[Racer Duck]

A.J. Allmendinger, DP and overall pole winner Oswaldo Negri, Mark Patterson, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal
GRANDAM > Daytona 24, 2008-01-24 (Daytona International Speedway): Thursday DP qualifying
Image by Eric Gilbert

A pair of Michael Shank Racing Ford Rileys swept the front row Thursday during qualifying for the 46th Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, with series stalwart Oswaldo Negri, Jr. outpacing stock car driver A.J. Allmendinger to take his second career Rolex Sports Car Series pole. The diminutive Negri lapped the 3.56-mile, 14-turn road course in 1:40.793, obliterating Alex Gurney's previous Daytona Prototype track record by more than two and a half seconds.

Twenty Daytona Prototypes broke the Rolex Series track record at Daytona. One of those cars was last year's championship team, Gainsco Bob Stallings Racing, which qualified eleventh in the hands of Gurney. The No. 01 Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley of Scott Pruett was sixth quickest. The second Ganassi entry of IndyCar driver Scott Dixon was sixth quickest.

In the GT class, the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 of Sylvain Tremblay set the fastest lap of the day, in a time of 1:50.758. Christian Montanari qualified second in class in the No. 56 Mastercar Ferrari F430, followed by Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 67 TRG Porsche. All three drivers broke the GT class track record.

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