Ricardo Zonta saved his best for last Friday at Miller Motorsports Park, running a lap of 2:35.664 (103.747 mph) to capture the pole for Saturday's SunRichGourmet.com 1000, the final event of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
It was the first career pole for Zonta, a former Formula One regular, and also the first time the Lola chassis captured a pole in Daytona Prototype competition.
Zonta will co-drive the No. 76 Lola with Nic Jonsson in search of his first career Rolex Series victory.
Taking advantage of drying conditions on the mammoth 4.486-mile, 24-turn circuit, Zonta ran his fastest lap at the end of the 15-minute session, knocking the No. 01 Lexus Riley of Scott Pruett from the pole.
Pruett and teammate Memo Rojas need to each run 30 minutes in the 139 lap, six-hour and 45-minute race to share the 2008 Daytona Prototype championship.
David Donohue will start third in the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley he co-drives with Darren Law and Buddy Rice, 2:35.823 (103.641 mph).
While Daytona Prototype qualifying was run in mixed drizzle and drying conditions, steady rain fell through much of the GT qualifying session, only to let off in the closing minutes.
Leh Keen took advantage of the changing conditions to capture his first GT pole in the final seconds, running a lap of 2:52.252 (93.756 mph) in the No. 86 Porsche GT3 co-driven by Eric Lux.
He knocked teammate Wolf Henzler off the pole, with Henzler running a lap of 2:52.724 (93.499 mph) in the No. 87 Porsche GT3 co-driven by Bryce Miller and Dirk Werner.
Spencer Pumpelly will start third in the No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3, 2:55.203 (92.177 mph), while points leader Paul Edwards was fourth fastest in the No. 07 Pontiac GXP.R at 2:55.323 (92.113 mph).
It was the first career pole for Zonta, a former Formula One regular, and also the first time the Lola chassis captured a pole in Daytona Prototype competition.
Zonta will co-drive the No. 76 Lola with Nic Jonsson in search of his first career Rolex Series victory.
Taking advantage of drying conditions on the mammoth 4.486-mile, 24-turn circuit, Zonta ran his fastest lap at the end of the 15-minute session, knocking the No. 01 Lexus Riley of Scott Pruett from the pole.
Pruett and teammate Memo Rojas need to each run 30 minutes in the 139 lap, six-hour and 45-minute race to share the 2008 Daytona Prototype championship.
David Donohue will start third in the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley he co-drives with Darren Law and Buddy Rice, 2:35.823 (103.641 mph).
While Daytona Prototype qualifying was run in mixed drizzle and drying conditions, steady rain fell through much of the GT qualifying session, only to let off in the closing minutes.
Leh Keen took advantage of the changing conditions to capture his first GT pole in the final seconds, running a lap of 2:52.252 (93.756 mph) in the No. 86 Porsche GT3 co-driven by Eric Lux.
He knocked teammate Wolf Henzler off the pole, with Henzler running a lap of 2:52.724 (93.499 mph) in the No. 87 Porsche GT3 co-driven by Bryce Miller and Dirk Werner.
Spencer Pumpelly will start third in the No. 66 TRG Porsche GT3, 2:55.203 (92.177 mph), while points leader Paul Edwards was fourth fastest in the No. 07 Pontiac GXP.R at 2:55.323 (92.113 mph).