Backstretch Motorsports

David Donohue of Malvern, Pa., turned the fastest lap in the No. 58 Brumos Porsche Riley on the pole during Friday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series qualifying for Saturday’s GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Donohue set a new Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Daytona Prototype track record on the 2.3-mile infield road course in south Florida with a time of 1:13.022 (113.390 mph). The pole was the first for the legendary Brumos Porsche team since the 2005 race at the same track.

“We’ve been working hard for a long time, and this is just a small indication of the amount of effort that our team has put into this series for a bunch of years,” Donohue said. “Now, we’ve got to win from the pole. Today’s glory is short lived. Once the green flag drops tomorrow, no one remembers who was on the pole.”

Donohue will co-drive with Darren Law in Saturday’s race.

Qualifying alongside Donohue on the front row was Michael Valiante of Vancouver, B.C. in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara with a time of 1:13.305 (112.953 mph). Valiante’s qualifying session in the Dallara came in the car’s first official on-track activity. Max Angelelli, a former Grand Prix of Miami winner, will join Valiante for the race.

“Definitely, any time you switch to a new car, it’s a huge challenge, especially when you show up for your first race with maybe 100 laps on the car,” Valiante said. “The team has done a phenomenal job, working almost 24-hour days, sometimes, just to make this race and to make this happen. A lot of resources have gone into this from a lot of different places, and it’s just an example of why this SunTrust Racing organization is as successful as it is.”

Memo Rojas will start Saturday’s race in third position after piloting his TELMEX/Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates to a best lap of 1:13.399 (112.808 mph). For Rojas, it was his best qualifying position since a second-place effort at Iowa Speedway last July. Rojas and co-driver Scott Pruett will begin Saturday’s GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami in the points lead following their win at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

POS NO. CLASS CLASS POS. DRIVER TEAM/CAR TIME SPEED SPONSORS
1 58 DP 1 Donohue / Law Brumos Racing / Porsche Riley 1:13.022 113.390 Brumos Porsche
2 10 DP 2 Angelelli / Valiante SunTrust Racing / Pontiac Dallara 1:13.305 112.952 SunTrust
3 01 DP 3 Pruett / Rojas Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates / Lexus Riley 1:13.399 112.808 TELMEX
4 61 DP 4 Frisselle / Wilkins AIM Autosport / Ford Riley 1:13.614 112.478 Aim Autosport
5 99 DP 5 Fogarty / Gurney Bob Stallings/ Riley-Matthews / Pontiac Riley 1:13.625 112.461 GAINSCO Auto Insurance
6 09 DP 6 Camirand / Cosmo Spirit of Daytona Racing / Porsche Coyote 1:14.043 111.826
7 23 DP 7 Auberlen / Hand Alex Job Racing / Porsche Crawford 1:14.091 111.754 Ruby Tuesday
8 76 DP 8 Jonsson / Zonta Krohn Racing / Pontiac Lola 1:14.159 111.651
9 60 DP 9 Negri / Patterson Michael Shank Racing / Ford Riley 1:14.166 111.641
10 3 DP 10 Lester / Lewis Southard Motorsports / Lexus Riley 1:14.305 111.432
11 6 DP 11 James / Pew Michael Shank Racing / Ford Riley 1:14.520 111.111
12 77 DP 12 Gidley / Jaeger Doran Racing / Ford Dallara 1:14.674 110.881 Kodak
13 59 DP 13 Barbosa / France Brumos Racing / Porsche Riley 1:14.686 110.864 Brumos Porsche, Kendall
14 16 DP 14 Bobbi / Garcia Cheever Racing / Pontiac Coyote 1:14.843 110.631 Crown Royal Cask No. 16
15 7 DP 15 Plumb / Sigal Sigalsport / BMW Riley 1:14.933 110.498 Rum Bum
16 91 DP 16 Goossens / Matthews Bob Stallings/ Riley-Matthews / Pontiac Riley 1:15.226 110.068 Riley-Matthews Motorsports
17 2 DP 17 Dalziel / Zogaib SAMAX / BMW Riley 1:15.490 109.683 Miami Garage, Cigarette Racing
18 75 DP 18 Krohn / van de Poele Krohn Racing / Pontiac Lola 1:16.001 108.945
19 07 GT 1 Collins / Edwards Banner Racing / Pontiac GXP.R 1:19.717 103.867 Banner Engineering
20 57 GT 2 Davis / Liddell Stevenson Motorsports / Pontiac GXP.R 1:19.841 103.706 Stevenson Automotive, BryanMark Financial Group
21 87 GT 3 Farnbacher / Werner Farnbacher Loles / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:19.856 103.686
22 70 GT 4 Ham / Tremblay SpeedSource / Mazda RX-8 1:19.863 103.677 Castrol Syntec, Mazda
23 50 GT 5 Empringham / Farano Blackforest Motorsports / Ford Mustang 1:20.047 103.439
24 66 GT 6 Ballou / Miller TRG / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:20.096 103.375 Marquis Jet, Mitchell Rubber, Resorts International, IPC, Total Lubricants
25 72 GT 7 Aschenbach / Lewis Jr Autohaus Motorsports / Pontiac GXP.R 1:20.518 102.834 Autohaus Motorsports
26 86 GT 8 Keen / Lux Farnbacher Loles / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:20.551 102.792
27 21 GT 9 Alessi / Seyffarth Matt Connolly Motorsports / Pontiac GTO.R 1:20.584 102.749 P1 Groupe, CAT Sound, Dekra, APCO, Davide Cenci, Barbetti, ERREMME
28 15 GT 10 Dumoulin / Nastasi Blackforest Motorsports / Ford Mustang 1:20.620 102.704 USG Sheetrock, Guardian, DeWalt
29 88 GT 11 Lacey / Long Farnbacher Loles / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:20.686 102.620
30 06 GT 12 Magnussen / Reese Banner Racing / Pontiac GXP.R 1:20.715 102.583 Banner Engineering
31 30 GT 13 Stone / Thorne Racers Edge Motorsports / Mazda RX-8 1:20.820 102.449
32 32 GT 14 Forest / Merrill PR1 Motorsports / Pontiac GXP.R 1:21.042 102.169
33 80 GT 15 Heylen / Johnson Synergy Racing / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:21.211 101.956
34 67 GT 16 George Jr / Pumpelly TRG / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:21.256 101.900 Gleukos, Monster Cable, WIN Institute, 944 Magazine, Wheels Boutique
35 55 GT 17 Tucker / Zabinski Level 5 Motorsports / Ferrari 430 Challenge 1:21.456 101.649 Boardwalk Ferrari, Priority Logistics, Getco Biofuel
36 22 GT 18 Stanton / de Quesada Alegra Motorsports / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:21.566 101.512 Gatorade, TodayMD
37 69 GT 19 Assentato / Segal SpeedSource / Mazda RX-8 1:21.682 101.368 FXDD
38 68 GT 20 Sellers / Valentine TRG / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:21.952 101.034 CGR, Maxter, Rotax, MBA Group, F1 Air
39 29 GT 21 Gabel / Garcia Alegra Motorsports / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:22.867 99.919 Gatorade, TodayMD
40 43 GT 22 Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker Team Sahlen / Corvette 1:22.881 99.902 HRPWorld
41 42 GT 23 Nonnamaker / Sahlen Team Sahlen / Corvette 1:23.272 99.433 HRPWorld
42 40 GT 24 Dempsey / Foster Hyper Sport / Mazda RX-8 1:23.565 99.084
43 74 GT 25 Lazzaro / Safina / Skea Safina Racing with Mitchum Motorsports / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:23.871 98.723 Florida Marlins
44 26 GT 26 Jacalone / Jacalone Gotham Competition / Porsche GT3 Cup 1:23.963 98.614 Jacalone & Sons

* - Withdrew