A1 TEAM USA's Summerton 5th in practice at South Africa

A1 TEAM USA’s Jonathan Summerton had the fifth fastest lap in practice Friday for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport at Durban, South Africa.

“It’s one of our best starts to the weekend this year,” Summerton said. “The ‘We the People’ car was good from the get-go. We’ve got something to contend for the pole in qualifying.”

Summerton, of Kissimmee, Fla., completed 21 laps, topped by a 1:19.525, in the one-hour session on the 2.04-mile street circuit.

The Durban round last season was Summerton’s first race weekend in A1GP.

“The experience from last year really helped me concentrate on driving the car rather than learning the track,” Summerton said. “We were able to build our speed to a very competitive level.”

A1 TEAM USA owner Rick Weidinger likes the team’s momentum.

“It’s a clear signal that we’re ready to make some real noise,” Weidinger said. “We’re gaining on our rivals at the front of the field. We’ve been a solid top-10 performer in qualifying and the races in the past three rounds, we’ve scored points in four straight rounds and we’re getting better.”

Summerton will have a one-hour practice Saturday to prepare for qualifying and the races. Qualifying is Saturday and the 20-minute Sprint and 70-minute Feature races are Sunday.

For more information on A1 TEAM USA, visit www.A1TEAMUSATV.com. For more information on A1GP, visit www.A1GP.com. Live streaming of qualifying and the Sprint and Feature races are available at A1GP.com.