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Michael Valiante was awarded his first career pole position when fast timer Memo Rojas' car failed post-qualifying inspection Saturday at Virginia International Raceway.

Valiante ran a lap of 1:43.329 in the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara, and will start on the pole in Sunday¹s Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway, Round 4 of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

The No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley of Rojas and Scott Pruett - the current Daytona Prototype point leaders - and the No. 99 GAINSCO Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley of fourth-fastest qualifier Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney were found to have a wing measurement outside Grand-Am tolerances. Both cars will start Sunday's race from the back of the Daytona Prototype grid.

Running his fourth race for Wayne Taylor Racing, Valiante led much of the 15-minute session before being passed by Rojas late in the session.

Brian Frisselle was second in the No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford Riley, followed by David Donohue in the No. 58 Brumos Porsche Riley, 1:43.943, and Joey Hand in the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday/Alex Job Racing Porsche Crawford, 1:44.439.

Ricky Taylor timed in fifth fastest in the debut of the No. 19 Beyer Racing Ford Crawford. The 18-year-old son of Wayne Taylor ran a lap of 1:44.446 in the car he shares with fellow 18-year-old Jared Beyer and veteran Andy Wallace.

In GT, Dominik Farnbacher scored his first career GT pole with a track record lap of 1:53.401 in the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Porsche GT3, followed by Mexico City winner Andrew David in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R, and James Gue in the No. 97 Stevenson Motorsports Corvette.

³I¹m very proud of winning the pole, because I never did that in this series before or in America before,² Farnbacher said. ³I was driving very, very rough over the curbings. I tried some new things on my other laps. I know how the track works now. Let¹s see what we can do tomorrow.²

It is the second consecutive pole for Farnbacher Loles in the class, with Pierre Kaffer setting fast time at Mexico City in a substitute role for Dominik Farnbacher. Collins set the second-fastest speed on his last lap of the session.

Two GT cars had their times disallowed and were moved to the back of the pack. The No. 07 Banner Pontiac GXP.R. of Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards had set the second-fastest time, but the car was found to be excessively low in front.; Also, the No. 88 Farnbacher Loles Porsche of 16th-qualifier Steve Johnson was found to be underweight.

Gue will share the No. 97 Corvette with Randy Pobst in the first appearance of that car this season.

There will be a final practice session Sunday morning from 8:30-8:50 a.m. (ET). The Bosch Engineering 250, a 77-lap, 250-mile race with a two-hour and 45-minute take limit, is set to take the green flat at 1 p.m. The race will be taped for a May 3 telecast on SPEED TV.

- grandam- also photo

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