JAMES HINCHCLIFFE is on a roll, figuratively. He took the second pole position for the weekend at Portland International Raceway in the Champ Car Atlantic Series, with a time of 1m 05.991s - faster than Friday's qualifying lap by 0.430secs.

The slight misting didn't get in his way. The top four drivers went faster than Hinchcliffe's Friday pole time of 1m 06.561s.

Rookie KEVIN LACROIX was second, followed by another rookie FRANCK PERERA. Fourth and fifth were rookie ROBERT WICKENS and RYAN LEWIS. All 27 drivers were on course for the session.

There were two red flags during the 35-minute session: one for a fallen banner on track, and one for DAN SELZNICK, who stalled off course in turn five.

The Atlantics have their first of two rounds Saturday noon PDT. The cars will take their single file reconnaissance lap and return to the start-finish line, in starting positions. The 15-second Board goes up and the lights turn on one by one. Then....either the drivers see no light and take off from a standing start, or they see a red light which means Champ Car race director BEAUX BARFIELD has made the decision to abort the start. The pace car pulls out in front of the cars and the race cars go single file around the track and come back to start-finish for what would then be a restart on lap two and it would be treated like any other restart.

For those who made it across the track before it was closed for Atlantic qualifying, there was some excitement in the media centre. The weather conditions were such that the Life Flite helicopter had to take a different direction in landing behind the centre, and took off the tent roof of the media centre. It looked like a large dislodged satellite dish. The removal occurred later in the morning, but there were inconveniences to the traffic and work flow in the media centre in the interim.

Those who were caught out by the early track closing missed the fun.