Bulletin GALLIPOLI

SUNDAY

SATURDAY July 19

GILLMAN TAKES 5TH STRAIGHT GP POLE!
JONES 2ND: CAPPELLINI 3RD IN GALLIPOLI !

(GALLIPOLI, ITALY-JULY 19) - USA Rookie Scott Gillman of the ItalianRainbow Racing Team captured his 5th straight pole in 5 races on the 1997 UIM Fl World Championship, putting down a record breaking time of 43.94 second lap for a time of 153.2Okph to head the field of 25 drivers for tomorrow's Mediterranean Grand Prix.

Gillman, took advantage of a brief five minute period of calm conditions in the 2nd qualifying session to improve his time and keep at the top of the list despite a frantic effort by his chief rival for pole position this year, Jonathan Jones of the John Player Gold Leaf Team. Jones was just .22 of a second behind the native of Colorado, for his 4th 2nd place starting spot of the season.

Jones, who trying to go back on track after having won the first race of the season in Hungary, then crashing out of the last three, will try to stop Gillman's 3 race win, streak here on the 2 kilometer five turn course. Gillman leads the points championship with 60, while Jones has 20 and sits in 6th.

Defending winner and World Champion Guido Cappellini of Como, Italy will start from the 3rd spot his 4th time this season. Cappellini who won 8 of 9 events a year ago, is running out of time for him to claim his 4th straight World Championship. The DAC Racing lead driver is 3rd in the championship with 30 points and two non-finishes.

Finland's Pertti Leppala of the DAC Europe Team, 2nd in the World Championship with 54 points, qualified 4th with a time of 149.30kph and will start in the top 5 for the 2nd time this season and will hope for his 5th straight top 3 finish.

Philippe Dessertenne of France reached the top 6 for the first time in his career and will start 5th with a time of 45.42 seconds, the native of La Rochelle, France is 4th in the Championship with 28 points.

Humaid Bakhit of the United Arab Emirates will start 6th, Anton Van Heerden of Germany, 7th; Goran Karlof of Sweden, 8th; Francesco Cantando of Italy, 9th; and Carlos Maidana of Argentina rounds out the top10. Race time for the event is scheduled for 17:30 local time.