The phrase "provisional pole" refers to a temporary or preliminary top position in a competition or race. It means that the person or team currently holds the best time or score, but there is still a chance for others to surpass it. Full definition
The strength of the GTE Pro class was evident Wednesday with the top seven cars within 0.915 seconds with provisional pole position at 3:55.658. (corvetteracing.com)
On the plus side, being ambushed by fans was probably good experience for qualifying, when Sebastian Vettel ambushed his hold on provisional pole... (wtf1.com)
A truly remarkable lap from former Formula 1 driver Kamui Kobayashi has given Toyota provisional pole for Le Mans (wtf1.com)