The Audi machine continued to roll Sebring on Thursday as Marco Werner qualified his diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI on the pole position for Saturday's Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the season-opener for the 2007 American Le Mans Series. The two-time Sebring winner set a qualifying record with a lap of 1:44.974 at Sebring International Raceway.

Werner, also a two-time American Le Mans Series champion, bested Audi teammate Rinaldo Capello by 0.352 seconds as the German marque filled the front row and starts out front for the eighth straight season. Audi has won every year at Sebring since 2000 and debuted the R10 TDI with a victory last year.

"I think we are very prepared. We have made some steps since yesterday," said Werner, who will reunite with Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro. "In practice, before qualifying, the car was good. We did a 45.0 so I did just some thousandths better. Maybe you'll see a little bit more after some testing but at the moment this is the best the car can do."

Werner's time was the quickest for Audi this week, which has won 10 straight LMP1 races. Seven of those came with the R10 TDI – eight counting the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year with Werner, Biela and Pirro.

"It was helpful really working with the setups this year," Werner said. "The problem last year was working with the heavier car over the bumps so now we get more chances to work on the setup."

In LMP2, Penske Racing's Timo Bernhard qualified his Porsche RS Spyder on the class pole and third overall with a record lap of 1:46.046. David Brabham was second quickest in class for Highcroft Racing and the quickest of Acura's new prototypes at 1:47.130.

Bernhard won at Sebring in 2004 with Porsche and Alex Job Racing in GT2 and led early in LMP2 last season in Penske's first Sebring appearance with the RS Spyder. Mechanical issues forced the car's retirement past the halfway point. But with a new car for 2007, Bernhard is hopeful that he can return to Victory Circle again Saturday.

"The car was really perfect," said Bernhard, who is teaming with Romain Dumas and Helio Castroneves. "We waited a long time to go out thinking most of the people would be done. After the first lap everything was there and we squeezed out what we could do with the cars. The best strategy is to finish. It will be a tough race considering the competition in P2."

That includes another Porsche from Penske Racing and two more for Dyson Racing as well as the three Acuras and Lolas from B-K Motorsports and Horag Racing. Brabham's lap was the best for an Acura this week, heightening expectations for the brand's first American Le Mans Series event.

"It was a fantastic result for the team," Brabham said. "We've worked so hard because we've had problems all week. We really weren't ready, but we're happy with this result. We still have our hands full for the race."

Jan Magnussen captured his third career Series pole position and his first with Corvette Racing in GT1. Magnussen turned in a lap of 1:57.061 to best teammate Oliver Gavin by 0.419 seconds. It is Magnussen's first pole since Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2003 in the GTS class (now GT1) in a Ferrari 550. He also sat on the overall pole for Panoz Motor Sports at Mosport in 1999. Both times he wound up winning the race.

"Everything went well," said Magnussen, who will share the No. 3 entry with Ron Fellows and Johnny O'Connell. "We had two timed laps and the first was my fastest. The tires went away a little on the second lap and we came in. We weren't going to improve. Our plan was to do three laps."

Corvette has won at Sebring four times in the last five seasons, the only loss coming in 2005 to Aston Martin. Team Modena's DBR9 qualified third at 1:58.241 with Antonio Garcia behind the wheel.

Jaime Melo put Risi Competizione and Ferrari on the GT2 pole with a record lap of 2:02.439, the Brazilian's third straight pole in as many Series appearances. Melo's best lap was 0.262 seconds better than Tomas Enge and Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing, also running a Ferrari.

Melo set his lap early in the session but spun the car in Turn 1 with about five minutes remaining. He missed contacting the outside wall but was unsure if the team would have to change tires on the car, a move that would send the Ferrari to the rear of the grid.

"I got trapped on what could have been my best lap," Melo said. "I kept trying to push because Enge was closing and I was very worried. I pushed and lost my grip on the turn-in into Turn 1 and spun very close to the wall. The car is very good for the race."

Following Enge, Jorg Bergmeister was the next quickest GT2 car in Flying Lizard Motorsports' lead Porsche at 2:03.043. Porsche, winner at Sebring seven times in the last eight years, also held the fourth and fifth positions with Tafel Racing's two cars.

Last year Porsche finished second to Panoz with Ferrari third in the closest class finish in Sebring history (5.2 seconds). Despite the dominance of the Ferraris early in the week, Melo thinks it will be a different story once the race starts.

"It's not only Ferrari. Porsche and Panoz are still there," Melo said. "For sure it will be much harder than last year. That's why we must keep working hard and keep pushing."

The 2007 American Le Mans Series opens with the 55th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 17 at Sebring International Raceway. The green flag will fall shortly after 10 a.m. with SPEED providing live coverage beginning at 9:30 a.m. The race also will be broadcast by American Le Mans Radio with IMSA Live Timing & Scoring available at americanlemans.com.