Saturday,
June 6
PPG-DAYTON INDY LIGHTS CHAMPIONSHIP
The Raceway on Belle Isle, Detroit,
Mich ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix
DETROIT QUALIFYING NOTES -- The first-year Mattco
Raceworks team continues to improve their on-track performance,
as evidenced by today's 3rd and 6th-place qualifying efforts
for tomorrow's 32-lap race. Tony Renna, 21, of DeLand, Fla.,
qualified 3rd in the No. 77 Alco Capital Group/Nassi Group
Lola, while teammate Mark Hotchkis, 29, placed 6th in the
No. 78 Alco Capital Group/Nassi Group Lola. Renna qualified
2nd at Milwaukee last week, but this is the best "team" start
of the season. Renna's quick lap was 1:23.110 (101.620 mph),
just 0.585 shy of pole-sitter Airton Dare. Hotchkis's fast
lap was 1:23.285 (101.406 mph). This is Renna's first-ever
visit to the 2.35-mile temporary street circuit, while Hotchkis
has raced here three times previously. This is Hotchkis's
best start; his best finish was 6th in 1997.
TONY RENNA: "This is pretty exciting for my first time
here. It's exciting for the whole team, because it's obvious
we're really coming together. The crew's working well and
doing a great job, I'm feeling very confident in the car,
and we've got a good momentum going. I haven't ever been especially
super-fond of street courses, but so far it seems to be working
out OK here. ON
THE INCIDENT AT THE END OF THE SESSION: I thought something
broke, because it just snapped in the front and I nosed right
into the tires. There were radio reports that I ran over some
debris, so maybe that's what happened. All I know is, it happened
pretty quick."
MARK HOTCHKIS: "The session was good, but it's all
about timing and ours was a little off today. Traffic is always
a problem on a street course. I really felt we could have
been the quickest car out there. I had a great lap going when,
unfortunately, the black flag ended the session early. But
we're improving, no doubt, and I think we have a strong shot
at the podium tomorrow."
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