Paul Fix and Tony Buffomante grab Classic Tube 100 poles at Watkins Glen

May 14, 2016

Mueller, Herbert and Kezman secure production class poles as rain begins to fall

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. [May 14, 2016] – As the Trans Am Series held qualifying for the Classic Tube 100 at Watkins Glen International (WGI), Paul Fix and Tony Buffomante emerged victorious with pole positions in the TA and TA2 classes. They were joined by Randy Mueller, Tristan Herbert and Tim Kezman, who grabbed poles in the TA3, TA4 and TA5 classes, respectively.

Fix, behind the wheel of his No. 50 Stopflex.com/TheCarCoach.com Chevrolet Corvette, set a 1:51.725 lap around the freshly repaved 3.40 mile track at WGI, putting the Williamsville, New York, driver on pole at his home track and atop the charts in his home state.

Fix, 2015 championship runner up, will be eager to build some momentum of his own in 2016 after a streak of poor luck in the first two races of the 2016 season. The pole puts Fix in prime position to bolster his early season championship pursuit and propel him back into the mix atop the TA point standings.

Fix will be joined in the front row by Trans Am veteran Cliff Ebben, in the No. 36 Stumpf Ford/McMahon Group Ford Mustang, who secured his position with a 1:51.981 lap time, just short of Fix’s 1:51.725. The customarily close TA class qualifying top three was completed by current points leader and defending TA champion Amy Ruman, in the No. 23 McNichols Company Chevrolet Corvette, who turned a 1:51.994 of her own.

The TA class top five was completed by David Pintaric, in the No. 57 Kryderacing Chevrolet Corvette, and Jim McAleese, in the No. 03 McAleese and Associates Chevrolet Corvette, with times of 1:55.262 and 1:58.176.

In TA2, powered by AEM, Tony Buffomante continued his hot streak behind the wheel of the No. 34 Mike Cope Racing Ford Mustang grabbing pole position with a new track record 1:53.962 lap around the WGI surface. Buffomante, hot off a victory at Road Atlanta and on a podium streak that stretches back to last year’s Daytona Finale, enters the weekend as the TA2 class points leader and is now in prime position to extend his lead with his second consecutive pole.

Buffomante was joined atop the TA2 qualifying charts by a slew of his Mike Cope Racing teammates, with Dillon Machavern, in the No. 34 Heritage Motorsports/Ford Mustang, starting alongside Buffomante come tomorrow’s TA2 race, courtesy of his 1:54.197 lap. Lawrence Loshak, in the No. 5 Pennzoil Platinum/MOMO/ETEReman Chevrolet Camaro, and Justin Haley, in the No. 99 Justin Haley Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, complete a sweep of the front two rows for the Mike Cope team with times of 1:54.362 and 1:54.438, respectively.

Rookie driver Louis Phillipe Montour, in the No. 77 Montour Limited Dodge Challenger, grabbed the final spot in the TA2 top five with a time of 1:54.790. The TA2 top ten was completed by Tom Sheehan, Adam Andretti, John Atwell, Tony Ave and Gar Robinson, in that order.

In TA3, current points leader Randy Mueller, in the No. 0 Bizbloom.com BMW M3, led the way in the final qualifying session as track conditions began to dampen. Mueller was quick to set a fast lap on his first complete lap with rain just starting to arrive, a track record 2:05.899. He was followed by a distant Mark Boden, in the No. 47 FallLine Motorsport/Calypso BMW M3, who turned a 2:11.247 and Mueller’s Epic Motorsports teammate, Michael Camus, in the No. 08 Bizbloom.com BMW M3, with a time of 2:11.369.

Preston Calvert, in the No. 38 Calvert Dynamics/Hoosier/Hawk Chevrolet Corvette, and Steve Streimer, in the No. 42 Lux Performance Group Dodge Viper ACRX, completed the TA3 class top five.

In TA4, rookie Tristan Herbert, in the No. 33 Tilton Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, secured his first career Trans Am pole with a time of 2:07.085, beating out Brian Kleeman, in the No. 07 DWW Motorsports Ford Mustang, for the top spot, who turned a 2:09.310 lap of his own. They were joined in the session top three by two-time defending champion Ernie Francis, Jr., in the No. 98 BetaTools/Liquid Performance Ford Mustang, who completed a 2:09.372 lap.

The TA4 top five also featured Rob Bodle, in the No. 16 Caribbean Food Delights Ford Mustang, and Todd Napieralski, in the No. 39 Tremec/SKF/Backstreet Chevrolet Camaro.

TA5 was led by rookie Tim Kezman in the No. 4 Fall-Line/Calypso Porsche 997 who turned a 2:22.606 lap in the damp conditions, beating out Milton Grant, in the No. 5 Sentry Self/Courtyard by Marriott Porsche 997, and Connor Flynn, in the No. 95 Irish Mike’s Automotive Porsche 997.

The two Trans Am races, the TA2, powered by AEM, race and Classic Tube 100, will take place tomorrow, Sunday, May 15, at 9:20 a.m. and 3:40 p.m. ET for Round 3 of the 2016 Trans Am Championship.

Fans can purchase tickets at the Watkins Glen gate for $30 and can keep up throughout the weekend with live timing and scoring at www.gotransam.com/live-timing, on Twitter at @gotransam and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam.

Provisional TA Qualifying Results

Provisional TA2 Qualifying Results

Provisional TA3/TA4/TA5 Qualifying Results

Classic Tube 100 Race Day Schedule

Sunday, May 15, 2016
9:20 AM – 10:30 AM TA2, powered by AEM, Race (102 miles, 30 laps or 70 minutes)
3:40 PM – 4:50 PM The Classic Tube 100 Race (102 miles, 30 laps or 70 minutes)

Classic Tube is a manufacturer of preformed tubing products for the automotive OE, aftermarket and restoration markets. In addition, they produce tubing for fleet, heavy equipment, marine, mining and aerospace industries. Classic Tube also manufactures a complete line of replacement brake, fuel, transmission and carburetor tubing applications for Cars and Trucks both Domestic and Foreign, from the 1930's to present. www.classictube.com