One day made a big difference for Atlantic racer Andreas Wirth (#37 INDECK/Wirth Solar) of Germany. source: paddocktalk.com The 21-year-old series sophomore earned his second career pole Saturday in the Yokohama Presents the Champ Car Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda, harnessing the speed that he's shown through the first two days of competition at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Wirth clocked a top time of 1:16.082 (93.121 mph) with about six minutes remaining in the 30-minute qualifying session and just two minutes later rookie Luis Schiavo (#8 Asfaltadora Maracay/Energy Freight/UP Racing) made contact with a tire wall on the Long Beach street circuit. The incident and the ensuing cleanup brought a premature end to the qualifying session as Wirth emerged with the top time among all 29 Atlantic drivers this weekend and will start on the point in tomorrow's Atlantic season opening race in Long Beach (tape-delayed on SPEED on Sunday, April 16 at 1 p.m. ET). The blistering lap also established a new series one-lap record at Long Beach, surpassing the mark of 1:16.267 (92.895 mph) set by former series champion and current Champ Car driver AJ Allmendinger in 2003. The result marked a sharp contrast to Friday when Wirth crashed halfway through qualifying after running among the top drivers, eventually finishing 16th overall. Raphael Matos (#6 Pro Works) was in hot pursuit of Wirth for the top time of the day as the first-year Brazilian Sierra Sierra Enterprises pilot wound up with the second-fastest time overall of 1:16.149 (93.039 mph) - a mark that also topped Allmendinger's previous course record. Matos led the morning Atlantic practice session at Long Beach and battled for the fastest lap throughout the course of the day. Frenchman Simon Pagenaud (#15 Team Australia/Location U/Cons. Gen. Vienne) will start second in Sunday's race after claiming Friday's provisional pole. The Team Australia rookie carded the third-fastest lap in the second round of qualifying, getting around the 1.968-mile circuit in 1:16.575 (92.521 mph). After finishing third in Friday qualifying, American Jonathan Bomarito (#23 Miracle Sealants/Dynacor) will start on the outside of the front row Sunday, claiming fourth in the qualifying order with a lap of 1:16.583 (92.511 mph). Wirth's Forsythe Championship Racing teammate James Hinchcliffe (#3 Emexis/INDECK) completed the top-five qualifiers after he carded a time of 1:16.589 (92.504 mph).
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