LEXUS DUO TIED FOR LEAD IN HEATED THREE-WAY POINTS BATTLE -- Lexus
drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas will return to Watkins Glen this
weekend tied for the championship lead in the most heated points race in
series history. The Lexus-powered Chip Ganassi Racing duo are currently
tied with Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney, and are just one point ahead of
third-place Max Angelelli and Brian Frisselle with just three races
remaining following this weekend's action. To date, Pruett and Rojas
have combined for two victories (Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio), three
runner-up finishes and seven top-10 showings in the season's first eight
races. This weekend's event marks the 19th time in the last 22 races
that the #01 Telmex Lexus has been on top of the Grand-Am standings.
RUNNING UPFRONT -- Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas have combined to qualify
on the front row in seven consecutive races heading into this weekend's
action, including a pole position won on the Watkins Glen long course
in early June. Overall, the team has won four pole positions (Virginia,
Laguna Seca and July's Daytona race being the others). The Lexus-powered
duo has been as fast during the races as they have been in qualifying,
as the only car in the series to have led every race this season.
Overall, the #01 Lexus has led more laps than any other team in the
series with 384 -- 101 more than the second-highest total. Individually,
Pruett leads the series with 191 laps led and Rojas is second with 140.
LAST RACE -- Despite numerous attempts to pass for the lead over the
last 20 laps on the tight Barber Motorsports Park track, Scott Pruett
couldn't find enough room to get past and fell just short on the way
to a second-place finish on the Alabama road course. Starting from the
outside of the front row, Memo Rojas held the second position until Lap
21 when he moved into the race lead. He maintained the top spot for
three laps before pitting and handing the car over to Pruett. A faulty
air jack cost the team approximately 15 seconds on the pit stop and
dropped Pruett outside of the top five and charging through the field
for the remainder of the event. He eventually moved back into second
with approximately an hour and 10 minutes remaining and never fell below
the runner-up position throughout the remainder of the two-hour and
45-minute event.
LEXUS AT THE GLEN -- Lexus has won more races (five) at Watkins Glen
than any other race track in the manufacturer's six-year run in Rolex
Sports Car Series competition. Lexus-powered cars have won the August
race twice, with Didier Theys and Jan Magnussen winning in 2004 for
Doran Racing, and Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz winning in 2006 for Chip
Ganassi Racing. In addition, Lexus has won three of the six Watkins Glen
six-hour events over that time span, including this year's race with
Pruett and Memo Rojas behind the wheel.
IN THE RECORD BOOKS -- The Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus team enters into
this weekend's race as the winningest team in Rolex Sports Car Series
history with 23 victories since entering the series in 2004. Lead driver
Scott Pruett has won more races than any driver in Rolex history with
22, while also holding the record for most podium finishes with 44.
Despite its relatively late entry into the series, Lexus is second among
manufacturers in all-time wins with 25.
-credit: lexus motorsports
