Photo: Andersen Promotions
Just coming?off a double podium finish at Barber Motorsports Park, French rookie?Timoth? Buret captured his first Pro Mazda Championship pole position in Friday morning qualifying.
The Juncos Racing driver turned in a lap time of 1:23.873 to win his first Pro Mazda pole and the $1,000 USD that comes with it.
Buret’s fastest time was two-tenths ahead of that of?Santiago Urrutia, the NOLA race winner?who currently lies second in the championship standings for Team Pelfrey.
Following his spectacular rollover in Thursday’s make-up race, reigning USF2000 champion?Florian Latorre?rebounded to qualify an impressive third, alongside?Will Owen, one of three teammates to the polesitter Buret.
Weiron Tan, who won yesterday’s race from pole position, will now line up 5th next to Patricio O’Ward, who celebrates his 16th birthday this weekend.
Behind the all-rookie lockout of the first three rows on the grid, Juncos Racing teammates?Garrett Grist?and?Jose Gutierrez will make up the fourth row, while the fifth hosts?Victor Franzoni, the Brazilian USF2000 driver making his Pro Mazda debut this weekend, and champoionship leader?Neil Alberico, who now holds an eleven-point cushion over Urrutia going into the second race this afternoon.
Bobby Eberle was the fastest of the expert class field, and will line up 18th in a field of 21 entrants – the largest Pro Mazda field of the season to date.
Qualifying results
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
| 1 | Timothe Buret | Juncos Racing | 1:23.873 | 0.000 | 15 |
| 2 | Santiago Urrutia | Team Pelfrey | 1:24.003 | 0.1299 | 16 |
| 3 | Florian Latorre | Cape Motorsports w/WTR | 1:24.093 | 0.2198 | 16 |
| 4 | Will Owen | Juncos Racing | 1:24.104 | 0.2308 | 17 |
| 5 | Weiron Tan | Andretti Autosport | 1:24.124 | 0.2510 | 16 |
| 6 | Patricio O’Ward | Team Pelfrey | 1:24.158 | 0.2847 | 17 |
| 7 | Garett Grist | Juncos Racing | 1:24.197 | 0.3236 | 16 |
| 8 | Jose Gutierrez | Juncos Racing | 1:24.215 | 0.3412 | 15 |
| 9 | Victor Franzoni | M1 Racing | 1:24.266 | 0.3926 | 17 |
| 10 | Neil Alberico | Cape Motorsports w/WTR | 1:24.370 | 0.4965 | 16 |
| 11 | Daniel Burkett | Cape Motorsports w/WTR | 1:24.454 | 0.5807 | 17 |
| 12 | Raoul Owens | Team Pelfrey | 1:24.518 | 0.6450 | 17 |
| 13 | Dalton Kellett | Andretti Autosport | 1:24.552 | 0.6783 | 15 |
| 14 | Kyle Connery | JDC MotorSports | 1:24.752 | 0.8790 | 16 |
| 15 | Scott Hargrove | JDC MotorSports | 1:24.969 | 1.0952 | 13 |
| 16 | Parker Nicklin | JDC MotorSports | 1:25.391 | 1.5172 | 15 |
| 17 | Alessandro Latif | World Speed Motorsports | 1:25.637 | 1.7635 | 10 |
| 18 | Bobby Eberle | World Speed Motorsports | 1:26.513 | 2.6398 | 16 |
| 19 | Carlos Conde | M1 Racing | 1:26.766 | 2.8922 | 17 |
| 20 | Bob Kaminsky | Kaminsky Racing Inc | 1:26.910 | 3.0368 | 15 |
| 21 | Kevin Davis | JDC MotorSports | 1:27.063 | 3.1894 | 13 |