From the Star Mazda Championship Having earned the nickname 'Fireball' in Thursday's final practice session when he first set the fastest lap and then had his car catch on fire, Irishman Peter Dempsey - winner of the last race , Round 5 at Road America, won the pole for the start of tomorrow's Round 6 of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship. His lap of 1:01.788 (88.619 mph) in the #21 Mazda was a new track record, eclipsing the previous record of 1:02.106 set by Ryan Justice in 2006. The time was just 0.148 seconds clear of American John Edwards, who will start next to Dempsey on the front row in the #7 Mazda with a lap of 1:01.936 (88.407 mph).Edwards is the only two-race winner so far this season, from the pole in his first-ever Star Mazda Championship race at Miller Motorsports Park and again in Race 2, Round 5 at the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland."Hopefully I can become the series' second two-race winner tomorrow," said Dempsey.Starting third on the grid at the 39th annual GP3R will be Louisiana racer Alex Ardoin, who won the 2007 Star Mazda Championship season-finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. He turned a lap of 1:01.936 (88.370 mph) in the #51 Mazda but flat-spotted two tires during the qualifying session. His team is allowed to change one without costing him his qualifying spot and sending him to the back of the grid, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out in the race.Rounding out the top-5 are MAZDASPEED Motorsports Driver Development Ladder racer Joel Miller in 4th with a lap of 1:03.140 (86.722 mph) in the #20 Mazda and Brazilian racer Ernesto Otero in 5th with a lap of 1:02.482 (87.635 mph) in the #18 car. Vancouver racer Chris Cumming was the quickest Expert Series driver (ages 30 - 44) driver in the field. He is the current leader in the Expert championship battle and his lap of 1:02.566 (87.517 mph) - two seconds faster than his best time on Thursday - will see him starting 6th on the grid. The fastest Master Series driver (age 45 and older) is current Master Series points leader Chuck Hulse. His lap of 1:03.485 (86.250 mph) in the #12 Mazda earned him the 14th starting spot. The 55-minute race, Round 7 of the 2008 Star Mazda Championship is scheduled to take the green flag at 11:15 am tomorrow.
Round Seven - Trois-Rivieres Street Circuit ; Qualifying Results: Pos No. Name Best Tm In Lap Diff Gap Best Spd 1 21 Peter Dempsey 1:01.788 13 - - 88.619 2 7 John Edwards 1:01.936 18 +0.148 +0.148 88.407 3 51 Alex Ardoin 1:01.962 17 +0.174 +0.026 88.370 4 20 Joel Miller 1:02.219 20 +0.431 +0.257 88.005 5 18 Ernesto Otero 1:02.482 9 +0.694 +0.263 87.635 6 16 Chris Cumming 1:02.566 18 +0.778 +0.084 87.517 7 5 Tom Gladdis 1:02.637 20 +0.849 +0.071 87.418 8 19 Caio Lara 1:02.817 10 +1.029 +0.180 87.167 9 34 Natalia Kowalska 1:02.938 15 +1.150 +0.121 87.000 10 17 Scott Rettich 1:03.091 14 +1.303 +0.153 86.789 11 82 Billy Goshen 1:03.220 10 +1.432 +0.129 86.612 12 77 Charles Hall 1:03.378 6 +1.590 +0.158 86.396 13 29 Phil Fogg Jr. 1:03.428 20 +1.640 +0.050 86.328 14 12 Chuck Hulse 1:03.485 17 +1.697 +0.057 86.250 15 24 J.C. Kester 1:03.590 18 +1.802 +0.105 86.108 16 15 Taylor Hacquard 1:03.597 8 +1.809 +0.007 86.098 17 22 Rusty Mitchell 1:03.830 11 +2.042 +0.233 85.784 18 65 J.W. Roberts 1:03.913 18 +2.125 +0.083 85.673 19 48 Kristy Kester 1:04.279 7 +2.491 +0.366 85.185 20 52 Dave Mundy 1:07.163 18 +5.375 +2.884 81.527
Round Seven - Trois-Rivieres Street Circuit ; Qualifying Results: Pos No. Name Best Tm In Lap Diff Gap Best Spd 1 21 Peter Dempsey 1:01.788 13 - - 88.619 2 7 John Edwards 1:01.936 18 +0.148 +0.148 88.407 3 51 Alex Ardoin 1:01.962 17 +0.174 +0.026 88.370 4 20 Joel Miller 1:02.219 20 +0.431 +0.257 88.005 5 18 Ernesto Otero 1:02.482 9 +0.694 +0.263 87.635 6 16 Chris Cumming 1:02.566 18 +0.778 +0.084 87.517 7 5 Tom Gladdis 1:02.637 20 +0.849 +0.071 87.418 8 19 Caio Lara 1:02.817 10 +1.029 +0.180 87.167 9 34 Natalia Kowalska 1:02.938 15 +1.150 +0.121 87.000 10 17 Scott Rettich 1:03.091 14 +1.303 +0.153 86.789 11 82 Billy Goshen 1:03.220 10 +1.432 +0.129 86.612 12 77 Charles Hall 1:03.378 6 +1.590 +0.158 86.396 13 29 Phil Fogg Jr. 1:03.428 20 +1.640 +0.050 86.328 14 12 Chuck Hulse 1:03.485 17 +1.697 +0.057 86.250 15 24 J.C. Kester 1:03.590 18 +1.802 +0.105 86.108 16 15 Taylor Hacquard 1:03.597 8 +1.809 +0.007 86.098 17 22 Rusty Mitchell 1:03.830 11 +2.042 +0.233 85.784 18 65 J.W. Roberts 1:03.913 18 +2.125 +0.083 85.673 19 48 Kristy Kester 1:04.279 7 +2.491 +0.366 85.185 20 52 Dave Mundy 1:07.163 18 +5.375 +2.884 81.527