Brazil's Tony Kanaan thanked the rain after clinching pole position for Cart's inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas.

Kanaan had taken provisional pole in his Honda-Lola on Friday with a time of one minute 1.264 seconds.

And rain on Miami's Bayfront Park street course kept speeds down during Saturday's session to stop anyone fron denying him his first pole of the season.

"My rain dance to the Brazilian patron saint of rain really worked today," said Kanaan, who is 13th in the overall standings.

New Zealand's Scott Dixon earned a series point by being Saturday's fastest qualifier.

He will start alongside Kanaan in Sunday's race after clocking a best time of 1:09.786 in his Target Toyota/Lola.

Behind Kanaan and Dixon will be Tora Takagi (Toyota/Reynard), Kenny Brack (Target Toyota/Lola), Alex Tagliani (Ford-Cosworth/Reynard) and overall leader Cristiano da Matta (Toyota/Lola).

Scotland's Dario Franchitti and Brazilian Christian Fittipaldi, third and fifth in the standings respectively, will start seventh and eighth.

Canadian Patrick Carpentier, who is fourth overall, will start 17th.

Da Matta leads the title race by 58 points from fellow Brazilian Bruno Junqueira with four races remaining.

He can seal his first drivers' crown if he outscores Junqueira, who will start 10th in his Toyota/Lola, by 10 points and Franchitti by three.

"To clinch the championship would be great because it would take a little bit of pressure off of us for the rest of the season," said Da Matta.

"But to just make gains would be good."

Miami qualifying positions

1 T Kanaan, Honda/Lola, 61.264 seconds
2 S Dixon, Toyota/Lola, 69.786
3 T Takagi, Toyota/Reynard, 62.039
4 K Brack, Toyota/Lola, 62.165
5 A Tagliani, Ford-Cosworth/Reynard, 62.304
6 C da Matta, Toyota/Lola, 62.348
7 D Franchitti, Honda/Lola, 62.369
8 C Fittipaldi, Toyota/Lola, 62.523
9 A Fernandez, Honda/Lola, 62.543
10 B Junqueira, Toyota/Lola, 62.607
11 S Nakano, Honda/Lola, 62.750
12 J Vasser, Ford-Cosworth/Lola, 62.860
13 O Servia, Toyota/Reynard, 62.891
14 M Andretti, Honda/Lola, 63.052
15 M Jourdain Jr., Ford-Cosworth/Lola, 63.055
16 P Tracy, Honda/Lola, 63.134
17 P Carpentier, Ford-Cosworth/Reynard, 64.135
18 M Dominguez, Ford-Cosworth/Lola, 64.326