Cleveland, OH (My Sportsbook) - A.J. Allmendinger captured the pole for Sunday's Grand Prix of Cleveland Champ Car event. The newly hired Forsythe Championship Racing driver circled the Burke Lakefront Airport course in a track record 56.283 seconds (134.705 m.p.h.).

Allmendinger broke an eight-year old mark set by Jimmy Vasser - 56.417 seconds.

The pole victory was Allmendinger's first of the season and second of his Champ Car career. The American won his first Champ Car pole in Edmonton last season while running for RuSport.

Allmendinger was let go by RuSport before the race last week in Portland. He hooked up with Forsythe Racing just days before the event and in his first start with the new team led 100 of 105 laps en route to a victory.

Starting alongside Allmendinger will be defending series champion Sebastien Bourdais, who had won every race this season until Allmendinger upset him last week in Portland. The Frenchman's time around the 2.106-mile airport runway course was 56.520 seconds.

Justin Wilson (56.651) and Oriol Servia (56.855) will make up row two.

Paul Tracy, the defending champion, was forced to use his backup car when he damaged his primary vehicle in morning practice. Tracy will start fifth in the 19-car field.

Through five events, Bourdais holds a 30-point edge over Wilson and 60 over Allmendinger. The series in the midst of a five-race in seven-week span. After Sunday's race the teams will get a well-needed week off before returning to the track in Toronto on July 9th.

The green flag in Sunday's race is expected to drop at 2:30 p.m. (et).