Hugh Stewart won the Sunoco Hard Charger Award by advancing 17 positions from his starting spot in last year’s SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race at Sebring International Raceway. If Ian Baas can duplicate Stewart’s efforts in the series’ season opener tomorrow morning he’ll win the race too, as Thursday morning he qualified 17th in the 25-car field for his first SPEED Touring Car event.
An unexpected problem with the brakes on Baas’ STaSIS/Clear Capital Audi A4 No. 18 hampered the 20-minute qualifying session for the rising star from Noblesville, Ind. His official qualifying time was 2:23.620 for an average speed of 92.744 miles per hour for the 17-turn, 3.7-mile road course.
Baas’ STaSIS Motorsport teammates, Dino Crescentini and Chip Herr, both qualified in the top 10. Besides solving the problem with Baas’ cars’ brakes, the hard-working crew will compare data from all three cars and make adjustments to the set-up of Baas’ car so hopefully he’ll be able to head for the front in tomorrow’s 17-lap/50-minute race.
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