MEXICO CITY (AFP) - France's Sebastien Bourdais claimed pole position for the Champ-car season finale, grabbing one more point to widen his lead in the standings heading into Sunday's Grand Prix of Mexico.
Bourdais set a track record at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a lap of 1:25.919, an average speed of 187.863 km/h, late in the final qualifying session.
His time was more than a half-second better than his nearest rival, and the point awarded for pole position gave him 22, stretching his lead over teammate Bruno Junqueira, who will start beside him on the front row.
Junqueira posted the day's second-best time, averaging 186.505 km/h.
But the Brazilian still faces an uphill battle on Sunday, since Bourdais need finish only ninth or better in the 63-lap race to clinch his first Champ-car title.
"I feel good, but I know there's still a long way to go," Bourdais said. "The hardest part of the season is in front of us and there's definitely going to be braking going into turn one tomorrow on the first lap.
"It's not about how fast we can go, it's about how tough we are, how we can stay on the racetrack and have no mechanical issues. So just we'll see tomorrow."
Junqueira, who won last month in Australia to keep his title quest going, is trying to avoid matching American Johnny Rutherford as the only racer to finish second in the season points chase three years in a row. Rutherford was second from 1974-1976.
"It's a long race tomorrow," Junqueira said. "The championship is on the line. A lot of things can happen."
Britain' Justin Wilson posted the third-fastest qualifying time, with American Jimmy Fsser and Spain's Oriol Servia completing the top five places on the starting grid.
Paul Tracy of Canada, winner of this race last year, will start sixth.
11/07/2004 - 00:27 GMT - AFP