FONTANA, Calif. -- An engine change in the No. 9 TruFuel/MoeryLAI/Belardi Auto Racing car following the morning practice prevented Peter Dempsey from making a qualifying attempt, so he'll start last (14th) in the Auto Club Speedway Foundation 100.

Pacing the field in the final practice session though definitely boosted the confidence of the 26-year-old native of Ireland heading into the 50-lap race Sept. 15 (6 p.m. ET) on the 2-mile oval.

Dempsey, competing in his sixth Firestone Indy Lights race of the season and coming off a fifth-place finish at Baltimore, recorded a best lap of 188.879 mph. Tristan Vautier, who enters the championship-deciding race with Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammate Esteban Guerrieri with an 11-point lead, was second quick (187.556 mph). Vautier will start fifth; Guerrieri will start third.

Sebastian Saavedra earned the pole with a two-lap average of 189.640.