Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing Basking In The Glory Of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Win

Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing

One of the top of the pyramid motorsports events in the world that has been enthralling the adventure sports enthusiasts for a decade now Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series is undoubtedly the number one racing event in the world especially in terms of competition, technology and popularity. Organized by the Grand-Am Racing Association and started in 1999 the hugely successful car racing tournament has the honor of having the name of number one watch maker of luxury watches in the world Rolex as part of its very title. Rolex which thrives on its philosophy of promoting brilliance through the countless platforms it offers as a result of the sponsorships it ensures for various events adds incomparable value to those events. The coming together of the house of Rolex and the king of motorsports Grand-Am Racing Association was the major step in the overall promotion of the spirit of human endurance and dreaming big, aspiring to realize those very dreams and finally realizing them.

That winning the Rolex promoted event was the most cherished dream for many has been a fact known to all and with this year’s Grand-Am Rolex winner how important such a win is has been reinforced quite forcefully. The 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series was the battleground for the best cars, driven by the best drivers and supported by best car crews. Starting off at the start of the year itself and culminating earlier this month, the entire season was the perfect embodiment of the high competition, tireless efforts and unexpected results. Every race driver and team was trying and hoping to be crowned the overall championship winner but the crown eventually deservingly went to the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team. The team was one of the most competitive and consistent throughout the 2009 season but still had to wait till the last race and had to fight it out till the last laps of the last race to emerge as the winner.

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series win was Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team’s second after 2007 and winning the team as well as driver championship was even sweeter for the team considering it won it after great performance at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, a place where the team has struggled in the past to come out with good performances. The duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won in the Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype driving it to outrace others handsomely. The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing has been celebrating the win by displaying the exact replica of the car across various venues. After having already visited quite a few places the show car shall be making the next stop at the 42nd annual Mountain Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, Georgia.

Gainsco Auto Insurance had started its award-winning show car program in the year 2007 and continues for more than 200 days every year. This year the enthusiasm among the team and its fans has risen higher considering Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing has won the prestigious 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series championship and is going to bask in the glory of the win for a long time to come.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 26th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Jon Fogarty And Alex Gurney Win Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney 2007

Saturday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season-ending Grand Prix of Miami ended in a delightful win by Joao Barbosa and Hurley Haywood while Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney drove home the winning title. They only needed a top-four finish to ensure their title win and that is exactly what they got when they indeed finished fourth to capture their second Daytona Prototype championship since 2007. Though the team had scored a series-high four victories this season, they had never finished better than a sixth in three previous outings at the 2.3-mile, 11-turn Homestead-Miami Speedway road course layout and so grabbing the winning title definitely proved to be all the more rewarding.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty really had to fight harder this year to regain their past glory of having won seven races during their 2007 championship run. The second Daytona Prototype championship for Fogarty and Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley was pretty challenging because of the heat. They still managed to finish six points ahead (337-331) of Pruett and Memo Rojas, who finished second in the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley. Brian Frisselle and Max Angelelli, who had proved to be tough competitors, entered the race second in the standings but finished seventh in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara. However, they still finished the year third in the championship with 325 points.

The brilliance that the racers displayed was exactly what Rolex stands for and promotes. Since its association with several sporting events Rolex has been recognizing and providing a platform for the world’s sporting talent. With its aim of promoting human brilliance Rolex associates with events that really bring out the best in an individual. The world-class events that it sponsors not only bring forth world talent but also help polish them and give them the required finesse to emerge as winners in their respective categories. Jon Fogarty won his fifth consecutive pole and went on to win six of the seven races in Friday’s qualifier. He managed to lead twice for 45 of the 100 laps. Alex Gurney took over and ran in position to take the title throughout his run.

No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley

Mark Patterson and Ozz Negri teamed to finish third in the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley. It was their first podium and eighth top-10 finish of the season. The finish unofficially gave Mark Patterson the honor of becoming the first two-time recipient of the Jim Trueman Award as the top gentleman driver in the division. Following a multi-car spin on a restart with six minutes remaining when Jared Beyer was turned around in front of a pack of cars that eliminated him while damaging many of the GT contenders, the race ended cautiously. That gave the Acxiom GT victory to Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards in the No. 07 Team Drinkin’ Mate Pontiac GXP.R, while Leh Keen and Dirk Werner captured the championship with a third-place finish.

Saturday marked an exciting close to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series that not only promised to be eventful but also showcased racing talent from all over the world.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 12th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

GAINSCO/Bob Stalling Racing Looking For Grand-Am Rolex Championship

GAINSCO/Bob Stalling Racing

As racing teams and drivers gather at the Homestead-Miami Speedway for the last race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series points’ leader Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team would be hoping to make it their second title in three years. Rolex which has been at the forefront of sponsoring various events that attract people with a passion to try the unthinkable and achieve impossible looking dreams is an integral part of the world of motorsports and is the title sponsor of the famous Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series witnessed from the very start of the year a healthy competition among the race drivers and their teams to win races, points and eventually the championship. The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team started off well, lost way in between and finally made remarkable comeback towards the end of the championship season to be the points’ leader entering the last race of the championship.

The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team consists of the dynamic duo of race drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty who will not only be trying to win the Rolex championship but would also be achieving a landmark of their own as Homestead-Miami Speedway would be their 50th race as teammates. If they can continue with their rediscovered form in the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season then they will be able to grab their second Rolex Daytona Prototype title in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series within three years.

The last race of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series would be the 12th race of the season and would be taking place at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in the state of Miami this weekend. The Homestead-Miami Speedway is a 2.3 mile long race course and consists of 11 turns to make it an interesting track to race on. The much awaited final race is to be held on Saturday, the 10th of October, 2009 and would be watched all around the world by the fans of motorsports with everyone hoping that it would be his or her team which will win the race and also the championship.

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

The Homestead-Miami Speedway would form an ideal place for the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team, Alex Gurney and Bob Stalling, the team owner, to get their hands on another Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship. Bob Stalling and Alex Gurney in fact share a long lasting relationship which precedes even the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team. The team was formed not very long ago with 2005 be its debut season in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with the duo of Bob Stalling and Alex Gurney driving down the race course at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May, 2005. Later on Jon Fogarty became a part of team with he along with Alex Gurney going on to win the Rolex Daytona Prototype championship in 2007. The duo has looked pretty strong throughout but whether they’ll be able to win another Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship would only become clear at the end of the present weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 8th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Championship, Can No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Do It?

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Championship

Rolex has been involved with promoting human brilliance through its many endeavors by promoting multiple events spread across different domains and held all over the world. Every event that Rolex is involved in promoting as a sponsor has become an icon in its own way. Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is one of those events and is the most loved championship in the world of motorsports. Held throughout the year in different courses which are spread across the length and breadth of USA, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series attracts some of the best race drivers in the world. Daytona Prototype championship is an essential part of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and is the favorite hunting ground of some of the most hardworking teams in the world of motorsports. Beginning in the month of February the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series would be making its last stop in the state of Florida next weekend. With just one race left the current leader No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team would be entering the last race as the most likely winner of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. But speculations are ripe as to whether the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team can actually end the year as the winner of 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series’ Daytona Prototype championship. The reason for that is their not so supportive history at the racing venue for the last race of the season.

As the race drivers and their teams gather for the last race of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the famous Homestead-Miami Speedway racing fans are hoping for a great racing weekend starting on 10th October, 2009. For the fans of the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team though the hopes and expectations are very high but skepticism is high too. The reason for that is not so favorable results in past at the racing venue in Florida for the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team.

No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing

The No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team consists of Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney with both the race drivers having a long association with the team. The driver duo has already enjoyed various successes together and has already won the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series once. In the year 2007 the duo riding for the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team could only manage to finish 11th at the Homestead-Miami Speedway but because of their impressive performances throughout the year still managed to lift the trophy. Last year in 2008 they did manage to improve on their 2007 performance to finish sixth but could not win the championship. This year they have won few races so far and have been quite impressive in others too but they’ll be entering the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a lead of only eight points. Going by their track record at the speedway and the preparation of other teams the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team would really have to come up with their best efforts over the weekend to score a very high rank at the checkered flag in order to ensure they can get their hands on the Daytona Prototype Championship trophy.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 4th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Jon Fogarty Makes Grand-Am Rolex History At Miller Motorsports Park

Jon Fogarty

The race weekend at Miller Motorsports Park turned out to be one of the most memorable ones for the experienced driver Jon Fogarty. He has been at the forefront of records when it comes to racing down the racing tracks during qualifying. He has done it in past and he did it again at Tooele Valley with the main difference being the fact that his pole at the Miller Motorsports Park was his 13th which took him straight into the record books of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Jon Fogarty was driving the No.99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley when he raced to become the driver with all-time maximum Daytona Prototype pole position wins coinciding with his 13th pole win at the Miller Motorsports Park. And that was not all. The Utah 250 also witnessed a series-high fifth pole by a single driver in the same season of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

As the things unfolded at the Miller Motorsports Park it became quite apparent that the day and perhaps even the whole weekend belonged to the Jon Fogarty and his team No.99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley. The race track at Miller Motorsports Park is one of the most challenging racing tracks in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and to perform well there is every driver’s dream and to grab a pole there is really amazing. But when it comes to winning the pole no one can match what Jon Fogarty can do and he quite clearly demonstrated at that the last weekend’s race.

Driving down the 4.486 mile long road course at the Miller Motorsports Park Jon Fogarty was able to come out on top in each of the three laps in the qualifying session which lasted only 15 minutes. With fastest time on each of those laps his final time that officially got him the pole was 2:35.737 and his average speed for the lap was an impressive 103.697 mph. This being his 5th pole of the season now whether he gets another pole at the last race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009 would not make any difference to the extent that he’ll in any case end the season as the Daytona Prototype pole-leader.

Grand-Am Rolex

The other four poles which Jon Fogarty won this year were more or less confined to the second half of the season. His first pole of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009 came in June at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He added to his tally of Daytona Prototype poles with three more poles; one each at Barber Motorsports Park, Watkins Glen International and then at Montreal.

Jon Fogarty had made his Rolex Series debut in the year 2005 and in the Rolex 24 he ended with at 13th pace in the GT class. After a great 2006 season he teamed with Alex Gurney and won seven races and was named in the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association’s All-American First Team. In last season of 2008 Jon Fogarty had managed to finish second and was voted into the prestigious 35th Anniversary Atlantic Championship All-Star Team.

With such achievements Jon Fogarty is sure to increase his number of pole wins as well race wins in the time to come.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 22nd, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Gainsco Team Wins Penultimate Grand-Am Rolex Race

Gainsco TeamA race weekend which had shown a lot of promise with high level of competition anticipated turned out to be a great race for the Gainsco team. Miller Motorsports Park played a perfect host to the penultimate race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009. The entire season has been a rollercoaster ride for the teams trying their best to come out at top with many tasting success but none in a situation where they could take any chances with even a single race. The way the teams raced at the weekend clearly demonstrated the hard work everyone has been undergoing but there could have been only one winner and that honor went to the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Pontiac team.

Driven by the duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty the Gainsco team managed to come out at top for the fourth time in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009. With this win they now have a very real chance for a shot at the championship at the last race to be held in the month of October. For Alex Gurney the coveted win in the Daytona Prototype Class at the Utah 250 was sweeter considering his wife had given birth to their second child only 72 hours ago.

The race was held at the prestigious and difficult Miller Motorsports Park and from the beginning was going to be a challenge for every team and every driver. But those who had come prepared for the rigors of the track had a field day. The duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty did remarkably well to lead the race for most of the time. In a race spread over 56 laps the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Pontiac was leading the cars in 42 of those.

Miller Motorsports ParkThe Miller Motorsports Park is a difficult and very tiresome track with 4.5 mile long laps that are made more difficult with good 24 turns which test the drivers and their cars thoroughly. The race on the weekend was completed in two hours and 45 minutes with the hard fought competition being well represented by the fact that the top five teams were separated by mere 1.309 seconds and the difference in time taken by the top team and the team coming 10th was only 3.029 seconds.

Alex Gurney led his team to a great victory with a good 1.264 second lead over the team that came second, the Ford Dallara. The duo of Max Angelelli and Brian Friselle in the Ford Dallara team gave a real competition to the Gaisnco team but could not overtake them in the end when it would have really mattered. Lexus Riley was the third team to cross the checkered flag at the Miller Motorsports Park to complete the line up for the podium. The team had driver duo of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas to keep them among the top teams.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty now have a total of 309 points in Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Prototype team and driver championships. The last race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in October is going to be the final test of whether the Gainsco team can lift the championship or not.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 21st, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Leading Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is going to enter the penultimate race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the Miller Motorsports Park with a lot of confidence, in fact in a far better position than the rest of the competitors. For the second time in the last three years Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is entering the racing weekend at the Miller Motorsports Park as Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype Championship leaders.

After a very successful year the No 99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley and drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty topped the points table after a great race at the Montreal 200. At the Montreal 200 the team did remarkably well to come at the third place which pulled them to the top of point table for the Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Team as well the Driver standing. Entering this weekend the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing now has good 274 points and is comfortably ahead of the rest of the teams. The nearest rival is the team of Max Angelelli and Brian Frosselle who did really well at the Montreal 200. There are two teams tied at the second place and are a good five points behind the leaders and have a lot of catching up to do. One of the teams, No 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara would be going all out to come up with maximum points possible to get a shot at the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship.

No 01 Telemex/Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley is the second placed team in the points table. The team is also good with drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas looking quite dangerous with their good preparation and great results throughout the year. With the kind of competition that exsists it is not going to be easy for any one.

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing driver Alex Gurney has been with the team since its very inception. He has the honor of being the only driver who has been driving for Gainsco at every race of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series ever since the team entered the championship in the year 2005. He along with the other driver Joe Fogarty has an amazing season the year before last. They drove like champions throughout the 2007 season to emerge champions in the end. They ended up grabbing the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Team Championship as well Drivers Championship.

Miller Motorsports Park

Even 2008 was a good year at Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for the team. Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing was runners-up at the end of the season and was able to demonstrate that it’s a great team to watch out for. They were able to score good six top-three finishes which was more than any other team. They won in all kinds of weathers to prove that the team had more strengths than any other team. In fact in the year that they were not the champions they surely raced like champions.

With such great legacy and immense talent in the team drivers it is not surprising that in the penultimate race Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is expected to outrace others at the Miller Motorsports Park.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 18th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Edging Past The Wind: Alex Gurney Wins The Porsche 250

Alex GurneyThey say that ambition and desire can only be curtailed for a limited period of time. If the will that consumes the soul, is stronger than the most daunting of challenges than nothing in this world can impede its rise. As the world leader of creating the finest watches, Rolex has taken on the role of an inspiration that propels the hearts towards a greater achievement and vaults the spirit to attain bigger victories. The most prestigious racing event in the United States, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is regarded as the prime platform for heralding a new dawn of sporting in America. Proudly sponsoring the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series as its principal partner, Rolex gave a new lease of life to the faltering championship and transformed it into one of the most respected and prestigious sporting challenges in the world. The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series comprises 12 races that are held over two seasons and the points of the various teams that are competing in this event are tallied to determine the overall winner of this racing challenge.
Porsche 250The 2009 edition of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series has probably been the most riveting of all challenges in the history of the game. With numerous photo finish victories, the level of competition and skill at this eminent racing event has reached different sphere. The ninth race of this enthralling series known as the Porsche 250 was held on from the 17th to the 19th of July at the Baber Motorsports Park in Birmingham in the state of Alabama. According to the last ranking report based on the points earned in the prior challenges the Telemex/Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley was leading the pack with a total of 199 points ahead of SunTrust and Gainsco racing teams. Hoping to gain the lead in the overall standings the close level of competition between the racing teams is getting hotter by the minute. Scorching the racing circuit the racers push their cars to their limit as the hurtle down the speedway to the final lap.

The Porsche 250 that ended with the setting of the sun over the dimly lit horizon and finally had its winner after a tough competition. Edging past the other racers to clinch the first position Alex Gurney and team mate Jon Fogarty put up an excellent level of driving skill. The talented driver Alex Gurney has had to face disappointment in the past few races and lost the first position by a mere fraction of a second. However this time around Alex Gurney on his Pontiac Riley blazed past the team of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in their Lexus Riley and claimed the top spot. The third position was secured by the team of John Pew and Michael Valiante driving their Ford Riley.

Gurney’s Pontiac RileyBringing together resilience and ambition the prestigious Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series has grown in popularity and is celebrated all over for its tremendous competitive standards and excellent performances. Rolex is more than delighted to be a part of an illustrious event like the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series that brings to the purview the stupendous capacity of will and the ability to etch a new chapter in history every single time.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on July 20th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Max Angelelli’s Photofinish: Ride to Victory

Brumos Porsche 250As the smell of burning rubber fills the air and the bellowing smoke finally settles, the spectators focus their eyes on a raging machine that tears through the tracks at such a ferocious speed that many including the other competitors just get a glimpse of a streak of the SunTrust car.

The prestigious Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is now regarded as one of the toughest and most prestigious racing tournaments in America. Rolex the premium manufacturer of timeless luxury watches has always sought out to support world class events that promote human ambition and the endeavor towards perfection. Abiding by this principal Rolex sponsors numerous sporting events like the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. Coming to the support of the American motors sports industry when its fortunes were unfavorable enough to indicate a complete closure, the illustrious Rolex brand lent out its steadfast support and resurrected the sport of motor racing. Now partnering the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for almost a decade now, Rolex has aided the development of the sport and further the ambition of the racers. The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series consists of a total of 12 races that are held over two seasons. The second season that began on the 4th of July with Brumos Porsche 250 saw an incredible level of skill and competition. All the racers battled it out on the racing circuit in order to win over the title and add a few more points to their overall score. The tally generated in each race is totaled up to determine the ultimate racing champion of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The racing tournament on Sunday was won by Max Angelelli in the fifth closest win in the history of this series. Winning the race by .270 of a second, Max Angelelli stood off the prolific racer Alex Gurney who lost out for the second consecutive time in the Brumos Porsche 250.

Max AngelelliClaiming his 13th win a the Daytona Prototype racing Max Angelelli led 33 out of the total 70 laps and finally gave his team a victory after the win at the Infineon Raceway in August last year. Driving the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara along with team mate Brian Frisselle who clinched his third win after joining SunTrust team owned by Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli drove his car through the checkered flag. Gainsco Racing’s driver Alex Gurney fought a hard competition and put forward every ounce of determination to close the gap between him and Max Angelelli. Losing out on the first turn of the 67th lap Alex Gurney eventually gave Max Angelelli all the space he needed to claim the top spot. A fraction of a second later Alex Gurney crossed the finish line to give team Gainsco its third continuous top two finishes this summer. As of now the team standings are led by Telemex/Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley with a total of 199 points. They are closely followed by the SunTrust team with 198 points and third place holders, team Gainsco with a total of 196 points.

The seventh race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series sponsored by Rolex turned out to be a thrilling spectacle, with teams close at each other heels the next races that follow are bound to be even more riveting. Trying to retain the top spot and simultaneously defending their titles, the racers are battling it out on the racing circuits to claim the honor of the top racer of 2009.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on July 6th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series: Awaiting the Blazing 2nd Season

Daytona InternationalA passion that rises from mastering the drivability of the incredibly fast vehicles moves the entire sea of spectators to the rhythm of speed and focus. Rolex the celebrated Swiss brand of luxury watches has been partnering world class sporting events like motor sport racing around the world. Associating with the American organization to revive the motor sport racing in the United States, Rolex collaborated to form the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Over the year the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series has grown exponentially both in size and scope, resurrecting the faltering motor sport racing industry. Now regarded as one of the most prestigious racing events in America, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series draws incredible talent from around the world. This prestigious racing series is divided into two parts and features a total of 12 races. Performance in all of these races adds to the total tally and influences the standings of the race car driver as well as the various teams. The rise in the number of spectators along with the increased media coverage was possible only due to the unhindered support of Rolex as the principal partner. The 2009 edition of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 saw a spectacular display of talent and racing skills at the racing circuit.

Rolex 24 at DaytonaThe second half of the season will begin on Saturday at the Daytona International Speedway as throngs of people start to congregate at the circuit. Even though Chip Ganassi Racing team had a slow start in the first half of the season, the champion drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas drove the Daytona Prototypes to lead the rankings with an 11 point lead over the others. Taking the lead by winning their first race at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen that was held at the Watkins Glen International in the beginning of July, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas proved their ability by out rightly winning the EMCO Gears Classic that was held two weeks later at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Highly competitive rivals Scott Pruett and Alex Gurney had one of the closest races last season at the Brumos Porsche 250 and ended in a spectacular photo finish.

In this extremely competitive season apart from the drenched race at the Verizon Wireless 250, five of the six races finished before 10 seconds. An incredible four out of the total six Daytona Prototype finishes have been under a second. Even the grueling Rolex 24 races saw this level of competition with a record four cars finishing the final lap. Memo Rojas with 2 wins and Scott Pruett with one account for half of the total wins in the first half of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The high level of competition and skill at the racing event has led to increased display of incredible talent and has led to many alterations in the statistical log of the races. In the constructors category Porsche is leading the pack with a total of 60 wins, 76 poles and 248 podiums.

Scott Pruett and Memo RojasWith such incredible numbers hitting the circuit every time this edition of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series promises to be a riveting event. As the second half of the prestigious season hits the tracks this Saturday, spectators are already anticipating some brilliant maneuvers and exceptional drivability that is bound to once again change the history of motor racing.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on July 3rd, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | Comments Off