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.

[read more…]

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.

[read more…]

WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 7, 2008) – Scott Pruett took the lead with 45 minutes remaining and was never headed as he and Memo Rojas drove the #01 Telmex Lexus to 3.033-second victory in today’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen Rolex Sports Car Series race at Watkins Glen International.

The win is the fourth in six races for the Ganassi/Lexus team and gives both the drivers and the team a 36-point championship lead heading into the midway point of the season at Mid-Ohio. In addition, Lexus continued its domination of endurance racing with its fifth win in the last eight Grand-Am endurance events and now holds a 15-point lead in the manufacturer’s championship.

[read more…]

(Ed. Note: This story is from yesterday but with the race being shown one day later on tape delay on SPEEDTV, backstretchmotorsports decided not to run results as a spoiler)

Dalziel and Zogaib Scored First for SAMAX at Laguna Seca

MONTEREY, Calif. - Henri Zogaib and Ryan Dalziel delivered the best birthday present possible for SAMAX Motorsport team owner Peter Baron as the two combined for a convincing race win with the No. 2 Dinan BMW-Riley in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16Rumbum.com 250 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday. After racing back to the front from a lap down from the leaders, Dalziel led the final 23 laps to take the win.

[read more…]

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.

[read more…]

MEXICO CITY — Kyle Busch got on his radio and advised anyone who was listening that Scott Pruett would get dumped if he kept blocking Busch as they battled for the lead Sunday in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Corona Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Pruett didn’t need to hear those words. He already had been there, done that.

[read more…]

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.

[read more…]

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.

[read more…]