ALTON, Va. – Ernie Francis Jr. secured his sixth Trans-Am Series TA class pole of the year Saturday at Virginia Int’l Raceway.
Also capturing TA3 and TA4 class poles were Tim Kezman and Brian Kleeman, their first and seventh class poles, respectively, of the season.
Francis enters the round atop the TA class point standings, well on course to capture the championship after making the jump from the TA4 class at the start of the season. Across the 10 Trans-Am competitions so far this season, Francis has secured the overall win six times, with three of those wins coming off the back of pole position starts.
Starting alongside Francis come tomorrow will be Paul Fix in the No. 4 StopFlex/ClassicTube/CarCoach Chevrolet Corvette, making his second Trans Am appearance of the season. Fix, the 2015 and 2016 TA class championship runner-up, has won the past three Trans-Am races at VIR and stands tied with Francis, who holds three TA4 wins, as the most decorated Trans-Am competitor on the Virginia course.
The last minute addition of Shane Lewis, in the No. 6 Derhaag Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette, paid dividends for Derhaag Motorsports with Lewis, a full-time TA2 competitor, securing the third starting position after a 1:47.763 lap in preparation for his first TA class start.
In the TA3 class, Tim Kezman, in the No. 14 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, captured his first pole of the season behind a new class qualifying record 1:52.130 lap.
Cindi Lux, in the No. 45 Lux Performance Dodge Viper ACR-X, turned a 1:52.323 lap of her own, just short of Kezman to secure second starting position — setting up a repeat of the Watkins Glen’s TA3 front row.
After sitting out the previous two rounds, a returning Randy Kinsland turned a 1:54.082 lap for third starting position.
In TA4, Brian Kleeman secured his eighth pole of the season by way of a track record 1:58.512 lap from behind the wheel of the No. 07 DWW Motorsports Ford Mustang. Kleeman has been nearly untouchable in TA4 competition this season, with six wins in eight appearances — and now holds a 40-point advantage atop the class’ point standings.
Starting alongside Kleeman will be Todd Napieralski, who turned a 1:59.048 lap of his own. Napieralski currently holds second position in the championship points and, like Kleeman, has frequented the podium this year with six appearances in seven competitions.
Steven Davison completed the TA4 top three with a 2:02.931 lap of his own.
Source : speedsport.com
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