Record Run Puts Fangio On Pole : Auto racing: Driver goes 99.908 m.p.h. in Grand Prix qualifying.

In what will almost certainly be the final International Motor Sports Assn. race to be held on the Del Mar Fairgrounds, today’s Vons Grand Prix of San Diego might be much like the last two here--and much like five of the last six Camel GTP races this season.

Juan Manuel Fangio II, whose uncle and namesake terrorized Formula One opponents by winning five world championships in the 1950s, has been even more dominating behind the wheel of his Toyota Eagle prototype sports car.

Fangio, looking for his third straight victory on the 10-turn, 1.6-mile circuit today, has already won this year’s series championship with seven wins in 12 races, including five of the last six.

The 36-year-old Argentine driver will start on the pole--his fifth this season--after setting a one-lap record qualifying speed Saturday of 99.908 m.p.h. This bettered the record of 96.961 set by Wayne Taylor last year in a Chevy Intrepid.

Two other drivers, Davy Jones in a Jaguar, and P.J. Jones, Fangio’s Toyota teammate, also bettered the old record. Davy ran 99.671 and P.J. 98.655. The Jones are not related.

“We saw Davy going fast all week, so we were very concerned,” Fangio said. “I was trying very hard on the first lap, squeezing as hard as I could all the way around. I slowed down a little on the second lap because I didn’t want to take too many chances. Sometimes the harder you try to make the car go faster, the times start to drop.”

Today’s two-hour race will close the IMSA season and also end a six-year run by GTP cars at Del Mar.

“Everything has already been decided as far as the championships go, so Juan (Fangio) and I just want to win,” Davy Jones said. “It’s a pity they have move the race. It takes a few years to get comfortable on a circuit and now that I feel good about racing at Del Mar, they are going to move it. I would like to win the final race.”