Guy Smith (right) celebrates with MAZDASPEED team manager John Doonan as Smith took the overall pole at Long Beach. Photo credit: Rick Dole for Michelin North America

Quality edged quantity in the battle for the overall and LMP1 class pole for Saturday’s Grand Prix of Long Beach, the second round of the 2011 American Le Mans Series season.

In a seesaw, back-and-forth battle, Guy Smith in the Dyson Lola Mazda beat Klaus Graf in the Muscle Milk Lola Aston Martin to the pole. As the two cars were separated by about half the track, each driver exchanged the fastest time.

Smith ultimately prevailed with a lap of 1:14.001 to Graf’s 1:14.453 around the 1.968-mile Long Beach circuit. It is Smith’s second career ALMS pole (2010, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca).

“Every time I crossed the line, I’d gain a half second and then Klaus would come back and go quicker. So he kept me honest,” Smith said. “The first part of the weekend is good. Tomorrow the real work begins.”

Gunnar Jeannette captured the LMP Challenge class pole, chronicling his day in a video, while neither of the P2 class Level 5 Motorsports Lola HPDs partook in qualifying. They will start from the rear of the 31-car field.