AIM Autosport #61 to start from the front row
Friselle and Wilkins post consistent laps in solid outing to score P2 staring position
(Mexico City, Mexico) 18 April 2008 – Brian Frisselle would be first out this morning and take advantage of work the team did overnight on the #61 Ford Riley. Early laps were on pace with their Thursday times and Brian would bring the car in for adjustments over the first twelve laps. To this point the car was in the top three through most of the session. On lap thirteen Brian would record a 1:20.131 and move to P1, taking more than a second off their best time. Two laps later he would be the first car to hit the 19's with a 1:19.823 at 112.749 mph. Brian's time would be nipped by just 3/100ths before he would come in to hand the controls over to Mark Wilkins.
Mark would record fourteen laps getting used to the changes in the setup and would progressively improve his time. He would then go on to qualifying and record a 1:19.537 at 113.155 mph to secure the front row position for Saturday's race. He would fall just 29/1000ths off pole.
"I didn't feel quite right in the car at first" offered Mark. "We made some significant changes from Thursday to deal with suspension issues so it was a matter of getting used to how the car reacted. In the end, we had the setup just right and it looks good for the race."
The Exchange Traded Gold #61 Ford Riley was one of only two cars to get into the 1:19's which reinforces Ian Willis' comments that "We have the car to win this weekend."
Mark commented after the press conference: "We are really happy for the team that we put the car on the front row and in just three races so far, we have qualified in the top five. We now have a shot from the front row to bring the #61 Ford Riley to the podium." He continued, "We had a very solid race here last year coming from the back so we are felling pretty good about starting from the front row tomorrow."
The AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold #61 Ford Riley will be on track April 19 for the Mexico City 250 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
The race will be broadcast live on Speed TV at 4:00 p.m. ET. Updates will be posted at
www.aimautosport.com
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Press Notes:
About AIM Autosport
Established in 1995, AIM Autosport operates multi-car teams competing in the Formula BMWUSA Championship and the Star Mazda Series. The company has a mandate to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners.
Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario.
Chassis brings resume of success to AIM Autosport:
AIM Autosport's Riley chassis was purchased from Chip Ganassi Racing and comes to the team with an impressive legacy of success, having won the Rolex Sports Car Series Championship in 2004.
AIM Autosport Alumni:
AIM has a long history of bringing drivers up through the ranks, and the alumni list reads like a who's who in the sport: www.aimautosport.com/drivers/Alumni/Alumni.htm
Performance-Oriented:
Performance Drink, the "Official Performance Drink" of Grand Am has signed on as an associate partner for the 2007 season, and will be utilizing the relationship to develop and demonstrate the high-performance capabilities of the drink. The drivers in the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be participating in a unique program that will closely monitor their bodies' performances throughout the enduro. More details to follow.
For additional information
www.aimautosport.com
