The Suntrust team find themselves with an unexpected pole position at VIR, thanks to Ganassi failing tech. (Photo: GrandAm)
Michael Valiante became the fourth driver in as many Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 races this season to earn a pole Saturday at Virginia International Raceway, and he will lead the field to the green flag for Sunday’s Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR, which begins at 1 p.m.
Valiante’s time of 1:43.329 (113.927 mph) put the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara on the pole, the team’s first since March 2007 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It also gives Valiante and co-driver Max Angelelli an advantage as they look to defend the team’s Virginia International Raceway Rolex Series triumph.
Valiante inherited the pole after current Rolex Series Daytona Prototype point co-leader Memo Rojas and the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley failed post-qualifying technical inspection. The Nos. 01 and the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing GAINSCO Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley, which was originally qualified fourth by Jon Fogarty, had their times disallowed as the wing measurements were out of Grand-Am rules parameters. Rojas and Fogarty will start at the tail of the field.
The pole for the No. 10 is also the first for the new Dallara and comes a week after the team suffered extensive damage to the car in an accident in the Mexico City 250. Valiante and Angelelli also hope their efforts reward them after posting back-to-back finishes outside the top 10.
The shuffle moves Brian Frisselle and the No. 61 AIM Autosport Exchange Traded Gold Ford Riley (1:43.505; 113.734 mph) into the outside front row starting position, the second straight for Frisselle and co-driver Mark Wilkins. The team is looking for its first-ever Rolex Series victory.
David Donohue will start third in the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley after taking a time of 1:43.801 (113.409 mph), while Joey Hand in the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team Porsche Crawford moved into the fourth starting position (1:44.439; 112.717 mph). Ricky Taylor, son of SunTrust Racing car owner Wayne Taylor, rounds out the top five (1:44.446; 112.709 mph) in the debut of the No. 19 Beyer Motorsports Ultimate Linings/Lenox Ford Crawford. All five drivers bested the series’ previous track qualifying record (1:45.003; 112.111 mph), set last April by Colin Braun and the No. 75 Krohn Racing team.
