Gianmaria "Gimmi" Bruni is on the GT class pole for the 12 Hours of Sebring. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

He’s a familiar name in a familiar car, and for Gianmaria Bruni, pole position is a familiar position. Bruni, the Italian in the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari F430 GT, set the GT mark at 2:01.561. Bruni scored two poles in 2010 for Risi Competizione Ferrari in an F430.

Timing prevented the AF Corse squad from bringing one of the new Ferrari F458 Italias to Sebring, but going with a tried-and-true, battle-tested “prancing horse” meant the team still had an ace up their sleeve.

“Even in a 430, we think we still have a chance,” Bruni said. “The car runs very good with Michelins on the 430. We have more data with the 430. Timing only allowed for a shakedown of the 458 in Paul Ricard with no time to send it over. It was already tight with the 430.”

Bruni will co-drive with Pierre Kaffer and Giancarlo Fisichella in the polesitting entry. While Bruni, Kaffer and Jaime Melo captured the GT class victory at Sebring last year, ex-Formula One veteran Fisichella makes his Sebring debut this week.

Oliver Gavin took P2 in the No. 04 Corvette Racing Corvette ZR1 at 2:01.743. Gavin showed impressive pace and has a good shot to deliver a win back to Corvette Racing co-driving with Jan Magnussen and Richard Westbrook in his Corvette debut.

The two BMW Team RLL BMW M3s are on row two. The German manufacturer put their two Dirks in their cars, Dirk Werner taking the No. 55 to P3 on the grid ahead of Dirk Mueller in the No. 56. Werner co-drives with Bill Auberlen and Augusto Farfus, Mueller with Joey Hand and Andy Priaulx.

The rest of the top 10 on the grid features Michelin technical partner teams, eight of the top 10 in total. Risi Competizione’s No. 062 Ferrari F458 Italia, No. 045 Flying Lizard Porsche and No. 002 Extreme Speed Ferrari F458 Italia round out the top seven in the GT class. ILMC entrant Luxury Racing qualified eighth in class in its No. 59 Ferrari F458 with the No. 03 Corvette and No. 001 Extreme Speed Ferrari in the top 10.

Richard Lietz, a factory Porsche driver, took the GTE Am class pole. He’ll co-drive with Gianluca Roda and Christian Ried in the No. 63 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. The GTE Am class is new for 2011 according to ACO regulations for cars at least one year old and at least one gentleman driver.