September 19, 2006
LEXUS CELEBRATES 2006 ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP
A first-ever Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype Manufacturer’s Championship and a series-high seven victories highlighted Lexus’ finest season ever on the race track in 2006.
When Oswaldo Negri took the final checkered flag at Salt Lake City, it marked the third different Lexus-powered car to triumph in 2006, while four different Lexus teams finished at least one race on the podium and five led at least one race.
“The Rolex Series has become so competitive that this championship is a great testimonial to everyone involved with the Lexus race engine, as well as all of the teams that helped us earn the title,” said Bob Carter, Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager. “At any given race, five different manufacturers showed the ability to run upfront and when you beat the likes of Porsche and BMW on the race track, it’s a tremendous accomplishment.”
In earning the 2006 Manufacturer’s Championship, Lexus proved it was capable of winning on all types of race tracks and in sprint races, as well as endurance events. Not only did Lexus win the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona to open the season, but the manufacturer also won the shortest Daytona Prototype event ever run in a sprint race run through the streets of downtown Long Beach as a part of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
“The ability to win in any environment typifies what Lexus is all about,” said Carter. “It’s the power and performance to win the sprint races, plus the quality and reliability to win the toughest endurance races.”
While Negri combined with Mark Patterson for the championship-clinching victory, it was Ganassi Racing that dominated the series with six victories on the way to winning the Rolex Series Team Championship with the #01 CompUSA Lexus driven by Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz. The duo won five races and led 514 laps – a whopping 33 percent more than any other team in the field. In addition to the efforts of the #01 car, Ganassi Racing also found their way to Victory Circle with the #02 entry driven by Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Casey Mears at the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The ever-improving Michael Shank Racing team had another strong effort in 2006. Along with the Negri/Patterson victory in Salt Lake, the team earned eight top-five finishes, including two seconds and a third. For their efforts, they earned an eighth in the Team Championship, while Patterson was awarded the series’ Jim Trueman Award as the top sportsman driver.
In addition to the seven victories, Lexus-powered cars led a series-high 978 laps this season and started from the pole position five times, despite just three cars running with Lexus power-plants for the full season.
Lexus Daytona Prototype Performance Index
Race, Started/Finished #01 #02 #6 #39 #51 #60 #61
Daytona 24 9/20 2/1 12/27 13/11 12/17 5/2 --
Mexico 1/1 -- 13/3 -- -- -- --
Miami 4/3 -- 13/18 -- -- 15/22 --
Long Beach 1/1 -- 17/9 -- -- 15/5 --
Virginia – Qual. 1/22 -- 13/10 -- -- 9/6 --
Virginia 3/25 -- 10/23 -- -- 6/13 --
Laguna – Qual. 7/6 -- 8/10 -- -- 2/2 --
Laguna 6/10 -- 10/13 -- -- 2/11 --
Phoenix – Qual. 2/2 -- 12/5 -- -- 6/17 --
Phoenix 2/1 -- 5/23 -- -- 17/16 --
Watkins Glen 6-Hour 1/7 -- 16/14 -- -- 8/4 --
Mid-Ohio 26/21 -- 11/7 -- -- 14/9 --
Daytona 1/3 -- 14/6 -- -- 8/10 27/21
Barber 7/10 -- 20/7 -- -- 18/9 --
Watkins Glen 4/1 -- 19/10 -- -- 16/4 --
Infineon 3/1 -- 15/11 -- -- 19/13
Salt Lake City 1/4 -- 14/5 -- -- 4/1 --
2006 Lexus Daytona Prototype Laps Led (978 of 2217 possible)
#01 - 514
#02 - 272
#60 - 84
#39 - 74
#6 - 34
2006 Lexus Pole Positions (5) – Scott Pruett, Mexico; Luis Diaz, Long Beach; Pruett/Diaz, Watkins Glen; Pruett/Diaz, Daytona; Scott Pruett, Salt Lake City
2006 Lexus Wins (7) – Dixon/Wheldon/Mears, Daytona; Pruett/Diaz, Mexico;
Diaz/Pruett, Long Beach; Diaz/Pruett, Phoenix; Diaz/Pruett, Watkins Glen (Aug.); Diaz/Pruett, Sonoma; Negri/Patterson, Salt Lake City
September 02, 2006
NEGRI/PATTERSON GIVE LEXUS MANUFACTURER’S TITLE WITH 9 HOURS WIN; LEXUS POWERS GANASSI RACING TO TEAM TITLE
Oswaldo Negri took the lead on Lap 172 and then battled nose-to-tail with Mike McDowell over the remainder of the race before pulling away in the final minutes to win the Discount Tire Sunchaser 9 Hours and give Lexus its first Rolex Sports Car Series Manufacturer’s Championship.
Negri and teammate Mark Patterson ran in the top-five throughout much of the race in their #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley and were involved in a thrilling four-car battle over the final three hours in the series debut at the Miller Motorsports Park.
“I’m so happy to win this one for Mike Shank, Mark Patterson, Lexus and myself,” said Negri, who campaigned most of the final three hours. “It was just Mark and I (most cars ran three drivers) and right now I’m exhausted, but I wouldn’t trade a minute of it. The team gave us a good car tonight, especially about midway through a stint and we had the power to get it done.”
After a pair of seconds earlier this season, the win is the first for Negri, Patterson and the Michael Shank Racing team, which has campaigned Lexus power since entering the series in 2004, and gave the team a sixth-place overall finish for the season. The victory was the third straight for Lexus and its seventh of the season.
In addition to the race victory and the Manufacturer’s Championship, with their fourth-place finish tonight, the Ganassi Racing #01 CompUSA Lexus won the Daytona Prototype Team Championship after winning a series-high five races this season. Drivers Scott Pruett, Luis Diaz and Scott Dixon combined to lead 52 laps tonight and were in front before giving up the lead in the pits on their final stop on Lap 167. The fourth-place finish was their ninth top-five performance in 14 races this season. The championship marks Ganassi Racing’s second team title in the last three seasons.
To round out a glorious night, the Michael Shank Racing #6 Playboy Racing Lexus-Riley driven by Mike Borkowski, Burt Frisselle and Brian Frisselle made it three Lexus-powered cars in the top five with a strong fifth-place finish. It marked the squad’s eighth top-10 showing of the 2006 campaign.
Lexus has now won 15 races in 40 Rolex Series events since entering the series in 2004.
Lexus results – Start/Finish
#60 Mark Patterson/Oswaldo Negri 4/1
#01 Luis Diaz/Scott Pruett 1/4
#6 Mike Borkowski/Burt Frisselle 14/5
Notes:
- This year’s Daytona Prototype Manufacturer’s Championship is the first for Lexus since the luxury automaker entered road racing in 1999.
- Today’s victory set Lexus’ single-season high for wins with seven after winning five in 2004.
- Michael Shank Racing becomes the third different Lexus-powered team to win in Rolex Sports Car Series competition, joining Ganassi Racing and Doran Racing.
- With the victory, Mark Patterson earned the Rolex Sports Car Series Jim Trueman Award.
- Four Lexus-powered drivers finished in the series overall top-10. Scott Pruett and Luis Diaz tied for second, while Mark Patterson was seventh and Oswaldo Negri ninth.
- In leading 85 of tonight’s 193 laps, Lexus finishes the season with a series-high 978 laps this season.
Quotes:
Mark Patterson, #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley: “Many thanks to Lexus, Flight Options and to Mike Shank, he runs an absolutely fabulous team. It’s amazing to be on the podium and surrounded by so much driving talent. The realization that we won this race hasn’t even begun to sink in. Oz did an amazing job today and all season, and all credit goes to him and Mike Shank. We started the season off on the podium (a second at the Rolex 24), and its great to go one better to finish the season.”
Oswaldo Negri, #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley: “We wanted to get Mike (Shank) his first win, to help Lexus win the championship, and to make sure Mark won the Trueman Award, and we did all three tonight so it’s absolutely fantastic. Mark did a great job to keep us in contention up front during his stints, and we had a great last pit stop. Mike Shank has put together an unbelievable team and the support we get from Lexus is fantastic. I just want to thank my wife and kids and everyone who has had to put up with all the sacrifices we have to make to do this, but winning a race like this makes everything worth it. I’m just so happy I can’t believe it.”
Michael Shank, MSR team owner: “This is absolutely the best possible way for us to finish the season. Oz did a phenomenal job in that last stint, and we had some great pit stops to help him get up front. The Playboy car also had a great run and I just can’t say how proud I am of all my guys, and how fortunate I feel to be racing in this series. It’s so competitive and you have to have everything possible go right for you to even hope for a podium, and obviously to get a win, every aspect of what you do has to be flawless, and that’s what we did tonight.”
September 01, 2006
PRUETT PUTS LEXUS ON SALT LAKE POLE; NEGRI TO START FOURTH
Amidst a tight points battle, Scott Pruett landed the first shot by qualifying his #01 CompUSA Lexus-Riley on the pole for Saturday’s Discount Tire Sunchaser 9-Hours at the Miller Motorsports Park, just outside of Salt Lake City.
The pole is the fifth of the season for Lexus and the manufacturer’s 19th in 40 Rolex Sports Car Series events since entering the series in 2004. The qualifying effort also extends Pruett’s Daytona Prototype pole record to eight.
“We took care of the first part of the weekend, now we need to go out and have a strong race,” said Pruett, the 2004 Daytona Prototype champion. “We think we have a good shot at the Team Championship and the Manufacturer’s Championship for Lexus, but nine hours is a long race. You have to be smart and not take chances in traffic. You can’t get up in somebody else’s mess.”
Despite leading the series in wins and laps led, Pruett and Luis Diaz enter Saturday’s contest second in the Driver’s Championship race, 19 points out of the series lead. IndyCar champion Scott Dixon will join the team for the endurance event.
Oswaldo Negri made it two Lexus-powered cars in the top-five today with an impressive fourth-place performance in the Michael Shank Racing #60 Flight Options Lexus-Riley. The fourth marks the team’s best start since Negri qualified the car second at Laguna Seca in May. The Miami resident will co-drive with Mark Patterson tomorrow. The duo enters the event eighth in team points, while Patterson leads in the running for the series’ Jim Trueman Award.
Burt Frisselle rounded out the Lexus-powered contingent with a 14th in the #6 Playboy Racing/Mears Lexus-Riley as the team car to Negri and Patterson. Frisselle will co-drive with his brother, Brian, and Mike Borkowski.
Saturday’s Discount Tire Sunchaser 9-Hour will be televised live by SPEED in two parts with a total of six hours of coverage beginning at 2 p.m. for three hours and then rejoined for the final three hours beginning at 8:30 p.m. (all times EDT).
#01 Luis Diaz/Scott Pruett, CompUSA Lexus-Riley 1st
#6 Brian Frisselle/Mike Borkowski, Playboy/Mears Lexus-Riley 4th
#60 Mark Patterson/Oswaldo Negri, Flight Options Lexus-Riley 14th