November 05, 2005
Lexus Places Two in Top Five In 2005 DP Finale In Mexico City
Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz finished third, while Ganassi Racing teammates Cort Wagner and Stefan Johansson placed fourth to give Lexus two of the top-five finishers in Saturday’s Rolex Sports Car Series season finale in Mexico City.
Pruett took the lead on the opening lap and went on to lead the first 39 circuits before turning over the car to Diaz. After being shuffled back with the pit stop, the Mexico City native brought his hometown crowd to their feet as he moved back into the lead on Lap 46. Diaz briefly gave up the top spot to Memo Gidley on Lap 55, but regained the lead four laps later.
Diaz held the point position until Lap 74 of the 90-lap event when he was forced to pit for fuel, giving up the lead and any chance for victory. The CompUSA Lexus-Riley returned to the track to earn the squad’s eighth podium finish and their fourth in the season’s final five races. The third-place showing cemented their runner-up finish in the 2005 point standings.
The #02 New Century Mortgage Lexus-Riley of Wagner and Johansson made it two Ganassi Racing Lexus-powered prototypes in the top-five with what may have been the drive of the day. After moving to the back of the starting grid following an engine change on Friday night, the pair gained 16 positions during the race to secure their sixth top-five showing of the year. With the result, the duo placed fifth in points for the year.
The third Lexus-powered entry didn’t fare nearly as well. The #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley driven by Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri retired early due to an oil line leak while running on the lead lap after a 12th-place start. The news wasn’t all bad for the #60 team this weekend, though, as Michael Shank Racing announced on Friday that both Patterson and Negri would return for a full season in the car in 2006 after a limited campaign this year.
“We are really excited about having Oswaldo and Mark join us full-time beginning next season,” said team owner Mike Shank. “Even though they only ran a handful of races this season, they were impressive every weekend and I know that we will be a competitive force right out of the gates next year.”
Patterson is already looking forward to the 2006 campaign.
“We really enjoy working with Lexus and the guys at TRD,” he said. “Their technical support is truly an asset to us every weekend, and both Mike and Oswaldo have great working relationships with them. Just like everyone on our team, they really want to win, and it shows in how much effort goes into this program.”
For the year, Lexus-powered Daytona Prototypes earned three victories and registered 19 top-finishes, as well as four pole positions.
Drivers Car Start/Finish
Pruett/Diaz CompUSA Lexus Riley 2/3
Johansson/Wagner New Century Mortgage Lexus Riley 20/4
Negri/Patterson Flight Options Lexus Riley 12/19
November 01, 2005
LEXUS LOOKS TO CLOSE OUT 2005 CAMPAIGN WITH A STRONG FINISH
The Lexus Daytona Prototype teams will attempt to close out the 2005 campaign on a winning note at this weekend’s Rolex Sports Car Series 250 in the series first-ever Mexico City event at the Autodromo Hermanos de Rodriguez.
Leading the way will be Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz in the #01 CompUSA Lexus-Riley. Currently in second-place, the pair has been particularly strong over the past four races. They won the penultimate round of the series at Virginia International Raceway, finished second at both Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio, and dominated at Phoenix, stretching out a 17-second lead, before being taken out of the event by another driver.
Although the incident at Phoenix virtually eliminated the Ganassi team’s chances for a second consecutive series title, the duo has had a fantastic second season in Grand-Am competition. For the year, Pruett and Diaz have combined for three wins, seven top-three finishes, 10 top-five showings and four pole positions in 13 races.
Teammates Stefan Johansson and Cort Wagner give Ganassi Racing two teams in the top five heading into Mexico City. They have registered 10 top-10 finishes including a second-place at Mont Tremblant in the #02 New Century Mortgage Lexus-Riley. Johansson is one of the few drivers in this weekend’s race to have previously competed in Mexico City and has registered a handful of starts on the track in Formula One competition.
The Michael Shank Racing (MSR) combination of Luis Diaz and Mark Patterson will make their fifth start of the year this weekend. The twosome have logged three top-10 finishes including a third at Watkins Glen, as well as a pole at Laguna Seca, in just four races this season in the #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley.
Lexus-powered Daytona Prototypes have won eight races and registered 15 pole positions in 25 Rolex Series events to date.
Qualifying is scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m. EDT. Saturday’s Rolex Sports Car Series 250 will get the green flag at 4:00 p.m. with SPEED providing live flag-to-flag coverage. The event is scheduled for 90 laps on the 2.786-mile road course with a time limit of two hours and 45-minutes.
Drivers Car Points Position (Wins)
Pruett/Diaz CompUSA Lexus Riley 2nd (California, Laguna, VIR)
Johansson/Wagner New Century Mortgage Lexus Riley 5th
Negri/Patterson Flight Options Lexus Riley 21st