Round 16, Bridgestone Presents
The Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford
source: Rocketsports - Nadia Petrossi
Miami, Fla. Saturday, September 27, 2003 - Alex Tagliani, driver of the No. 33
Johnson Controls Lola will sit in tenth position on the starting grid for the
Grand Prix Americas Presented by Sportsbook.com. Tagliani, who is currently
eighth in the Champ Car World Series standings with 91 points, qualified tenth
with a time of 45.372 seconds and top speed of 91.246 mph, 146.845 km/h.
"The car is fast and capable of better than tenth on the grid. We're trying to
improve the grip on the track by focusing on shocks, dampers and springs," said
Tagliani. "The car's performance on street courses is often unpredictable. We
were fine in Long Beach, Toronto and Vancouver, but are struggling a little this
weekend. We know what we have to work on and what improvements to make for
tomorrow's race."
The No. 33 Johnson Controls Lola was slightly damaged following contact with the
wall during the morning practice session. However, the team worked feverishly
in blistering hot temperatures, and got the car ready for the qualifying session
that followed. Tagliani added, "The guys did a great job repairing the car after
morning practice. It was really hot and humid and the guys worked quickly to be
ready for qualifying."
Tagliani ran a consistent race last year, starting fifth and finishing fourth.
Just as last years race was, tomorrow's weather is calling for scattered
thunderstorms.
Friday Qualifying Results: Position: Seventh Time: 0:46.328 Speed: 89.363
mph, 143.815 km/h
Saturday Qualifying Results: Position: Tenth Time: 0:45.372 Speed:
91.246 mph, 146.845 km/h