Holbert Leads Assault on Records : Porsche Wins Pole; Paul Disqualified from Second Spot

Despite high winds that buffeted cars and dusted the track with sand and gravel, record speeds were recorded in all three classes of the International Motor Sports Assn.’s Camel GT series during Friday’s time trials for Sunday’s Times/Nissan Grand Prix of Endurance.

Four-time runner-up Al Holbert of Warrington, Pa., ran a record 126.680 m.p.h. in his Porsche 962 Friday at Riverside International Raceway to win the pole for the 600-kilometer race.

The old record was 124.387, set last year by Klaus Ludwig of West Germany in a Ford Mustang GTP.

John Paul Jr. of West Palm Beach, Fla., driving a Buick-March that had won two earlier IMSA poles, had the day’s second fastest lap of 125.053, but the car failed to pass a post-qualifying inspection and was disqualified. This moved Pete Halsmer, in another Porsche 962, into the front row with a 124.035 m.p.h. lap.

Paul’s lap was thrown out when it was discovered that the skirts on his car did not have a 2 1/2-inch clearance from the ground. He will have another chance to qualify today if the skirts are raised, but he cannot get back on the front row.

Only the first two positions in Sunday’s starting grid were determined Friday. The remainder of the field will line up according to their times after another qualifying session today.

Wally Dallenbach Jr. of Basalt, Colo., in a Ford Mustang, set a GTO record of 114.109 m.p.h., and Kelly Marsh of Columbus, Ohio, set a GTU (for cars of 3 liters or less displacement) record of 109.844 m.p.h. in a Mazda Argo.

“I don’t know how quick the other guys can run, but I know I can’t run that fast in the race,” Holbert said. “It uses up too much fuel too fast. I don’t know if it’s meaningful to be on the pole or not in a 600-kilometer race, but I’d rather be there than back a couple of rows.”

The Times/Nissan race was changed this year from six hours to 600 kilometers after drivers complained that the race was too long. The 600 kilometers should take about 3 hours 15 minutes. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. The first of two preliminary races begins at 10:30 a.m.

This was Holbert’s second straight pole. He was there two weeks ago for a 500-kilometer race at Road Atlanta but finished fifth. He had a 33-second lead after the first half-hour, but lost four laps getting repairs after being involved in a collision.

“I wouldn’t mind a healthy, wheel-to-wheel race Sunday, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t mind running away with it, either,” Holbert said. “Riverside is so enjoyable to drive when your car is hooked up, and Al (co-driver Al Unser Jr.) and I hope to have it hooked up Sunday.”

Paul’s time, though illegal, was remarkable in that it was the only lap he made in two days in the Phil Conte-owned March. The car had an undiagnosed fuel pickup problem that caused it to misfire continuously.

“I didn’t think I would get all the way around,” Paul said. “The wiring started smoking and caught fire and all I wanted to do was get back to the start-finish line and get out of the car.”

Earlier in the day, Conte’s other Buick-March was wrecked when rookie driver Ray McIntyre of Calabasas lost control in the first turn and fishtailed into the wall. McIntyre was not hurt, but the left front of the car was destroyed.

“We may have it ready for Laguna Seca next week,” Conte said, “but the way things have been going, we’re pretty thin on spare parts.”

Paul and the Conte car have been fastest qualifier twice and had the fastest race lap on another occasion but have yet to finish in four starts.

The highly touted turbocharged Nissan GTP ZX failed to get on the track in time to qualify for its first-ever race, but later Don Devendorf got in a practice lap of 105.339 m.p.h.

“As with any new project, you have to work up to it, exercising caution,” said Devendorf, an aeronautical engineer and race car developer. “We have so many variables and questions at this stage.”

Another all new car, Jim Trueman’s Ford-Alba, was a surprising sixth-fastest qualifier at 120.281. Only five proven cars, the front-row pair of Holbert and Halsmer, two other Porsche 962s driven by Jim Busby and David Hobbs and a Jaguar driven by Brian Redman were quicker than the Italian-built Alba.