CORE autosport maintains its perfect record for American Le Mans Series (ALMS) pole positions at Long Beach. The #06 machine will be starting first in the Le Mans Prototype Challenge (LMPC) class for the second consecutive year, but it did not happen in its typical dramatic fashion.

A series of rain storms drowned the streets of the normally sunny California town all day Friday, with moderate-to-heavy downpours wreaking havoc during the morning two-hour practice session and cancelling the qualifying session for Saturday’s Tequila Patrón American Le Mans Series at Long Beach.

As a result of the weather, the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) field will line up according to points gained at the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, and the #06 Soloson Import ORECA FLM09 of Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel will be lining up first in LMPC (8th overall). The sister #05 Composite Resources machine of team founder Jon Bennett and Colin Braun will start in third (10th overall).

The first time CORE autosport and the ALMS field were able to take to the track since arriving in California was at 7:15 a.m. PT on Friday, and it was at that exact time that the clouds opened. Due to the potential of vehicle damage and the standing water on the track, the both CORE autosport cars took to the track for a combined 26 laps.

Qualifying began for the ALMS GTC class at 5:05 p.m. PT in drier conditions. By the time that the faster GT cars took to the circuit at 5:20 p.m., the rains began. To ensure that the slowest class was not starting in front of the four faster classes (GT, LMPC, LMP2 and LMP1) and causing a safety issue, the ALMS cancelled qualifying. This is the first time in ALMS history that qualifying has been cancelled and the field will line up on points.

Friday morning was the first time #06 pilot Popow had ever driven the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street circuit, and he was unable to take any laps at competition speed. Luckily for the Venezuelan racer, his co-driver Dalziel has driven almost every type of car to take to the track in the past decade, instilling the Long Beach newcomer with confidence for Saturday’s event, which is slated to be dry and sunny.

Last year’s Long Beach event was the site of CORE autosport’s first pole position and win, in only the new-for-2011 team’s second race.

Source : CORE autosport