Fabrizio de Simone qualified the No. 35 Maserati with a fast lap time of one 1:08"846 seconds on the 1.964-mile Oregon road course, less than seven-tenths of a second behind the class pole position. He also closed to third during the afternoon practice session, with a time of 1:09"394.

Former Formula One World Championship contender Mika Salo, now a Maserati factory driver, is sharing driving duty with de Simone this weekend. The pair started with two test sessions on Thursday, followed by Friday's practice and qualifying. The race is set for Saturday evening.