Bruno Spengler has secured his first pole position of the 2008 DTM season after setting the pace during qualifying for the street race at the Norisring.
The Canadian, who started from pole last season and has won at the circuit for the past two years, set the pace in the first part of qualifying and was then second quickest through the second stage to make his way to the top-eight shoot-out where he posted a best time of 47.785secs to secure his sixth career pole.
“The Norisring is my thing, I am feeling well here,” he said. “Today is a good day. It can go on like this. I think that we are well prepared for Sunday and I have a good chance of winning. But we can't be sure too early, because a lot of things can happen here at the Norisring.”
Spengler led an all-Mercedes front row after Jamie Green posted the second quickest time, although he was some two-tenths of a second behind at the conclusion of the session. Fellow Briton Paul di Resta slotted into third place and will be joined on the second row of the grid by the leading Audi in the hands of points leader Timo Scheider.
“I am satisfied with my fastest lap, but not with my grid position,” he said having posted a best time of 48.028secs. “All in all, I am optimistic for tomorrow, because our car has become much better here compared to previous years.”
Fellow Audi men Martin Tomcyzk and Tom Kristensen will share row three, while all the 2008-spec cars made it to the final stage of qualifying to leave Bernd Schneider and Mattias Ekstrom in seventh and eighth.
First of the 2007-spec machines will be former champion Gary Paffett in ninth place, with Alex Premat in tenth – just ahead of former
F1 racer
Ralf Schumacher who took eleventh.
Showing the close nature of the competition ahead of race day, little more than a second covered pole man Spengler down to 19th place Katherine Legge.
For qualifying times,
CLICK HERE.
![Bruno Spengler - DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes [pic credit: DTM Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/343195.jpg)
