Monterrey, Mexico (My Sportsbook) - Series champion Sebastien Bourdais captured the pole for Sunday's Tecate/Telmex Monterrey Grand Prix Champ Car race. The No.1 Newman/Haas Racing driver circled the 2.104 mile Fundidora Park road course in one minutes. 13.627 seconds (102.875 m.p.h.). It was Bourdais' third straight pole win in Monterrey.

The Frenchman earned his second championship point of the weekend. He is coming off a season-opening victory at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and now leads the series by seven points over Paul Tracy (36-29).

He is also the defending race champion after beating teammate Bruno Junqueira to the checkered flag in 2004 by 3.852 seconds.

Tracy (1:14.321) will start third behind Bourdais and Justin Wilson (1:14.204). Alex Tagliani (1:14.342) will complete row two with Tracy.

A total of 19 drivers took to the track including seven rookies: Andrew Ranger, Ronnie Bremer, Bjorn Wirdheim, Timo Glock, Ricardo Sperafico, Marcus Marshall and Mexican Jorge Goeters.

Goeters, a star in Mexico driving in the Desafio Corona Stock Car Challenge, won the pole and led 24 laps when the NASCAR Busch Series came to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in March, but will start 18th on the grid.

The race is set to begin on Sunday at 3:45 p.m.