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Van Overbeek, Garcia Secure P, GTLM Monterey Poles

Van Overbeek secures top spot in Monterey qualifying…

Photo: Darren Pierson

Photo: Darren Pierson

Johannes van Overbeek captured the overall and Prototype class pole for Sunday’s Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix in his No. 2 Extreme Speed Motorsports HPD ARX-03b, in a thrilling battle with Richard Westbrook for the top spot.

Meanwhile Antonio Garcia took Corvette Racing to its second straight TUDOR United SportsCar Championship pole – after co-driver Jan Magnussen did so in Long Beach – in GT Le Mans.

“JVO,” who led second practice, and Westbrook in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP traded fastest laps at a breakneck pace during the 15-minute session. But van Overbeek’s 1:18.561, set on his ninth timed lap, beat Westbrook’s 1:18.788.

Van Overbeek will share with Ed Brown, Westbrook with Michael Valiante on Sunday. Brown will start the No. 2 car.

The second ESM HPD, of Ryan Dalziel and Scott Sharp, starts third with OAK Racing’s No. 42 Morgan Nissan of Gustavo Yacaman and Alex Brundle making it three P2-spec cars in the top four overall.

The top three in the championship – points leaders Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi of Action Express Racing, double runners-up Jordan and Ricky Taylor of Wayne Taylor Racing and Long Beach winners Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates – start fifth through seventh on the grid.

Heading into the weekend, the Barbosa/Fittipaldi pair has 98 points with Pruett and Rojas on 93 and the Taylor brothers on 91.

Garcia, who will co-drive the No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R with Jan Magnussen, led a tightly bunched top five in GTLM. Only 0.437 of a second covered two Corvettes, two BMWs and one Porsche.

Garcia’s early lap of 1:22.373 beat out the No. 56 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE of John Edwards, at 1:22.578. Edwards will share the car with Dirk Mueller.

It was still a good day for Edwards, who shared the car as it paced both practice sessions and was part of the winning lineup in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race earlier Saturday.

Nick Tandy was third in the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR at 1:22.678. Tandy seeks a repeat victory after taking the American Le Mans Series GTC class win last year with MOMO NGT Motorsport; he’ll co-drive the No. 911 with Richard Lietz.

Oliver Gavin was fourth in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R he’ll share with Tommy Milner; GTLM points leaders Andy Priaulx and Bill Auberlen start fifth in the No. 55 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTE.

The best SRT Viper was sixth (No. 91 of Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens) with the best Ferrari seventh (No. 62 Risi Competizione entry of Giancarlo Fisichella and Pierre Kaffer).

Sunday’s two-hour P/GTLM race goes green at 2:45 p.m. PDT.

RESULTS: P/GTLM Qualifying

Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno) is Sportscar365's North American Editor, focusing on coverage of the IMSA-sanctioned championships as well as Pirelli World Challenge. DiZinno also contributes to NBCSports.com and other motorsports outlets. Contact Tony

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