TEAMS: Back-to-back Rolex 24 At Daytona Champions TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley, Rob Finlay and Michael Valiante in the No. 19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential/Make-A-Wish Foundation Lexus-Riley.
VENUE: Watkins Glen International this Saturday, June 9th (11:00am ET), on the 3.4-mile permanent road course in Watkins Glen, N.Y. Round 6 of 14 on the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series season.
LAST RACE: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, Calif. No. 01, St. 4 Fn. 2, No. 19, St. 10 Fn. 19.
NEXT RACE: June 23rd, EMCO Gears Classic, Lexington, Ohio. (2006, No. 01, St. 26 Fn. 21, No. 19, St. 13 Fn. 10).
TEAM POINTS: No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley, 116 points (2nd, -11)
DRIVER POINTS: Scott Pruett, 148 points (Leader, +5); Memo Rojas, 123 points (5th, -25); Rob Finlay, 87 points (17th, -61); Michael Valiante, 75 points (24th, -73).
EXHAUST NOTES: A podium finish May 20th at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca puts Pruett and the TELMEX team back on top of the Rolex points standings…This is the fifth race out of six this season the TELMEX team will start their engine in the points lead…The No. 19 DP starts its third race under the CGRFS umbrella after joining the team back in April, 2007, with Finlay and Valiante settling into their new Lexus-Riley engine chassis combo.
WATKINS GLEN HISTORY AND MORE: The TELMEX team has proven to be a fierce competitor in the six hour event at Watkins Glen International with Pruett collecting a win, a podium and a top 10 Finish in his three career starts from 2004 to 2006. The No. 19 DP of Finlay and Valiante head into their second career start as teammates in this endurance race and posted a 12th place finish together in 2006. CGRFS continues to be the most successful team in Daytona Prototype history– holding records in wins (14), poles (19) and podium finishes (32).
WATKINS GLEN REWIND: Last year’s 6 hour endurance race at Watkins Glen proved difficult for Pruett and the TELMEX team as rain fell on their pole position parade, making race strategy and tire selection a key factor in the team’s seventh place finish. The No. 01 CGRFS Lexus-Riley managed to stay on course despite the adverse conditions, but Pruett, logging the majority of the 153 laps, was unable to gain solid ground on the leaders as the clock wound down. Meanwhile, the No. 19 of Finlay and Valiante found their own challenges on the damp course after starting from the sixth position on the grid, but showed signs of strength as Valiante posted one of the highest lap times on the day.
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