After 11 qualifying sessions, the drivers emerged on track to fight for an eVirtual pole for the last time this season: around the streets of Long Beach. All eyes will be on Taylor, McLaughlin and Zozulya, who hunt for those extra 3 points to help them in the title battle. Q1Before all that, Q1 ran for the last time this season - unfortunately, so did BMW. The car lacked mechanical grip out on the streets, leaving Haugland and Holzberg dead last, not the way they wanted to finish their season. Bruner ensured his flash of speed last time out was just an one-off, coming 8th. That left the two Lamborghini's to fight to avoid dropping out, but a storming lap from Agostino meant Ledesma ended the season with a DNQ. The story up front was a similar one as Matthews continued his super performances with 1st by 6 tenths over Domenicalli, with Kasami in 3rd ensuring both K8ley's got through. Agostino ended up 4th, with Stokey 5th also seeing both OSM's through. Garcia - still searching for that elusive maidin point - did get at least one Thunderhead through to the race on their last outing with Audi. Q2Along with the drivers' title fight, there was a teams' title fight going on as well, with Lada leading Downton by 1 point (Jaguar, Ceberus and Mitsubishi still in mathematical contention). Unfortunately, Lada couldn't bring the pace today - Hudson ended 14th, and Laguna Seca winner Ostberg was dead last. Downton, in comparison, were immediately on it, as Maxwell topped Q2 with Zozulya up in 2nd, both progressing with no issues. For Jaguar, it wasn't quite as smooth. Hutchinson looked better than any point this year with 4th but Taylor was scrappy and had a spin at the first corner as well - it was only on his last lap that he moved into 10th by just a tenth, but it was enough for Q3. McLaughlin on the other hand had a cleaner session, finishing 6th, though Nakumaya once again failed to make Q3 in 12th. Despite his title challenge falling apart, Cesar once again showed great pace, taking 3rd with teammate Yoshida in 8th putting both through into Q3. Fusion and Highwind both struggled however - Thunder finished 15th, the other 3 all outside the top 20. Bergkvist only managed 19th but his Porsche teammate Vocquelin came very close to breaking into Q3, denied only by Taylor. Renault and Arrow got one representive through to Q3 - van Snelheid, 9th, and Einarsson, 7th, delivered good laps to make it into the top 10, while Zhao and Davies were 20th and 22nd, showing how well their teammates did in comparison. The K8ley drivers were more evenly matched, but neither could make it in Q3 on this occasion, 13th and 16th for Domenicalli and Kasami. For Matthews, however, it was another exceptional performance as he put in two laps quick enough to make it into Q3, the latter leaving him 5th. Stokey had no answer to his teammate in 18th, one place behind Garcia. The remaining Q1 progressor, Agostino, was only 25th. Yoshida opted to run first, and the Japanese driver showed how much he had progressed so far this year as he put in a 17.9, a solid opening lap. It was better than what Hutchinson managed and his teammate Cesar also failed to improve on it, after running wide at turn 1 and 9, leaving the Brazilian disappointed.
Einarsson was unable to replicate his performance from Laguna Seca, slowest of the first four runners. Zozulya went next, and with the bit between his teeth, he was on course to pip Yoshida - but he had a sudden oversteer moment through turn 10, leaving him off line into the final corner. He locked up, ran wide and was left scrambling through the hairpin. Crossing the line, it was a 18.773, ahead of Einarsson but a tenth off Cesar. Maxwell went next and there were no such dramas - in fact, he seemed to be back to the Maxwell of Macau as he skimmed the barriers to the absolute edge, nailed the line through each corner and brought the full car across the line, a full second up on Yoshida. Jaguar sent out Taylor after that: the Briton was just about matching Yoshida, but he tapped the wall on the exit of turn 8, costing him time all the way down the back straight. He crossed the line... for a 18.773. The exact same time as Zozulya - but he will start behind as the former set his time first. McLaughlin was next, and given his rivals' struggles, he was expected to lag behind as well. Instead, he manhandled his Mitsubishi around the track, looking especially committed through the roundabout. It wasn't Maxwell levels of perfection, but he slammed in a lap time good enough for the front row to the cheers of his garage. There were louder cheers coming up though: Matthews had one more stunner in him still. He aced the exit of turn 8, kept it tight through turn 10 and slingshoted himself onto the final straight to pip McLaughlin by tiny margins to stick his OSM on the front row once again. Van Snelheid was unable to make much impact, finishing last and it left Maxwell on pole for the first time in a while thanks to a storming lap, with Matthews a stunning second. Despite the street circuit, however, it's McLaughlin who delivered amongst the title contenders, leaving Zozulya and Taylor with ground to make up. Which of them will deliver tomorrow and take home the title? Will Maxwell ensure Downton bring home a second teams' title? Join us tomorrow to find out!
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