James scores first GTS pole for Panoz Avezzano

Ian James recorded the first GTS pole position for Team Panoz Racing and its new Panoz Avezzano GT sports car Saturday at Road America with an impressive 105.66 mph qualifying lap with the No. 50 Team Panoz Racing Panoz Avezzano GT.

James, the experienced sports car driving star, toured the famed four-time road circuit north of Milwaukee at 2m17.915s to top the 34-car field which includes GTS, GT4 and Touring Car competitors set for Round 9 Saturday afternoon at 5:45 p.m. CDT.

• Panoz making strides in GTS competition

• Starting grid

"I'm very happy and excited for everybody back at the Panoz organization and the race team," said James. "They've worked tirelessly to give me a better car and I did my bit today and we're starting at P1 back where Panoz belongs. This track is one of my favorites in the world and I was fortunate enough to work here for one year with Skip Barber so I know the place pretty well. I always do pretty well here so this is a good first start and now part two is this afternoon (the race)."

Ernie Francis Jr. took his No. 40 PF Racing Ford Mustang to the other front row position for Saturday's 50-minute GTS event at Road America with a very close 2:17.947 (105.64 mph) followed by local favorite Jeff Courtney of Milwaukee, Wis., at 2:18.097 (105.52 mph) in the No. 99 JCR Motorsports Maserati GT4 and Austin Versteeg at 2:18.495 (105.22 mph) in the No. 13 ANSA Motorsports KTM X-Bow GT4.

Making up row three in Saturday's GTS event will be Martin Barkey in the No. 80 Mantella Autosports KTM X-Bow GT4 at 2:18.525 (105.19 mph) and two-time GTS champion and current GTS point leader Lawson Aschenbach at 2:18.941 (104.88 mph) in the No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R.

The top GTS Am qualifier was Fred Roberts in the No. 89 JCR Motorsports Maserati GT4 with a time of 2:19.161 (104.71 mph) with second going to Drew Staveley in the No. 15 Ian Lacy Racing Ginette G55 at 2:19.271 (104.63 mph) and George Kurtz at 2:19.669 (104.33 mph) in the No. 04 Crowdstrike/GMG McLaren 570S.

In the Touring Car category, young Cody Ellsworth bettered the 13-year-old TC qualifying mark held by PWC legend Peter Cunningham with a 2:26.309 (99.60 mph) in his No. 111 Racerlink Motorsports Porsche Cayman. Cunningham's 2004 record was 2:26.445 and 99.510 mph

Rounding out the top three in the Touring Car category in Road America qualifying Saturday were the GenRacer teammates, Nicholas Barbato in the No. 75 GenRacer Genesis Coupe and Jeff Ricca in the No. 78 GenRacer Genesis Coupe. Barbato's time was 2:26.381 (99.55 mph) with Ricca's at 2:26.696 (99.34 mph).

Completing the TC top-five were Nick Wittmer at 2:26.750 (99.30 mph) in the No. 91 ST Racing BMW M235iR and defending TC series champion Toby Grahovec at 2:27.254 (98.96 mph) in the No. 1 Classic BMW BMW M235iR.