Tag secures top ten start for Team Australia.

The new Team Australia Champ Car World Series entry will begin its 2005 championship attack from seventh and 17th on the grid after qualifying for the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Alex Tagliani, who impressed in first qualifying on Friday, was seventh fastest in the final qualifying session, stopping the clocks at 1min 8.466secs - ahead of some of those drivers tipped to fight for the title this season.

"Qualifying seventh is a fantastic start for Team Australia," the Canadian ace said. "We obviously would have liked to be a little faster, but this program is very new and I am extremely enthusiastic about how everything has come together.

"I am confident we can improve our position in the race tomorrow because this team has a history of good strategies and the guys have been working hard on their pit stop practice.

"I had a little bit of understeer on the option tyre which hurt my lap time a little, but the biggest problem was trying to find a clear lap. Every time I was on a hot lap, I kept finding traffic. At one stage I got held up badly by Junquiera as he was coming out of the pits on sticker tyres - that certainly didn't help. But overall the car is good and we have a long race tomorrow so I am sure if we are there at the finish we will be in great shape."

Tag's Australian team-mate, ex-British Formula 3 race winner, Marcus Marshall, will start from 17th in his Champ Car debut, after improving his time from the first session and moving up one place on the grid.

"It was great to be closer to everybody today and I was able to have a real go on the faster 'option' Bridgestone Potenzas," the rookie said. "On my first set of tyres, my out lap was really strong and the second lap was going really well until I hit traffic right at the end of the lap. I was about 6 to 7/10ths up on my fastest before that happened.

"My second set of tyres didn't feel quite as strong, I think the track temperature rose a little, but I didn't have the same level of grip.

"I am very happy so far because I keep getting faster with every lap. Tomorrow will be a big day for me and I am really looking forward to it. I don't think I am going sleep at all tonight. I have been used to running at the front in my career, but I am in the big leagues now so it is time to start the learning experience."