Marziale Paces SPEED GT Practice for the First Time in Utah

TOOELE, Utah (May 16, 2008) €“ Ritch Marziale, of Tempe, Ariz., topped a busy afternoon practice session and was fastest on the day in preparations for Sunday€™s SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Round Three race, part of the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park. Brandon Davis, of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Eric Curran, of East Hampton, Mass., completed the top three.Driving the No. 56 All-Cut Concrete Cutting Dodge Viper, Marziale turned a fastest time of 1:56.251 (94.389 mph) around the 15-turn, 3.048-mile circuit to top the sheets for the first time in his 21-race career. Marziale is racing with a heavy heart this weekend after attending his grandmother€™s funeral in Utah earlier in the week. Now residing in Arizona, Marziale and his family are originally from the area and views this as his home race.€œThe track had a good amount of rubber down, and the car felt good, which enticed me to go a little deeper, a little harder,€ Marziale said. €œIt turned out to where it was clear in front of us and I connected all the necessary points and it turned out well. €We have a lot of family here. We had funeral services for my grandmother, Marjorie Lawson, on Tuesday, and I€™d like to dedicate this weekend to her.€Davis, who won the most recent race at Long Beach, was second fastest in the afternoon session, which proved to be much faster than the morning session. Davis€™ 1:56.574 (94.127 mph) in the No. 10 ACS/Sun Microsystems Ford Mustang Cobra came late in the session.Curran improved one position in each of his last three laps to move up to third in the No. 30 Whelen Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette with a fast time of 1:56.600 (94.106 mph). Defending Miller Motorsports Park race winner Tommy Archer was fourth in the No. 13 Foametix/Woodhouse Performance Dodge Viper, followed by Randy Pobst€™s No. 1 K-Pax Racing Porsche 911 GT3.Qualifying for Sunday€™s race will take place Saturday at 1:20 p.m. (MDT). To follow the session via live timing and notes, please visit the SCCA Pit Board at www.world-challenge.com.-30-TOOELE, Utah - Combined practice results for Sunday's SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship Round Three race, part of the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park, with position, car number in parentheses, driver, car, fastest lap time, and speed in miles per hour.1, (56), Ritch Marziale, Tempe, Ariz., Dodge Viper, 1:56.251, 94.388.2, (10), Brandon Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 1:56.574, 94.127.3, (30), Eric Curran, East Hampton, Mass., Chevrolet Corvette, 1:56.600, 94.106.4, (13), Tommy Archer, Duluth, Minn., Dodge Viper, 1:56.790, 93.953.5, (1), Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:57.132, 93.679.6, (8), Andy Pilgrim, Boca Raton, Fla., Cadillac CTS-V, 1:57.224, 93.605.7, (66), Tim McKenzie, Madison, Wis., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:57.562, 93.336.8, (14), James Sofronas, Newport Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:57.720, 93.211.9, (23), Michael Galati, Olmsted, Ohio, Porsche 911 GT3, 1:57.815, 93.135.10, (2), Cindi Lux, Aloha, Ore., Dodge Viper, 1:57.867, 93.094.11, (4), Dino Crescentini, Manhattan Beach, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:57.972, 93.012.12, (34), Tony Gaples, Libertyville, Ill., Chevrolet Corvette, 1:58.027, 92.968.13, (11), Mike Davis, Huntington Beach, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 1:58.046, 92.953.14, (17), Robert Foster, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet Corvette, 1:58.054, 92.947.15, (06), Joey Scarallo, Smithtown, N.Y., Pontiac GTO, 1:58.228, 92.810.16, (5), Jason Daskalos, Albuquerque, N.M., Dodge Viper, 1:58.278, 92.771.17, (16), Michael McCann, Canton, Ohio, Cadillac CTS-V, 1:58.432, 92.650.18, (18), Jason Foster(R), Phoenix, Ariz., Dodge Viper, 1:58.435, 92.648.19, (99), Jeff Courtney, Slinger, Wis., Dodge Viper, 1:58.441, 92.643.20, (57), Stu Frederick, Del Mar, Calif., Dodge Viper, 1:58.562, 92.549.21, (9), Gunter Schaldach(R), Aspen, Colo., Dodge Viper, 1:58.637, 92.490.22, (01), Jeff Altenburg, Ellicott City, Md., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:58.873, 92.307.23, (97), Vesko Kozarov(R), Sighisoara, Utah, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX, 1:59.185, 92.065.24, (31), Sonny Whelen, Old Saybrook, Conn., Chevrolet Corvette, 1:59.451, 91.860.25, (29), Eric Olberz, La Canada, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:59.756, 91.626.26, (02), Robb Holland, Denver, Colo., Porsche 911 GT3, 1:59.947, 91.480.27, (28), Loren Beggs, Montclair, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:00.638, 90.956.28, (76), John Bourassa, Jupiter Island, Fla., Porsche 911 Turbo, 2:01.735, 90.136.29, (36), Wesley Hoaglund, Irvine, Calif., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:02.042, 89.910.30, (22), Nick Parker, London, England, Porsche 911 GT3, 2:02.196, 89.796.31, (7), Phillip Martien(R), Finksburg, Md., Porsche 911 GT3, 2:02.422, 89.631.