Memo Rojas qualified the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) Daytona Prototype third in his first-ever pairing with Scott Pruett Saturday, managed to make up some lost time in the early goings and handed the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley to Pruett on Lap 53 of 100 to finish fourth overall in the 2:45 minute sprint race in Mexico City. The two will run the balance of the Grand American schedule together after Pruett won the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona with Juan Pablo Montoya and Salvador Duran, and Rojas competed with 2006 Rolex 24 Champions Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon in a second CGRFS entry.
Rojas gridded third but dropped to seventh after the green flag flew, only to claw his way back into fourth before the day’s only pit stop and driver change. Pruett would run the remainder of the race in fourth, but with no breaks from yellow flags the Rolex Series’ winningest driver was unable to make up the one-minute gap that separated him from the leaders.
With the result, Pruett remains the Rolex Series Championship point leader with 63 markers, three more than his nearest competition (teammates Max Angelelli and Jon Magnusson) as the series enters Round 3 of the 14-race schedule.
Up next for Pruett and Rojas and the No. 01 TELMEX team is Miami-Homestead Speedway in Florida, March 24th on SPEED Channel at 8:00 pm ET (SDD).
CGRFS Driver Quoteboard
SCOTT PRUETT (No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley) “All in all it wasn’t a bad day, but we honestly needed some help from the yellows to get back in it, and that’s a big mountain to climb when the race goes green the whole time. I think we just didn’t have the car where we needed it to be for the race, but we know how to bounce back and I know we’ll be back in the hunt for wins very soon. â€
MEMO ROJAS (No. 01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley) “We had a good car all weekend but I didn’t have the start I would have wanted, and that put us back a bit. But I managed to come back up to fourth and by the time we made our pit stop the car was pushing and the tires had gone off. Scott did a great job today but there are things we need to work on before the next race at Homestead. I’m prepared to do everything I can to help this team get the results and prove we are going to win races. â€
| 
|