Thursday, June 13, 1996

9:30 p.m. after third practice session

     QUALIFYING NOTES AND QUOTES

     GETTING COMFORTABLE AT LE MANS was the top priority for the 
Doyle Racing Oldsmobile Riley & Scott team as the second day of 
practice and qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans unfolded 
today at the Circuit International du Mans.  All three drivers -- 
IMSA WSC points leader Wayne Taylor, IRL co-champion Scott Sharp, 
and 1994 IMSA GTU champion Jim Pace -- reported considerable 
progress in setting up the Riley & Scott Mk-III for the 
high-speed 8.45-mile road course that winds through the French 
countryside.

     Conditions today in Le Mans were warm and sunny, which 
accounted for the generally slower times than yesterday's 
practice.  Taylor turned a best lap of 3:51.888 (211.136 kph), an 
improvement of .138 seconds over his best time yesterday.  Taylor 
was the seventh quickest driver in the session.

     "We made some substantial improvements in the driveability 
of the car," reported lead driver WAYNE TAYLOR.  "The mechanical 
grip is much better, and we're going faster using less engine 
rpm.  The next item on the agenda is to work with the Pirelli 
engineers to select a tire compound that complements the hot 
conditions.

     "We're happy with the car's performance, especially in light 
of how many miles this engine has run in testing and practice.  A 
good qualifying time depends entirely on getting a clean lap 
without traffic --  following a slower car through the Porsche 
curves can cost you five seconds on the lap time."

     The 4.0-liter Motorsport Aurora V8 currently installed in 
the Riley & Scott Mk-III has been used for practice and 
qualifying in the Daytona and Sebring races, Le Mans 
pre-qualifying, and three qualifying sessions at Le Mans -- all 
without an overhaul or teardown!  A fresh Motorsport Aurora V8 is 
slated to be installed tomorrow for the 24-hour endurance test 
that begins at 3:00 p.m. Saturday.

     "Our focus is on the race setup, not on qualifying," 
remarked crew chief Mark Scott.  "I think it's a mistake to work 
on a qualifying setup when you can spend the same time developing 
a race setup.  Traffic on the course has a big impact on 
qualifying times, but you can't do anything about it.  On a clear 
lap, I think we'd be about as quick as the qualifying leaders."

     JIM PACE turned three laps at 3.59, 3.58, and 3.59 during 
his stint.  "I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with 
where I am on the track, and I'm beginning to get a rhythm 
through the Porsche Curves," Pace explained.  "The car feels 
really good in the high-speed curves."

     SCOTT SHARP ran laps at 3.58, 3.57, 3.57, and 3.56 to close 
out the session.  "The car is dramatically better under braking 
after the changes the crew made this morning," said Sharp.  "The 
rear is still a little loose off the slow turns, but nobody is 
better than [team engineer] Bob Riley on dialing in a chassis."

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