Long Beach, CA (Betting Express) - Two-time defending Champ Car Series champion Sebastien Bourdais picked up right where he left off by capturing the provisional pole for Sunday's season-opening Champ Car race - the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The No.1 Newman-Haas driver circled the 1.968-mile temporary street course in one minutes. 07.675 seconds (104.689 m.p.h.).

The Frenchman earned the first championship point of the season for the provisional pole and a guaranteed front row starting position for the race.

Bourdais is the odds-on favorite to make it a "three-peat" in 2006. The Frenchman came to the series in 2003 and won Rookie of the Year. The next season he won the Champ Car Series championship with eight poles and seven wins. Last year he repeated as series champion, this time collecting five poles and six wins.

Teammate Bruno Junqueira was second fastest with a time of 1:07.741.

Paul Tracy was third quickest, but crashed in turn eight at the 26-minute mark and destroyed the car's suspension.

A.J. Allmendinger (1:08.030) and Alex Tagliani (1:08.102) completed the top- five.

A total of 18 drivers took to the track including six rookies: Will Power, Katherine Legge, Dan Clarke, Charles Zwolsman, former Formula One driver Antonio Pizzonia and Jan Heylen. Power was the quickest, placing seventh best with a time of 1:08.515.

Final qualifying is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. (et) with the race scheduled to begin on Sunday at 4 p.m.