BARBER: Mid-Ohio preview 


To Determine Final Championship 'Players'
Mid-Ohio (Round 8) & Road America (Round 9) Crucial


LEXINGTON, Ohio and ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (August 9) - With seven of 12 races in 
the books, there are still eight drivers-five Americans and three from 
overseas-in realistic contention to win the 1996 Barber Dodge Pro Series 
championship. But in the crucial two-races-in-two-weeks Midwest swing, the 
events at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Road America could dramatically 
reduce the number of contenders. Rest assured that Tony Renna, Geoff Boss and 
Jeff Bucknum-sixth, seventh and eighth in points, respectively-are aware that 
podium finishes are vital to keeping realistic title hopes alive.
	Of course, should Sweden's Fredrik Larsson, the points leader, encounter
trouble at Mid-Ohio and Road America, the door will stay wide open.
	But Larsson is on a roll: managed by countryman Stefan Johansson, driver
of the Alumax Aluminum Reynard-Mercedes IndyCar, Larsson has earned four
consecutive pole positions and won four of the past five races. He has a 26-
point leader over Italian Rino Mastronardi, 30 over Tim Moser of California 
and 32 over Derek Hill and Thomas Schie.
	Of the current top 10 drivers in points, five competed at Mid-Ohio and 
Road America last year: Bucknum dominated the Mid-Ohio event, while Larsson, 
Moser, Boss and Schie each had top-three results at one or both venues.
	Final qualifying for Mid-Ohio is 11:00 a.m. Eastern on Saturday, Aug. 
10, with the race scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Sunday, immediately following the 
Miller 200. At Road America, final qualifying is 5:45 Central on Saturday the 
17th, with the race scheduled for 11:15 a.m. Sunday prior to the 
Texaco/Havoline 200.
	All Barber Dodge races are televised by espn/2: the first Mid-Ohio 
telecast is Sunday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m. Eastern, and the Road America show is 
Sunday, Sept. 1 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.


Contact: Rick Roso, Press Room & Barber Dodge Paddock
All information courtesy of MNI - Motorsport News International
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