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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">25/10/2003</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Auberlen Fastest In Speed GT Practice </FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">BMW & Audi Ready For The Battle</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><img border="1" src="Storage/bmwm3portp03.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"><B>Auberlen Fastest In Speed GT Practice For Puerto Rico Grand Prix, Poised To Make Run At GT Championship</B><BR> <BR> Bill Auberlen is poised to make a run at the SCCA Pro Racing Speed World Challenge GT Championship Sunday, setting the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions for the inaugural Puerto Rico Grand Prix at the Isla Grande Airport temporary circuit in San Juan. Championship nemesis Randy Pobst was second quickest, followed by teammate Michael Galati.<BR> <BR> Auberlen, who trails Speed GT point leader Pobst by 12 points, hopes he can duplicate Friday’s on-track efforts for the remainder of the weekend in his quest for his first Speed GT Drivers’ Championship. In the warm and humid conditions in Old San Juan, Auberlen piloted his No. 7 BMW Team PTG BMW M3 to a fast lap time of 1:09.484 (82.896 mph) on the 10-turn, 1.6-mile circuit.<BR> <BR> “You need to be very patient here,” Auberlen said of his run on the new track. “The reason why we have been running fairly well is because very quickly we addressed a few handling issues in the first session. Four laps in, we addressed those issues and cured them. Then, in the second session we did the same thing. We are just attacking the problems very fast. I think I am slipping and sliding all over the place, but I must be slipping and sliding less than everyone else. The car is running well.”<BR> <BR> “Hopefully, this track takes a serious toll on the Audis,” Auberlen added. “That is what I am hoping for.”<BR> <BR> Looking to clinch the SCCA Speed GT Championship, Pobst drove the No. 2 Champion Audi Racing Audi RS 6 to the second quickest lap time of the day with a 1:09.832 (82.483 mph). Pobst, who is coming off a win at Road Atlanta last week, can clinch the Championship if he finishes fourth or better in Sunday’s race. However, for Audi to surpass BMW in the Manufacturers’ Championship Presented by Racer Magazine, they must run up front.<BR> <BR> Galati recorded the third fastest time with a 1:10.008 (82.276 mph) in the No. 1 Champion Audi Racing Audi RS 6.<BR> <BR> Auberlen’s teammates Boris Said was fourth fastest and Austrian Hans Stuck was fifth.<BR> <BR> <B>Practice Times</B><BR> <BR> 1 (7), Bill Auberlen, BMW M3, 1:09.484, 82.896.<BR> <BR> 2 (2), Randy Pobst, Audi RS 6, 1:09.832, 82.483.<BR> <BR> 3 (1), Michael Galati, Audi RS 6, 1:10.008, 82.276.<BR> <BR> 4 (6), Boris Said, BMW M3, 1:10.047, 82.230.<BR> <BR> 5 (8), Hans Stuck, BMW M3, 1:10.268, 81.971.<BR> <BR> 6 (73), Phil McClure, Corvette Z06, 1:10.272, 81.967.<BR> <BR> 7 (22), Mike Fitzgerald, Porsche 911 Cup, 1:10.507, 81.694.<BR> <BR> 8 (80), Justin Marks, BMW M3, 1:11.149, 80.956.<BR> <BR> 9 (33), Tim Wiens, Porsche 911 Cup, 1:11.164, 80.939.<BR> <BR> 10 (69), Victor Contreras(R), Porsche 911 Cup, 1:11.346, 80.733.<BR> <BR> 11 (35), David Farmer, Corvette Z06, 1:11.503, 80.556.<BR> <BR> 12 (65), Jon Groom(R), Porsche 911 Cup, 1:12.710, 79.218.<BR> <BR> 13 (25), Tony Gaples(R), Corvette, 1:12.892, 79.021.<BR> <BR> 14 (77), Jimmy Adams, Porsche GT3 Cup, 1:13.071, 78.827.<BR> <BR> 15 (68), Kevin Chambers(R), Corvette, 1:13.234, 78.651.<BR> <BR> 16 (99), Thomas Oates(R), Corvette Z06, 1:13.351, 78.526.<BR> <BR> 7 (76), John Bourassa(R), Porsche 911 T, 1:16.257, 75.534.<BR> <BR> 18 (31), Keith Videtto(R), Corvette, 1:16.280, 75.511.<BR> <BR> 19 (02), Adel Elsayed(R), Dodge Viper, 1:16.708, 75.089.<BR> <BR> 20 (75), Brad Flowers, Mazda RX-7, 1:16.727, 75.071.<BR> <BR> 21 (53), Mike Hartley(R), Dodge Viper GTS, 1:16.973, 74.831.<BR> <BR> 22 (24), Roberto Lopez(R), Saleen Mustang, no time, 0.<BR> </FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>