Backstretch Motorsports

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (July 20, 2008) – With track temperatures soaring over 120 degrees, the Lexus duo of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas remained the hottest thing on the track as they registered their sixth Rolex Sports Car Series victory of the season in Sunday’s Porsche 250 at the Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

The win comes in just the ninth race of the season for the #01 Ganassi/Lexus team and gives both the drivers and the team a commanding 60-point championship lead with just five races remaining. In addition, Lexus stretched out its manufacturer’s championship to 16 points.

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Leads, Ala., July 19, 2008 – The SunTrust Pontiac Daytona Prototype (DP) will start from the pole for tomorrow’s running of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

The heat is proving to be a factor for all of the teams this weekend. With temperatures averaging in the mid-90s it is playing havoc with the track and the cars. With times declining in the afternoon heat the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara driven by Michael Valiante took the pole for tomorrow’s race with a time of 1:20.521. Valiante is joined in the 10 with co-driver Max Angelelli. The 2005 series champions are trying to make a late season run at the points standings. They have had a difficult season to date which has included on the track contact as well as a hauler fire which destroyed their first Dallara

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In what can only be described as a classic Daytona NASCAR move, Scott Pruett took his No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Lexus-powered Riley to the top of the Daytona Speedway and used momentum to pass Alex Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley and win by the closest margin in Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 history.

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ALTON, Va. - Catching Scott Pruett is one thing. Passing him is another.

Pruett and Memo Rojas culminated an eventful weekend by leading the final 20 laps today in their #01 Telmex Lexus on the way to winning the Grand-American Rolex Sports Car Series’ Bosch Engineering 250 at the Virginia International Raceway.

The weekend started off on a high note with Rojas apparently winning his second consecutive pole, only for the car to fail technical inspection and be forced to start from the rear of the field. With a thought toward saving fuel and making up track position, the car started from the pit lane and then made an early pit-stop to top off their fuel tank. The move proved to be the correct one as a full-course yellow came out shortly after and put Rojas into the top-five.

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With a pair of victories and a second-place finish in the season’s first three races, the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus set the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 set qualifying pace at Virginia Interantional Raceway and took pole for the Bosch 250 event.

Memo Rojas won his second career and second consecutive Daytona Prototype pole. The Mexican driver ran a lap of 1:43.329 on the 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit

Running his fourth race in the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley fielded by SunTrust Racing, Michael Valiante qualified second at 1:43.329 after leading much of the 15-minute session.

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Rojas takes pole by .029 seconds, German Pierre Kaffer takes Rolex GT pole

MEXICO CITY (April 18, 2008) - Memo Rojas will start on the pole for his home race Saturday (SPEED, Live, 4 p.m. ET), the Mexico City 250 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 after setting a track record in his No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley.

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Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas extended their Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 point lead Saturday with their second straight win in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley, the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The duo, who led every practice session leading up to the race only to qualify third, combined to lead 51 laps overall (Pruett 41 of them) in the 99-lap (two-hour and 45-minute event) and are now two-for-two on the young season. Pruett and Rojas were also part of the quartet that won January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

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