Ernie Francis, Jr., leads the way in wet practice at VIR
September 25, 2015
Tony Ave sets the pace for TA2, Kevin Grant for TA
ALTON, Va. [September 25, 2015] – Thirty-seven cars of the 54 car field elected to take to the waterlogged 3.27-mile road course at Virginia International Raceway, braving constant rain, in the first official session in Round 9 of the 2015 Trans Am Championship
Rain was a constant throughout the morning; so with no sign of it letting up, multiple competitors chose to feel out the damp conditions in the multi-class session, with Ernie Francis, Jr., in the No. 98 Breathless Racing Chevrolet Camaro, capitalizing on the conditions to grab a session, and TA3 American Muscle Group, best lap time of 2:22.056 while other classes struggled to put power down on the slick surface.
Tony Ave, in the No. 70 Lamers Motor Racing Ford Mustang, was second quickest in the session and sole TA2 representative in the top three with a time of 2:23.372; while Randy Mueller, in the No. 0 Epic Motorsports/MCM Holdings BMW M3, rounded out the top three with a time of 2:26.750, leading the TA3 International Group.
Keith Grant, in the No. 7 Tony Ave Racing Chevrolet Corvette, was 11th fastest in the session but led the TA class with a time of 2:33.712 as the monstrous TA cars struggled to put all 850-plus horsepower to the pavement. Grant was followed in the TA class by Road America victor Jim McAleese, in the No. 03 McAleese & Associates/ JetCo Engineering Chevrolet Corvette, with a time of 2:38.374, and two-time defending Champion Doug Peterson, in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Cadillac CTS-V, turning a 2:53.592 lap.
Ave was followed in the TA2 class by current points runner-up Gar Robinson, in the No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, who turned a 2:27.856 lap, and Robinson’s teammate Shane Lewis, in the No. 72 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, with a time of 2:28.297.
In the American Muscle Group, Francis was followed by Rich Jones, in the No. 37 Jomac Truck Bodies and Cranes Ford Mustang, with a time of 2:30.615; while Francis’ Breathless Racing teammate Fernando Seferlis, in the No. 28 Compulab Panama Chevrolet Camaro, rounded out the group top three with a time of 2:34.445.
Randy Mueller, who turned the group fast lap of 2:26.750, was joined atop the International Group by Milton Grant, in the No. 55 Courtyard Hotel/ Sentry Storage Porsche 997 GT3, with a time of 2:27.787 as well as by his teammate Michael Camus, in the No. 08 Epic Motorsports/MCM Holdings BMW M3, who turned a time of 2:29.533.
The Trans Am Series will return to the track this afternoon for Fast Five Qualifying, commencing at 5:40 pm eastern, tomorrow, Saturday, September 26 for practice at 11:20 am, followed by the second chance to qualify at 11:55 am. On Sunday, September 27, the Trans Am Series will take to the track for the 31-lap, 101.37-mile Trans Am race for Round 9 of the 2015 Trans AM Championship at 12:55 pm.
