ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Carlos Munoz inched closer and closer to the Firestone Indy Lights qualifying record on the 1.8-mile, 14-turn St. Petersburg street circuit. He settled for a best lap that was lower than the 2012 pole-winner.

Either way, it gives the driver of the No. 26 Dialy-Ser-Andretti Autosport car a great position for the 45-lap season-opening St. Petersburg 100 (3:40 p.m. ET March 23). Munoz won from the pole at Edmonton last July.

Munoz earned his second career Firestone Indy Lights Sunoco Pole Award with a lap of 1 minute, 6.4124 seconds (Lap 18 of 30, with 15 minutes left in the 45-minute session). The lap vaulted Munoz over Jack Hawksworth (1:06.7359) in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian car.

Click it: St. Petersburg 100 starting lineup

"It was a tough qualifying. I was pushing 200 percent. I gave everything on the track," Munoz said. "I’m really happy to have the first pole of the season. Now the most important thing is the race. It’s easy to make a mistake here, but I think I’ll have a good car for the race."

Hawksworth closed the gap (1:06.4402, .0278 of a second back) as the session wound down to earn a front-row start in his inaugural Firestone Indy Lights event.

"Shame we couldn't quite get it done at the end although still pretty much on pace," Hawksworth said. "Guess we have to go out and do it in the race."

Peter Dempsey (1:06.6309), driving the No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing car, and Gabby Chaves (1:06.7122) in the No. 7 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian car will share Row 2.

“Our qualifying session didn't end up how we wanted, but we are starting on the second row," said Chavez, who earned his first top-five start. "We’ll be able to chase down the leaders and show some speed during the race. This is a long race and we’ll have a good shot at a solid finish.”

The race will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network at 11 a.m. (ET) March 24, leading in to the network's broadcast of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.