Scarallo Takes Road America Pole
Elkhart Lake, WI – Jonathan Scarallo laid down a lap more than four-tenths clear of anyone else to take pole for the second F2000 race of the weekend at Road America, round 12 of the 2010 season. Scarallo appeared to be sending a message to the rest of the paddock in the #22 Van Diemen. After starting on the outside of the front row yesterday, the R-Sport driver had his sights set on taking the lead away from championship leader Victor Carbone before a broken fourth gear ended his day. A reverse front row from yesterday will see Daniel Erickson line up alongside Scarallo.
“We are just going to keep attacking and pushing until our luck turns around,” stated Scarallo. “It was a great rebound for the R-Sport guys, who were up all night putting the gearbox together. It’s nice to be able to repay them with the pole.”
Erickson will line up second after resetting the track record in qualifying yesterday. The Australian’s session was cut short by problems with the steering rack on the #2 Primus Racing/Quantum Mechanics Van Diemen.
Cole Morgan bounced back to qualify third in the K-Hill Motorsports #1 after a so-far rough weekend that saw him lose major championship ground to Carbone, who won yesterday.
“The car was good but I never really got into a rhythm,” said Morgan. “I was sort of rediscovering my braking points with a chassis that was handling well. It’s hard to plan for the race because anything can happen here unless you can check out like Victor did yesterday.”
However, Carbone will have to come from sixth so Morgan may survive long enough to take the championship fight to the final doubleheader weekend at Mid-Ohio.
“Sixth is not what we were expecting,” Carbone, driving for Alegra Motorsports, commented. “But, as race one showed, racing is different from qualifying and the car is good enough to move up. I have to think about the championship so I can’t do anything too crazy.”
Rounding out the top five were Fabio Orsolon and Scarallo’s R-Sport teammate and fastest Masters Class driver, Keith McCrone.
Carbone, as mentioned, will start sixth ahead of Mikhail Goikherg, Chris Livengood, Stevan McAleer and Phil Lombardi.
The session was green the entire way with local yellows for Brian Belardi, who came to a stop with mechanical issues, as well as for Craig Clawson, who spun in turn 12 and had to be retrieved.
F2000 action from Road America continues later today, Sunday August 8, with round 12 of the 2010 championship. Estimated start time for the 12-lap race is 4:15 pm. All times are GMT -6.
Race Two Grid Order:
Pos No. Name Best Tm Best Spd In Lap Diff Gap 1 22 Jonathan Scarallo 2:15.650 107.429 8 - - 2 2 Daniel Erickson 2:16.096 107.077 5 +0.446 +0.446 3 1 Cole Morgan 2:16.424 106.820 10 +0.774 +0.328 4 26 Fabio Orsolon 2:16.883 106.462 11 +1.233 +0.459 5 5 Keith McCrone/M 2:17.052 106.330 11 +1.402 +0.169 6 23 Victor Carbone 2:17.158 106.248 4 +1.508 +0.106 7 10 Mikhail Goikhberg 2:17.172 106.237 9 +1.522 +0.014 8 37 Chris Livengood 2:17.234 106.189 12 +1.584 +0.062 9 14 Steven McAleer 2:17.680 105.845 6 +2.030 +0.446 10 3 Phil Lombardi/M 2:18.020 105.585 6 +2.370 +0.340 11 55 Gerald Kraut/M 2:18.255 105.405 12 +2.605 +0.235 12 8 Mark Defer/M 2:18.679 105.083 13 +3.029 +0.424 13 12 Bob Reid/M 2:18.901 104.915 11 +3.251 +0.222 14 95 Al Guibord, Jr. 2:19.003 104.838 4 +3.353 +0.102 15 80 Bobby Caldwell 2:19.150 104.727 11 +3.500 +0.147 16 4 Rich Balsley 2:19.434 104.514 11 +3.784 +0.284 17 90 Robert Wright/M 2:19.636 104.363 6 +3.986 +0.202 18 27 Craig Clawson/M 2:20.191 103.950 6 +4.541 +0.555 19 06 Tim Paul 2:20.405 103.791 10 +4.755 +0.214 20 73 Vaughn Horvath 2:21.374 103.080 4 +5.724 +0.969 21 85 Zach Craigo 2:21.496 102.991 4 +5.846 +0.122 22 42 Bill Jordan/M 2:21.542 102.957 12 +5.892 +0.046 23 41 Brian Belardi -.--- - 0 - - 24 97 Chris Gumprecht -.--- - 0 - -