After being a front runner in the lead up to qualifying, Jan Magnussen’s hopes of grabbing back-to-back Canadian Tire Motorsport Park pole positions finished in the turn three wall with a spectacular crash.

Magnussen and Antonio Garcia will be forced to start from the rear of the grid with the team having to fit four new Michelin tires for the race.

Magnussen was second fastest only 0.14 of a second off the pole when he took one final shot at repeating his pole position performance from 2012 here in Canada.

The Dane hit a bump in turn three, ran a wide and ended up off course on the grass. The No.3 Corvette suffered a side-on impact with the tire wall and spun around damaging the nose as well.

“One of the things I love about this place is that there is a real consequence to making mistakes or pushing too hard,” Magnussen said.

“We were just a tenth back from pole and this was an attempt to get it. I still think it was in the car but I just bounced in the middle of Turn 3 over a small bump and that put me a little bit off line at the exit. A wheel off into the grass and that was it.

“I was off into the tire wall. I feel sorry for the team. For sure you try to avoid these things but sometimes they happen. When you hit the tire wall at an angle, it tends to rip things off the car. It will be a bit of work for the guys but the car was awesome in qualifying and I believe the pole time was in it. That’s why I went for it. The car will be perfect for the race.”

Magnussen was checked out the track medical center but cleared to drive tomorrow.