08-10-2007: Magnussen Takes GT1 Pole at Road America
Source: Corvette Racing
Danish Driver Wins Second Pole in 2007 with Corvette Racing
ELKHART LAKE, WI – Jan Magnussen took his fourth career pole and second of the season for Corvette Racing in GT1 class qualifying for Saturday's Generac 500 at Road America. The Dane qualified the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R with a lap of 2:00.973 (120.463 mph) on the 4-mile road course, 0.086 seconds ahead of Olivier Beretta in the No. 3 Compuware Corvette C6.R.
Beretta and teammate Oliver Gavin will start the four-hour race leading the class championship and having won six of seven races this season and the last three in a row. But O'Connell won at Road America last year with Ron Fellows, and Magnussen won here in 2003 driving a Ferrari 550 with David Brabham.
"Our qualifying run went very well," Magnussen said. "This is the first time I've been here since 2003 and I've been looking forward to driving the Corvette around here. Johnny is very strong here and should be very good for the race. The track has gotten better and better. The main thing about our car is that this is the most professional team out there. We always get the best out of them no matter the event."
Third in GT1 qualifying was Didier Theys in the Doran Racing Maserati MC12, one second behind Magnussen in the car's first run in the American Le Mans Series. It has provided new competition for the two factory Corvettes.
"The more competition the better," Magnussen said. "The Maserati is very fast. I'm not sure of its configuration but am very happy to see it here. Hopefully it will be back, and hopefully the Astons will be back for a couple of races.
"When I saw that its lap times were getting better, we were all waiting to see how low it would go. It's a very good car."
The four-hour Generac 500 at Road America, the eighth round of the 12-race ALMS series, will start at 4 p.m. CDT on Saturday, August 11. NBC Sports will televise the race tape-delayed at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, August 12.
Generac 500 GT1 Qualifying:
Pos./Drivers/Car/Time/Speed
- O'Connell/Magnussen, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 2:00.973 (120.463 mph)
- Gavin/Beretta, Chevrolet Corvette C6.R, 2:01.059/120.378 mph
- Theys/Lienhard, Maserati MC 12, 2:01.978/119.471 mph
