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Mosport Park, Canada (May 18, 2002) -- Michael
Galati,
of N. Olmstead, Ohio, took his second-straight Woody's Ice Pole Position
of
the season, smashing the SCCA Pro Racing Speed World Challenge GT track
record
at Mosport International Raceway. Galati's arch nemesis, Peter Cunningham,
of
W. Bend, Wis., was second, followed by David Farmer, of Albemarle, N.C.
Driving
the No. 1 Champion Racing Audi S4 Competition, Galati turned a fastest lap
of
1:28.457 (100.075 mph) to eclipse Cunningham's 2001 mark of 1:28.690.
"I'm very surprised," said Galati, who earned
his 17th World Challenge GT Pole Position. "We worked on setup all week.
I just held my breath and went! There was nothing left out there. I was
braking
over brows, the car was squirrelly, but the Quattro system on the Audi
really
worked. The cooler weather really helped us out too, for the turbos."
Both Galati's Audi and Cunningham's RealTime Racing Acura NSX SC received
performance
restrictions after the season-opening round at Sebring, but didn't change
the
top two positions on the grid that they have regularly occupied since the
start
of last season. Cunningham also eclipsed his old record, with a fast lap
of
1:28.673 (99.831 mph).
Champion Audi S4 Team Leader Louis Milone comments on
Galati's Pole-wining run at Mosport, "Mike went out and put down his best
lap, and it was a 1:28.68, and he said that was all that he had. Next lap
PD
(Cunningham) clicked off a 1:28.64..... I called Mike on the radio and
told
him to 'dig a litter deeper'... I still don't know what he did but he went
by
at a 1:28.46 for the pole, and then came in saying that was all and don't
ask
for more. That was the pole!!!"
Round Two of the Speed GT Championship will start Sunday at 11:00 a.m.
EDT,
and will be televised on Speed Channel on Saturday June 1st at 9:00 p.m.
EDT.
The Mosport GT race can be followed via live timing and scoring on the
Internet.
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