Top-Ten For Marsal on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Grid

Top-Ten For Marsal on Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Grid

Salinas, Calif. (8 July 2011) – Michael Marsal delivered a strong performance at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and will open the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda from the fifth row on the Grand Sport class grid. The Turner Motorsport crew worked diligently throughout the day’s practice sessions to improve the No. 97 BMW and that effort paid off when Marsal posted a fast lap time of 1:36.955 seconds during the 15-minute qualifying session. The result marks Marsal’s third top-10 starting position of the season as he will start 10th among the 54-car combined class grid.

Marsal, who is joined by 2006 ST class champion Don Salama in the No. 97 machine for the first time this season, makes his first GRAND-AM appearance at the California road course from behind the wheel of a BMW. The duo will look to move forward as Marsal opens the 2.5-hour race before handing the car over to Salama.

“I was overdriving a bit so didn’t have as good of a time as I should have,” said Marsal of his qualifying run. “We were hoping for more, but it’s good to be in the top-10 and we should be able to move up tomorrow. I’m a little bit frustrated because I think the car was capable of more, but hopefully we can make up for that tomorrow in the race.”

The Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda is set to begin Saturday at 10:45 AM PDT. Grand-am.com will carry live timing and scoring during the event with the race set to broadcast on SPEED July 17 at 1:00 PM (ET).

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Matt Clear
Sunday Group Management
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http://www.sundaymanagement.com
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