Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Returns To Watkins Glen For Crown Royal 200
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Tavares, Fla.
Aug 07, 2007
Two words can describe how the Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team felt after having a fast race car all weekend at Montreal’s famed Circuit Gilles Villenueve. We’re back! The same two words can be said about the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve’s return to Watkins Glen International for this weekend’s Crown Royal 200 at The Glen.
This is the second time this season the Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes (DP) will see action in central New York. The last time was in June, when the series ran the long course (3.4-miles). This weekend, the Daytona Prototypes are set for a Round 12, 82-lap/2-hour showdown on the 2.45-mile NASCAR short course.
The Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team qualified third for the six-hour endurance race in June and still finished eighth despite driving most of the race without power steering. It was truly one of most inspiring drives of the German Jörg Bergmeister’s career. Due to a schedule conflict, Bergmeister will not be with the team this weekend. Instead, Frenchman and Porsche factory driver Emmanuel Collard, who has won major championships in several types of race cars, will sub for the defending Daytona Prototype Drivers’ Champion.
Patrick Long will co-pilot the No. 23 Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team Porsche Crawford DP alongside Collard, who is no stranger to Alex Job Racing. Collard helped AJR pick up a class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2001. Though this is only the third time Long and Collard have teamed-up, both know each other quite well.
“He is a great friend and an unbelievable driver, ” Long said of Collard. “I have driven against him and on the same team with him. He brings experience from Porsche Super Cup all the way up to Formula 1 and everywhere in between. He knows the Crawford. He drove it this past season in Daytona. He’s as solid of a team player as there is. There is no question in my mind that we’ve got the next best guy – after Jörg – in the car at Watkins Glen. ”
“I’m really pleased to be back with the team, ” Collard said. “Last time I drove for Alex, we won the race at Sebring. I hope for the same result this weekend. I’m also very happy to be racing with Patrick. I’ve known him for a long time and I like him very much. He’s a funny guy, but he’s also very quick and professional. ”
“The team is very excited about how the car performed in Montréal, ” team owner Alex Job said. “It was probably the fastest, most consistent car we’ve had since the last time we were at Watkins Glen. And, though we will miss Jörg this weekend, we are confident that Emmanuel can step in and do the job. He and Patrick are both very fast drivers – real pros – and if we can give them a fast racecar this weekend, we will be in position to pick up our second win of the season. ”
The Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team has one win, two top-five and eight top-10 finishes this season. Both, Bergmeister and Long are tied for ninth-place with 247 points (77 points behind the point leader Scott Pruett) in the Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Driver Point standings. The team is in seventh-place in the Grand-Am Rolex Series Team Point standings also with 247 points.
