TRG-AMR's Wilson tops Kansas CTCC qualifying at Kansas

Diversity ruled Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge qualifying Friday evening at Kansas Speedway, with TRG-AMR driver Kris Wilson leading five different manufacturers atop the Grand Sport (GS) field for Saturday's Grand Prix of Kansas.

Not happy with his times early in the 15-minute session, Wilson put together a lap of 1:21.953 (104.108mph) in the No. 07 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage to score his third career TOTAL Pole Award. It was the second GS pole for the team, which debuted on the pole last season at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

"I made a couple mistakes and the guys actually called me in, but I asked to do one more lap because I felt I could clean up a few things, and it worked," said Wilson, who won his lone Continental Tire Challenge race in 2007 at Watkins Glen. He is co-driving with James Davison, who recently finished 16th in his first start in the Indianapolis 500 and is a regular for TRG-AMR in the TUDOR Championship.

Nick Longhi took the early lead in qualifying, running a lap of 1:22.124 (103.892mph) in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche 911, but brushed the wall and sat out the rest of the session. Longhi – who will start second – and fellow 2013 GS co-champion Matt Plumb won the most recent Continental Tire Challenge race at Lime Rock Park.

Trent Hindman will start third in the No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3 at 1:22.252 (103.730mph), followed by Andrew Davis in the No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R at 1:22.310 (103.657mph). Brad Jaeger completed the top five in the No. 14 Doran Racing Nissan NISMO 370Z RC with a lap of 1:22.356 (103.599mph).

Kurt Rezzetano originally qualified third in the No. 35 Phoenix American Ford Mustang Boss 302.R, running a lap of 1:22.161 (103.845mph). However, post-qualifying technical inspection revealed that the No. 32 machine had its grill and duct work illegally taped, relegating Rezzetano to the back of the grid for Saturday's race.

Rebel Rock's Lewis Claims First ST Pole In Porsche Cayman
Porsche Caymans swept the front row in Street Tuner (ST) qualifying, with Corey Lewis taking his first TOTAL Pole Award in the No. 87 Rebel Rock Racing entry. Lewis, a 22-year-old driver from Nazareth, Pa., ran a lap of 1:27.809 (97.165mph) to give the team owned by Grammy Award-winning music producer Jim Jonsin its first pole in its third season of competition.

"Tonight was a bit more difficult than any other qualifying session I ever had," said Lewis, whose best career finish in four races was 12th at Sebring earlier this season. "Kansas is all about the draft, about managing the gap coming onto the oval and trying to time everything right – and tonight it paid off."

Lewis will be joined on the front row by Canadian Adam Isman, who ran 1:27.843 (97.128mph) in the No. 04 Autometrics Motorsports Porsche Cayman. David Baum, driver of the No. 24 Autometrics Motorsports Porsche Cayman, took third with a lap of 1:28.273 (96.655mph).

Saturday's two-hour, 30-minute Grand Prix of Kansas will begin at 6:15 p.m. CT.