Derani lapped the newly repaved Road America course in 1m47.730s, earning pole position for the first time since Sebring.
It looked like it could be a front row lockout for Cadillac with Sebastien Bourdais trailing Derani for some time, but Matt Campbell would make a late push for pole that very nearly succeeded.
The #7 Penske Motorsport Porsche ended up second, just 0.068s off pole. Bourdais was third in the #1 Ganassi Cadillac.
"We used the second half of qualifying to try and get one set [of tyres] ready for the race," said Derani after qualifying. "Obviously, we went out there with not a big amount of time to go. So we were just trying to be safe if we had to do another lap. If not, just prepare the tyres for the race.
"The V-Series has been perfect today. It's been perfect the whole week. I'm very happy to be able to put the lap. Everyone involved has done a fantastic job so far this year. Just have to thank those guys for the hard work. Honestly, it's not done yet. Qualifying doesn't mean much, but for a few points that could count in the end. But it's always good to start ahead."
Source: Autosport