▁gover ning ▁qual ifying , ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁field ▁would ▁be ▁split ▁into ▁two ▁groups ▁and ▁run ▁one ▁after ▁the ▁other , ▁meant ▁that ▁one ▁group ▁could ▁be ▁at ▁a ▁huge ▁dis adv antage ▁if ▁the ▁rain ▁started ▁to ▁fall . ▁At ▁ 1 : 4 5 ▁PM , ▁the ▁first ▁group , ▁containing ▁the ▁bottom ▁th ir teen ▁drivers ▁in ▁the ▁points ▁stand ings , ▁went ▁out ▁on ▁tracking ▁for ▁qual ifying . ▁The ▁rain ▁stayed ▁away ▁for ▁the ▁thirty - min ute ▁session , ▁and ▁the ▁dry ▁track ▁allowed ▁Maur ício ▁G ugel min ▁to ▁top ▁the ▁time ▁sheets ▁with ▁a ▁ 5 7 . 3 5 6 ▁on ▁his ▁final ▁lap . ▁He ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁Adri án ▁Fernández ▁and ▁ro ok ie ▁Max ▁Wilson . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁second ▁group ▁about ▁to ▁qual ify ▁at ▁ 2 : 3 0 ▁PM , ▁the ▁long - await ed ▁rain ▁finally ▁began ▁to ▁light ly ▁dri zz le ▁on ▁the ▁track . ▁D ri vers ▁continued ▁on ▁without ▁rain ▁t ires , ▁and ▁Br äck , ▁Scott ▁D ixon , ▁and ▁Paul ▁T racy ▁would ▁each ▁spin ▁on ▁the ▁sli pp ery ▁track ▁just ▁minutes ▁after ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁session . ▁The ▁light ▁rain ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁track ▁would ▁quickly ▁dry ▁up , ▁and ▁the ▁lap ▁times ▁subsequently ▁began ▁to ▁rise ▁with ▁each ▁passing ▁minute . ▁However , ▁at ▁ 2 : 4 7 ▁PM , ▁C ART ▁susp ended ▁the ▁qual ifying ▁session ▁when ▁light ning ▁was ▁sp