WATKINS GLEN INVITATIONAL: ARYEH SETS FASTEST LAP

Thursday, June 09, 2005 WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – On the last lap of this morning’s first practice session — when the track and ambient temps were at their coolest — Sy Aryeh put up what would be the fastest lap of the day, a 2:12.016. He backed it up with a 2:12.838 in the much hotter 11:30 a.m. session, then was third overall in the last practice of the day. The weekend is being run on the treaded BFG g-Force Sports.

Also having top-of-the-charts days were Dick Lippert (second, fourth and fourth), Peter Ludwig (ninth, third and first), Murray Marden (fourth, seventh and fifth) and Ivo Guerguev (seventh, second and second).

The Invitational group impressed with their lack of “offs,” and the biggest mechanical issue was a bad fuel pump on Roger Cote’s R/T 2000 in the second session.

*Sy “I Am NOT a Master” Aryeh was quickest of them all around the Glen today.*

*Ivo Guerguev is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Here he is in pitlane moments before the start of practice two.*

*Peter Ludwig put his stamp on today’s proceedings, outpacing the field by a half-second in the last session — when the conditions were what Friday’s race one are most certainly to be like.*

*Dick Lippert, very much used to the cut-and-thrust of the Masters National races, has got to be a favorite this weekend.*

Friday, there will be one more practice session (8:45 a.m.) before qualifying (11:40 a.m.) for race one (3:25 p.m.).

Practice times, all three sessions,
Watkins Glen International, SBRS Invitational

Session 1:
1. Sy Aryeh, 2:12.016 / 92.716 mph
2. Dick Lippert, 2:13.030 / 92.009
3. Charles Anti, 2:13.728
4. Murray Marden, 2:13.918
5. Roger Cote, 2:14.131
6. John Mayes, 2:14.218
7. Ivo Guerguev, 2:14.499
8. Keith Fisher, 2:14.785
9. Peter Ludwig, 2:15.209
10. Keith Lorentzen, 2:16.416
11. Jeff Relic, 2:17.159
12. Michael Gomez, 2:17.279
13. Forest Barber, 2:18.084
14. Joe Trevino, 2:18.202
15. Michele Marden, 2:19.631
16. Ari Gatoff, 2:21.090
17. David Riddle, 2:21.718
18. Robert Ward, 2:22.153
19. Todd Hanson, 2:22.595
20. Alain Roger Matrat, 2:23.218
21. Henry Zogaib, 2:24.592
22. Eddie Hennessey, 2:34.161

Session 2:
1. Sy Aryeh, 2:12.838 / 92.142 mph
2. Ivo Guerguev, 2:13.313 / 91.814
3. Peter Ludwig, 2:13.981
4. Dick Lippert, 2:14.032
5. Keith Fisher, 2:14.252
6. John Mayes, 2:14.296
7. Murray Marden, 2:14.505
8. Charles Anti, 2:14.895
9. Keith Lorentzen, 2:15.408
10. Jeff Relic, 2:15.678
11. Robert Ward, 2:16.459
12. Michael Gomez, 2:17.067
13. Roger Cote, 2:17.227
14. David Riddle, 2:17.911
15. Joe Trevino, 2:18.606
16. Forest Barber, 2:19.458
17. Ari Gatoff, 2:19.781
18. Michele Marden, 2:20.210
19. Henry Zogaib, 2:20.956
20. Todd Hanson, 2:22.482
21. Alain Roger Matrat, 2:26.424
22. Eddie Hennessey, 2:27.912

Session 3:
1. Peter Ludwig, 2:12.683 / 92.250 mph
2. Ivo Guerguev, 2:13.178 / 91.907
3. Sy Aryeh, 2:13.284
4. Dick Lippert, 2:13.774
5. Murray Marden, 2:14.352
6. Charles Anti, 2:14.885
7. Keith Lorentzen, 2:15.109
8. Jeff Relic, 2:15.865
9. Keith Fisher, 2:15.952
10. John Mayes, 2:16.339
11. Roger Cote, 2:16.752
12. Robert Ward, 2:16.802
13. Michael Gomez, 2:17.015
14. Forest Barber, 2:17.087
15. Joe Trevino, 2:18.688
16. Ari Gatoff, 2:19.552
17. Henry Zogaib, 2:20.068
18. Todd Hanson, 2:20.335
19. Michele Marden, 2:21.648
20. Dario Cioti, 2:21.908
21. Alain Roger Matrat, 2:24.186
22. Eddie Hennessey, 2:25.785

Murray Marden has made tremendous progress over the past 12 months and is now driving at the sharp end of the field.

Rick Roso