IMSA Racing at Del Mar : Robinson Wins His Fifth Pole This Year

One of the wildest races in International Motor Sports Assn. history looms today in the Camel Southern California Grand Prix when 16 powerful prototype GT cars go for $85,000 in a two-hour sprint around the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

“For $85,000, winning means everything,” said pole-sitter and Camel GTP champion Chip Robinson. “Second means nothing.”

Robinson qualified at 90.213 m.p.h. in the Holbert Racing Porsche for one lap around the 1.6-mile temporary circuit.

“Two hours around this course is going to be very difficult because it’s so demanding,” Robinson added. “Toward the end of the two hours, with all that money up for grabs, I wouldn’t be surprised at what might happen.”

This was Robinson’s fifth pole of the GTP season, including a 143.991 m.p.h. lap at Watkins Glen, which was the fastest North American road race qualifying speed ever.

Price Cobb, in Rob Dyson’s Porsche, will start alongside Robinson after running a lap at 89.752.

Two Indy-car drivers, Geoff Brabham, in a Nissan, and Championship Auto Racing Teams champion Bobby Rahal, in another Porsche, will start in the second row.

Jeff Kline, of Topanga, was the fastest Camel Lights qualifier in a Pontiac Fiero at 83.619. The Lights will race two hours with the GTP cars starting at 2:30 p.m.

In the 45-minute GTU preliminary race, Terry Visger of Santa Clara will start from the pole in another Fiero after a 78.473 m.p.h. lap.

“The track is really neat, but the chicane is like a roadblock,” Visger said of the switchbacks on the back stretch. “Driving the track is like playing a video game. It takes a very high concentration level to keep from bouncing off the walls, but you don’t want to come up with ‘Game Out.’ ”

Tom Kendall, the young two-time GTU champion from Flintridge, qualified a new Mazda RX-7 at 77.141, which puts him next to Visger in the front row. Kendall’s brother Bart will drive the 5-year-old Mazda that Tom drove to the championship.

Tom will drive in both races today as he also will make his debut in a GTP car, driving a Chevrolet Lola with his father, Chuck Kendall.

“It shouldn’t be too tough (driving in two races) with my dad advising me,” said Tom, who will be the youngest driver in the GTP race after turning 21 last Saturday.