De Phillippi on Star Mazda Pole for Night Before the 500
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| Connor De Phillippi speeds to pole |
Connor De Phillippi, shattering the existing lap record by more than 6/10ths of a second in his #11 Team Pelfrey / Justice Brothers Products / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda, scored his second pole of the 2011 Star Mazda Championship season in qualifying for tonight's 'Night Before the 500' at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. De Phillippi's lap of 19.999 (123.486 mph) decisively disposed of the previous record, a 20.665 set last year by current Indy Lights driver Mikael Grenier.
And it will be an all-yellow front row with De Phillippi's Team Pelfrey teammate, Nick Andries, starting on the outside of the front row with a lap of 20.202 (122.245 mph) in his Team Pelfrey / Lithionics Battery / GS610 Brake Fluid / Trademark Garage Floors Mazda. De Phillippi won Round 1 of the 2011 Star Mazda Championship at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and set the fastest lap of the race. He is currently second in the championship points battle. Andries started from the pole at St. Peteand finished 2nd in Round 2 at Barber Motorsports Park.
Rounding out the top-5 are Sage Karam, the 2010 USF2000 champion and Mazda Road to Indy scholarship driver, with a 3rd-quick lap of 20.220 (122.136 mph) in the #88 Andretti Autosport / MAZDASPEED / Comfort Revolution Mazda; current points leader Tristan Vautier (who won from the pole in Round 2) with a 4th-fast lap of 20.389 (121.124 mph) in the #5 JDC Motorsports / Cecibon / Circuit du Laquais Mazda. And starting 5th will be the lone female driver in the field, Tatiana Calderon, with a time of 20.389 (121.124 mph) in her #10 Juncos Racing / JAC Motors Mazda. Calderon scored her first Star Mazda podium at Barber Motorsports Park.
Texan J.W. Roberts, racing in the Expert Series for drivers 30 and older, will start from the 12th spot on the grid with a lap of 21.405 (115.375 mph) in his #65 Team GDT / General Data Tech Mazda. Roberts is the owner/driver of Team GDT and won the Star Mazda Expert Series championship in 2010.
Lineup
| Pos | No. | Name | Best Tm | Best Speed | Diff | Gap |
| 1 | 11 | Connor De Phillippi | 19.999 | 123.486 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 81 | Nick Andries | 20.202 | 122.245 | 0.203 | 0.203 |
| 3 | 88 | Sage Karam | 20.220 | 122.136 | 0.221 | 0.018 |
| 4 | 10 | Tatiana Calderon | 20.389 | 121.124 | 0.390 | 0.169 |
| 5 | 5 | Tristan Vautier | 20.389 | 121.124 | 0.390 | – |
| 6 | 7 | J.V. Horto | 20.435 | 120.851 | 0.436 | 0.046 |
| 7 | 60 | Martin Scuncio | 20.558 | 120.128 | 0.559 | 0.123 |
| 8 | 28 | Gustavo Menezes | 20.592 | 119.930 | 0.593 | 0.034 |
| 9 | 27 | Nick Mancuso | 20.614 | 119.802 | 0.615 | 0.022 |
| 10 | 39 | Joao Jardin | 20.862 | 118.378 | 0.863 | 0.248 |
| 11 | 26 | Jérimy Daniel | 20.978 | 117.723 | 0.979 | 0.116 |
| 12 | 48 | Patrick McKenna | 21.057 | 117.282 | 1.058 | 0.079 |
| 13 | 65 | J.W. Roberts | 21.405 | 115.375 | 1.406 | 0.348 |
| 14 | 20 | Carlos Linares | 22.435 | 110.078 | 2.436 | 1.030 |
The 100-lap/45-minute Round 3 of the 2011 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will take the green flag at 8:10 pm.