Monterrey, Mexico ? Defending champion Sebastian Bourdais broke his course record and held off Justin Wilson by a half second Saturday to capture the pole position for the Monterrey Grand Prix.

A day after the Frenchman took the provisional pole, Bourdais again was the fastest driver on the 2.104-mile Fundidora Park road course. He pushed his Ford-powered Lola to 102.875 mph and recorded a top time of 1 minute, 13.627 seconds, nearly three-tenths of a second better than the course record of 1:13.915 he set in 2004.

“I have a great feeling with this race track,” he said. “I’ve been fast here, and I wish it could (be) the same kind of situation every weekend.”

Bourdais won on this course a year ago en route to a Champ Car World Series points championship and began 2005 by winning the opening Grand Prix at Long Beach, Calif.

Wilson will start second in today’s race.

“I think it was my very last lap in the second set when I was able to get in a clean lap, and it was our best,” Wilson said.