Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series championship leaders Scott Pruett (Daytona Prototype) and Boris Said (GT) will take their considerable road racing skills back to the NASCAR NEXTELCup Series this weekend in the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Action gets underway today with practice and qualifying for Sunday's race.
Pruett and teammate Max Papis drove the No. 01 COMPUSA Chip Ganassi RacingLexus Riley to their second consecutive Rolex Series victory in the Sahlen'sSix Hours of The Glen last weekend. In the same race, Said ripped off animpressive fourth consecutive GT class victory, co-driving the No. 21Prototype Technology Group BMW M3 with Bill Auberlen. Papis and Pruettco-lead the Rolex Series Daytona Prototype driver standings with 151 pointswhile Said is alone at the top of the GT standings with 154 points.
Pruett will stick with the Ganassi team this weekend, driving the No. 39Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge while Said returns with MB2/MBV Motorsportsin the No. 36 Centrix Financial Chevrolet. Both drivers ran road courseraces with the same teams last year with a great deal of success. Said wonthe pole and finished sixth at Sonoma, while Pruett rebounded from adisappointing showing in that race to finish second in his Ganassi ride atWatkins Glen later in the season.
Pruett, Said and a full field of Daytona Prototype, GT and SGS classcompetitors will get back to the more familiar environment of the RolexSports Car Series for Round 6 of this year's championship, Thursday, July 1.The traditional Paul Revere 250 presented by Brumos Porsche begins at 11p.m. that evening and will conclude in the early Friday morning hours. Therace, a symbolic tribute to the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, can be seen onSPEED Channel, Sunday, July 4th at Noon ET.
DAYTONA PROTOTYPE FOR STEWARTWhile Tony Stewart is among the top NASCAR stars Scott Pruett and Boris Saidwill be trying to beat this weekend, the Dodge/SaveMart 350 will not betheir only chance to race against the 2002 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Champion in thenear future. Stewart will make his second of three Rolex Sports Car Seriesstarts in the Paul Revere 250, co-driving the No. 20 CITGO Howard-BossMotorsports Pontiac Crawford with sports car stalwart Andy Wallace. Thetwo, along with Dale Earnhardt Jr., drove for the same team this pastJanuary in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and just missed out on thevictory with suspension failure while leading 20 minutes from the finish.Wallace and Stewart will also share the No. 20 CITGO Howard-Boss MotorsportsDaytona Prototype in the upcoming Rolex Series theglen.com 200, August 13.
The CITGO Howard-Boss team will also field the familiar No. 2 PontiacCrawford in the Paul Revere with regular driver Milka Duno teaming with JanLammers.
ROLEX SERIES FOR RUDD?Ricky Rudd has long been considered one of the top road racers in the NASCARNextel Cup Series and in some of the pre-race publicity leading up to thisweekend's race in Sonoma, the veteran driver was asked if the Grand AmericanRolex Sports Car Series would be something to consider in the future.
"I think they've got a good thing going right now," Rudd said. "Yeah, it'san attractive series and they're growing that series. Like I say, I camefrom road racing and maybe one day I'll go back to it, but right now I'vegot 120 percent focus on trying to do my part and get this Motorcraft/AirForce Taurus up to speed. We haven't been as fast as we needed to be allyear, but I see some signs of progress in recent weeks. I'll worry aboutthat (another series) one day when I step out of the Cup cars, but if I dodecide to run some other series, it most likely would be some type of a roadrace series."
ROLEX DRIVERS TO VISIT BOGGY CREEKRolex Series drivers and team owners will head to Camp Boggy Creek, ThursdayJuly 1st prior to that evening's Paul Revere 250 presented by Brumos Porschefor an up close and personal look at the impressive facility that is part ofPaul Newman's international Hole in the Wall Camps. The camp, located on232 acres in Eustis, Fla., allows children whose lives have been a series ofmedical procedures and hospital stays to enjoy traditional camp activitiesas just a "kid." No child or family pays to attend the weeklong summersessions or the special family weekend programs. Camp Boggy Creek is solelysupported by contributions and donations from individuals, corporations andfoundations. Camp Boggy Creek is a designated recipient charity of GrandAmerican and the purpose of the visit is to introduce the facility and itsvarious programs to Rolex Series competitors. Drivers who are planning toattend include Max Papis, Hurley Haywood, Terry Borcheller, Didier Theys andmany more.
QUICK TAKESThe Grand-Am Cup Series The Glen 250 will be broadcast on SPEED Channel thisSunday, June 27 at 2 p.m.... Silverstone Racing, which fields the No. 39Pontiac Crawford driven by Larry Huang and Chris Hall, will now be known asThe Spark of Georgia Tech in further recognition of the team's relationshipwith the Georgia Institute of Technology... Rear Admiral Robert Byron Fuller(Ret.) will give the start your engines command for the Paul Revere 250presented by Brumos Porsche. Randall Rhoden, the Chief Operating Officer ofBrumos Motor Cars, Inc., will be the honorary starter for the Paul Revere,which begins immediately following NEXTEL Cup qualifying.
