Schumacher leads all-Ferrari US front row

The seven-time champion took his third pole of the year and the 67th of his career in 1:10.832, over six tenths of a second ahead of his Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa, who completed a 1-2 for the Italian team.

Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella will start third ahead of Honda's Rubens Barrichello.

World champion Fernando Alonso, who was going for his sixth straight pole, could only manage fifth in his Renault ahead of BMW Sauber's Jacques Villeneuve and Honda's Jenson Button.

Ralf Schumacher took eighth for Toyota, ahead of the disappointing Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren.

Nick Heidfeld missed the chance to qualify higher than 10th when his BMW Sauber ground to a halt at the side of the track with 15 minutes remaining.

Juan Pablo Montoya again missed the cut for the top-ten shoot-out in his McLaren, as did Williams' Mark Webber and Toro Rosso's Scott Speed, who received great support from his home crowd on his way to 13th.

Dutchman Christijan Albers outqualified his Portuguese teammate Tiago Monteiro as both Midlands made it into the top 16 for the first time - ahead of Austrian Christian Klien in a Red Bull.

The first 15-minute session saw Massa set the pace, but there was a surprise as Jarno Trulli - last year's pole-sitter - was eliminated after his Toyota began bottoming out through the banked turn 13.

Also knocked out in the first session were Red Bull's David Coulthard, Takuma Sato - who was highly impressive for Super Aguri - and Williams driver Nico Rosberg.

Behind Trulli, his compatriot Vitantonio Liuzzi in a Toro Rosso and Franck Montagny, in possibly his last race for Super Aguri, brought up the rear.