Christodoulou Pips Dempsey to Pole in Practice One of the 40th GP3R

Posted By Adam Christodoulou / Race Update / No Comments

Trois Rivierès, Quebec (August 14, 2009) – Englishman Adam Christodoulou, currently second in the 2009 Star Mazda presented by Goodyear championship battle, put his #11 JDC Motorsports / Molecule / Alpinestars Mazda at the top of the time sheets in today’s first practice session for this weekend’s 40th running of the GP3R at Trois Rivierès. His lap of 1:01.901 sec. was just 0.090-sec quicker than Irishman Peter Dempsey’s fast lap in the #3 Juncos Racing / HOOTERS / Motorsport Ireland / Queyside.ie Mazda. Christodoulou is currently second in the championship battle with two wins and Dempsey has dominated the mid-part of the season with a string of four wins in a row and leads the championship. Third on the time sheet was Scandinavian racer Anders Krohn (winner at the Milwaukee Mile oval) with a lap of 1:03.658-sec. in his #27 Mundill / Trallfa / Colosseum Mazda.

„It’s quite an experience when you first go out; it being my first street course it’s quite daunting, realizing that if you make even the slightest mistake you’re in the wall… it’s like an oval that way.“ says Christodoulou. „Of course there’s a lot more braking involved and a few more corners. The JDC team has been doing some pretty intensive testing the last week and I think this results shows that. We still have to carry on working, and I have a little bit of time to find in myself and I’m sure we’ll be able to find an extra tenth or two within the setup of the car itself; so long as we stay at the top it should be a good weekend. The crowning of the track is quite challenging, and plays a big part in how the car handles and how you have to set it up. With the corners you have to imagine that you can see through the walls to where the exits of the corners are. I think there’s definitely time to find, especially in the first corner where I wasn’t using the full amount of the track.“

Rounding out the top-5 were Englishman Richard Kent, another race winner this season (at New Jersey Motorsports Park) posted the 4th-fast time of 1:03.897-sec. in the #33 Andersen Racing / Traka Allied Interior Products Mazda. Venezuelan racer Jorge Goncalvez was 5th-fast in the #72 AIM Autosport / Mazda with a lap of 1:04.116-sec. The top-qualifying Expert Series driver (ages 30-44) was Japanese racer Toshihiro Deki, who turned 15th-fast lap of 1:05.233-sec. in the #80 Goshen Motorsports Mazda. Heading the Master Series drivers (ages 45 and over) was Californian Mike Guasch, with an 18th-fast lap of 1:06.314 in the #91 JDC Motorsports / Molecule Mazda. A second 40-minute practice session is scheduled for 4:35 pm this afternoon.