Long Beach, CA (My Sportsbook) - Veteran Bruno Junqueira's time from the first qualifying session on Friday survived Saturday's second qualifier and will start on pole for the Champ Car season opener - the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

The No.6 Newman Haas Racing driver's best lap on Friday was one minute, 08.913 seconds (102.808 m.p.h.).

"I feel really good, said Junqueira after day one. "I think the PacifiCare Newman/Haas team did a great job during the winter. We had such a long winter, but you're still working hard and it's pretty good to come up in the first day of competition and show up, very competitive and end up the day in the front. That was a great result."

With damp track conditions from a morning rain, second-year driver Sebastien Bourdais posted the best lap of the day - 1:09.800 around the 2.029-mile street course. It earned the Frenchman one championship point and a front row starting position for the race.

Defending series champion Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani will start in row two.

The race is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 4 p.m. (et).