Peterson leads Fast Five qualifying at Brainerd
July 4, 2015
Tommy Archer secures TA2 pole in Trans Am return
PROVISIONAL - BRAINERD, Minn. (July 4, 2015) – As the Trans Am Series held “Fast Five” qualifying at Brainerd International Raceway (BIR), it was Doug Peterson and Tommy Archer who emerged on pole for their respective classes for tomorrow’s Ryan Companies Independence Day Classic, Round 6 of the 2015 Trans Am Championship. For Peterson, the pole marked a return to form after a tumultuous start to the 2015 season, while Archer’s TA2 success came in his first Trans Am appearance after beating prostate cancer earlier this year.
In the TA class, it was two-time defending Champion Doug Peterson, in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Chevrolet Corvette, who claimed pole position, the result of a 1:27.218 lap time, marking a long awaited return to form for the champ, who has suffered from a myriad of mechanical problems and just plain bad luck over the course of the first half of the 2015 season.
While Peterson has been overshadowed by current points leader Amy Ruman’s early season success, he has a long history of success on the Brainerd International Raceway track. In his last four appearances on the Minnesota-based track, Peterson has landed on the podium every time and has been victorious the past two. Tomorrow, Peterson will lead the TA class out on track as he begins his pursuit of three in a row at BIR.
While Amy Ruman, in the No. 23 McNichols Company Chevrolet Corvette, currently leads the Championship point standings, she will have to settle for second on grid tomorrow, claiming the position with a 1:27.637 lap time. Tomorrow, Ruman will start side by side with Peterson, reinvigorating a rivalry that has become slightly one-sided in recent times.
Cliff Ebben, in the No. 36 Stumpf/ McMahon Group Ford Mustang, was third fastest in the session with a time of 1:27.821, while Simon Gregg, in the No. 59 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, and Paul Fix, in the No. 4 StopFlex.com/TheCarCoach.com Chevrolet Corvette, completed the “Fast Five” in fourth and fifth positions, with times of 1:28.528 and 1:28.662, respectively.
Duluth, Minnesota, native Tommy Archer, driver of the No. 54 c3controls Chevrolet Camaro, continued his Trans Am return in spectacular form with the capture of his fourth career Trans Am pole, first since 2001 and first ever in the TA2 class. The event represents Archer’s first Trans Am appearance since his victory over prostate cancer earlier this year, and now, coupled with a 1:32.226 lap time, he continues one of the best comeback stories in Trans Am history. Tomorrow, Archer will look to complete that story with a victory on his home track over the 20-car TA2 field.
Gar Robinson, in the No. 74 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, will start alongside Archer after turning a 1:33.532 lap, securing the first of two Fast Five positions for Robinson Racing. Dillon Machavern, in the No. 24 UniFirst/PPG Ford Mustang, will start third, the result of a 1:33.206.
Shane Lewis, in the No. 72 74 Ranch Resort Chevrolet Camaro, secured a two-four start for Robinson Racing with a 1:33.353, while Adam Andretti, in the No. 44 Engineered Components Chevrolet Camaro, completed the TA2 “Fast Five” with a time of 1:33.496.
In TA3, Cindi Lux, driver of the No. 45 Lux Performance Dodge Viper, led the International Group with a 1:36.433 lap time, while Ernie Francis, Jr., in the No. 98 Breathless Performance Chevrolet Camaro, set the pace for the American Muscle Group with a time of 1:36.768.
Lux’s teammate Steve Streimer, in the No. 42 Lux Performance Dodge Viper, was second in the International Group with a time of 1:36.473; while Francis was followed by Todd Napieralski, in the No. 39 Tremec/SKF/Backstreet Chevrolet Camaro, and Jason Fichter, in the No. 79 Turn 7 Chevrolet Camaro, with times of 1:37.983 and 1:38.663 in the American Muscle Group.
Trans Am will return to the track at BIR at 9:00 a.m. CT for a final practice session and a second chance to qualify for drivers outside the “Fast Five,” before the Ryan Companies Independence Day Classic, the 100-mile Trans Am race for Round 6 of the 2015 Trans Am Championship, at 1:50 p.m. CT.
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