Kia Racing Kia Forte Koup to capture his first career pole, with Lally second in the No. 10 entry, 1:15.355 (90.635 mph). James Gue was third in the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Focus, 1:31.415 (90.576 mph).

 “This is a whole team effort, and being the monkey behind the wheel is the fun part,” Pombo said. “We rolled off the truck fast, and I’ve got to thank Andy for an awesome draft. It’s going to be good to start up front with a clear view for the start.”

The Kia 200 takes the green flag at 2:45 p.m. Saturday. The race will be televised on SPEED on Saturday, May 12, at noon ET.

Friday, April 27, 2012 – Qualifying Report

4:15-5 p.m.

Grand Sport (GS):

§  Nick Longhi – No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche Carrera – 1:25.811 (96.491 mph)

§  Bret Spaude – No. 35 Subaru Road Racing Team Subaru SRX-STI – 1:25.951 (96.33 mph)

§  Jade Buford – No. 51 Roush Performance Ford Mustang Boss 302R – 1:26.296 (95.95 mph)

Street Tuner (ST) Top 3:

§  Mat Pombo – No. 12 Kinetic/Kia Racing Kia Forte Koup, 1:31.171 (90.818 mph)

§  Andy Lally – No. 10 Kinetic/Kia Racing Kia Forte Koup, 1:31.355 (90.635 mph)

§  James Gue – No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Focus, 1:31.415 (90.576 mph)

Notes:

§  4:15 p.m. – GREEN FLAG to begin Grand Sport qualifying for the Kia 200. Nick Longhi holds the GS track record, with a lap of 1:25.994 (96.286 mph). That was set last year in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing BMW M3; Longhi and Matt Plumb switched to a Porsche Carrera for the most recent race at Barber Motorsports Park, winning in the car’s debut.

§  4:17 p.m. – Rod Randall (No. 79 Mustang) spins and continues.

§  4:18 p.m. – Bret Spaude (No. 35 Subaru) first to post a quick lap, 1:25.951; knocked off moments later by Nick Longhi (No. 13 Porsche), 1:25.811, breaking his own track record. Spaude is second, followed by Jade Buford (No. 51 Mustang), 1:26.296.

§  4:21 p.m. – Spaude improves to 1:25.927 but remains second. Tonis Kasemets (No. 71 Aston Martin) to fourth, 1:26.512.

§  4:30 p.m. – CHECKERED FLAG to end GS qualifying. Nick Longhi wins his first pole position of the year and fourth of his CTSCC career.

§  4:45 p.m. – GREEN FLAG for 15 minutes of Street Tuner qualifying. Sarah Cattaneo set the track record two years ago with a lap of 1:31.810 (90.186 mph).

§  4:49 p.m. – James Gue (No. 16 Ford Focus) early pole leader in ST, 1:31.902.

§  4:50 p.m. – Gue improves to 1:31.415, breaking the track record, but is quickly passed by Mat Pombo (No. 12 Kia), 1:31.171, and Kia teammate Andy Lally (No. 10 Kia), 1:31.355.

§  5 p.m. – CHECKERED FLAG to end Street Tuner qualifying. Mat Pombo wins his first career pole and third consecutive pole for Kia, breaking the Homestead-Miami Speedway ST track record; he also ends teammate Andy Lally’s two-race pole streak.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competitors return to the track for final practice on Saturday from 10:15-10:45 a.m. The Kia 200 will take the green flag at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow afternoon for two and a half hours of racing.

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