Setting the pole time on his first lap, Eric Foss, of Braselton, Ga., captured pole for tomorrow’s SCCA Pro Racing SIRIUS Satellite Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Road Atlanta, part of the 30th Anniversary Walter Mitty Challenge. Round One winner Jason Saini, of Fort Worth, Texas, will start second.
Road Atlanta driving instructor Foss wasted no time in MX-5 Cup qualifying, setting a lap of 1:41.461 (90.123 mph) in his first hot lap around the 2.54-mile scenic road course. It was a time Foss himself spent the rest of the session chasing in his No. 25 Team MER/Saferacer.com Mazda MX-5.
“I have a lot of laps here,” Foss said. “I work at the [Panoz Driving] school. Problem is, I sometimes do a good lap and then I try too hard to beat it and it’s always slower. The car felt really good. Team MER has done a good job and I’m really happy with where we’re going. Top five would have made me happy, but pole makes me ecstatic.
“The cars are a blast to drive. It’s a little different than Spec Miatas. I’m having a little trouble on the brakes and I did have a spin in the session, which I’m not too proud of. But we’re gonna get it right, make some more changes for the race and see how it goes.”
Winner a week ago at Houston, Saini put his No. 28 Autobarn Mazda/Saferacer.com Mazda MX-5 outside the front row with a time of 1:41.892 (89.742 mph). Saini spent most of the session in the 1:42 range, but was able to find enough speed in the closing laps to move ahead of teammate Andrew Caddell on the grid.
