PWC: DiMeo, Holbrook, Schwartz on pole for Barber TC, TCA, TCB Round 1

Jason Saini, Shea Holbrook and Johan Schwartz were the three fastest qualifiers in TC, TCA and TCB for Round 1 of their Pirelli World Challenge seasons, the race at Barber Motorsports Park Presented by RECARO. However, following post-qualifying technical inspection, Saini's TC pole time was disallowed, to promote Michael DiMeo to his first class pole position.

Saini, of Chicago, set the fastest time at 1:38.427 in the No. 28 Grid-1 Motorsports OMP/Motovicity Mazda MX-5. However the car was found out of compliance in post-qualifying technical inspection and Saini will start from the rear of the TC class field.

DiMeo, of Toronto, will now start on class pole in the No. 71 ENJ Excavating/Formcrete/HPD Honda Civic Si at 1:38.926 with Jon Miller, of North Tustin, Calif., now second in the No. 68 Titan Motorsports/Loudbasstard/BeTheMatch.org Honda Civic Si at 1:38.984.

DiMeo's Compass360 Racing teammate and team principal Karl Thomson, also of Toronto, will start third in the No. 72 Children's Tumor Foundation/HPD/Racing4Research.org Honda Civic Si at 1:39.271.

Holbrook, of Groveland, Fla., posted the fastest lap time in the new TCA class with a best time of 1:41.919 in the No. 67 Radium/TRUECar/Lucas Oil/Hendrick Honda Honda Civic Si. This marks her first time with the fastest qualifying effort in Pirelli World Challenge.

"The car was flawless - it's the best it's been all weekend," said Holbrook, who looks for her second career series victory on Saturday, to go along with her TC class win at Long Beach in 2011.

In second was rookie Jason Cherry, of Gambrills, Md., in the No. 13 Avpro/Purposeful Architecture Mazda MX-5 at 1:42.300. Cherry makes his series debut this weekend. Third in qualifying was fellow debutante Jason Wolfe of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in the No. 36 Kia Motors America Kia Forte Koup at 1:43.654.

A three-way battle occurred in TCB with Schwartz, of Denmark, taking his second Pirelli World Challenge pole, and first in the No. 12 Garrett Racing/Drive4Diabetes/American Honda Honda Fit. His best time of 1:51.774 was the fastest lap set in TCB this weekend.

"It was a hard fought lap," Schwartz said. "The car ran well, we set it up a little bit tighter than this morning. I had to change my driving style a tiny bit. We had to really push on the end of the lap. It's a Honda product, so it's hard to beat."

Behind him was Tyler Palmer, of San Diego, Calif., in the No. 37 MINI of Charleston Racing Mini Cooper at 1:51.999 and in third was rookie Brian Price, of Middleton, Va., in the No. 51 Unlimited Racing/RP Performance Honda Fit at 1:52.098.

TC, TCA and TCB Round 1 from Barber Motorsports Park Presented by RECARO is scheduled to start at 5:15 p.m. CDT on Saturday. Live streaming of the race begins following the conclusion of the GT/GT-A/GTS Round 3, scheduled to end at 4:45 p.m. CDT, with the lights going out for the TC/TCA/TCB standing start at 5:15 p.m. CDT/ 6:15 p.m. EDT.