Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas renewed their winning streak at the championship this Saturday, after winning the Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car event at the Watkins Glen Classic. This victory was especially sweet, coming as it was after their first-lap crash at Lime Rock.

Until the accident at Lime Rock, the No. 01 TELEMEX BMW Riley team had recorded three consecutive victories in the championship. Scott Pruett led in the final 30 laps of the 191 lap race at Watkins Glen International, before flying past Max Angelelli to the checkered flag and defeating him by 1.623 seconds.

Scott Pruett, who scored his 27th career victory, said that he loved racing at the Watkins Glen event, where he had won four times before. Victory never felt this sweet for the champion driver, coming as it was after negotiating some very tough conditions that included a rain stricken start and a slew of caution starts.  Ecstatic after the victory, thedriver said that he was honored to be a part of history at the Watkins Glen event.

The victory put the team of Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett at the top of the championship, with a lead of 18 points over their nearest competition, Ryan Dalziel, who finished seventh in the No. 8 Corsa Car Care BMW Riley. The GANASSI team faced stiff competition from the No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley team driven by Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney and Jimmie Johnson. Together the two teams dominated the race, leading 179 laps of the total 190 laps, before Gurney spun on Turn 7, resulting in a sixth placed finish.

Later, Fogarty, who drove the initial 3 hours of the race, commented that the car was the best GAINSCO Auto Insurance Car ever.   Fogarty was followed by NASCAR champion, Jimmie Johnson, who trailed Rojas during his one hour stint behind the wheel.

The Grand-AM Rolex Sports Car race at Watkins Glen was slowed down by a slew of accidents, the most serious of which occurred at the very end of the race, when the No. 6 CAP & Associate Ford Riley of Michael Valiante erupted in flames on the race course. However, no one was hurt as Valiante expertly navigated the car to the entrance of the pit lane, before jumping to safety, seconds before the car burst into flames.

In the GT class, the team of Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly and Bob Doyle, scripted an unlikely win when they overtook all to win in the 29 field race.

The team of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are upbeat about their chances at the next race beginning June 19th at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio.

GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Daytona Prototype championship’s Porsche 250 held on Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park saw the team of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas register an impressive victory over their rivals. The event had taken place before a crowd of about 25,000 people. The No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley got its second victory in a row when Scott Pruett charged at the checkered flag about 6.870 seconds earlier than Ozz Negri.

Trevor Montgomery who was the regular tire changer of the team Ganassi had to sit out following a twisted knee just before the beginning of the race. This gave way to Blair Julian who generally changes tires for Ganassi’s IndyCar series team. Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas finished a total of 108 laps covering about 2.3 miles which incorporated 17 turn circuit in the time period of about 2 hours and 45 minutes. For the Ganassi team the race remained a smooth affair with no major incidents apart from the fact that the race saw a slow phase thrice during the first 12 laps of the race due to caution. Speaking about the race Scott Pruett considered the team mighty lucky for having gotten the opportunity of racing in the same weekend when the IndyCar Series was hitting the course. He gave the credit of bagging the chance to IRL team which helped them jump up in the event.He also remarked about the fun quotient involved in the race for the fans who come from far and wide to witness the event.

While Negri registered a second position victory driving in the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Crown Royal XR Ford Riley, Ryan Dalziel who was a part of the winning group in the Rolex 24 At Daytona had to settle for a third position together with Mike Forest driving in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport BMW Riley. The first six laps of the race were dominated by Mike Forest; however, he could not maintain his pace throughout the race.

Dion von Moltke and Memo Gidley registered a fourth position win in the race driving in the No. 77 Doran Racing McDonald’s Ford Dallara. The team was followed up by Darren Law and David Donohue who were racing in the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley.With this, SpeedSource completed its third victory in a row in the Rolex Series GT Class.

The actor turned racer Patrick Dempsey also maintained his presence at the racing event and justified his passion for racing with his stint in the No. 40 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8, leaving behind Joe Foster. Speaking about the event Patrick Dempsey recalled how his team got caught up with the arrival of the yellow Mazda which put the team behind by one lap. However, the fact that he was able to keep up with the time and other leaders in the race made him feel happy about the performance. Patrick Dempsey went on to make a remark about the huge crowd that Grand Am had been able to pull at the weekend.  The round four- the Bosch Engineering 250 of the Rolex Series will be held at the Virginia International Raceway, Danville on April 24.

Pepped-up driver lineup has been announced by most of the teams for the 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Car Sports Series’ season opener, the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Every team has experienced drivers but the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW is racing with champion drivers who have the maximum experience in racing. Max Papis is also joining Chip Ganassi Racing along with Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Justin Wilson who are considered to be the first in class racers. Chip Ganassi Racing has the strongest driver lineup for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. This driver lineup has the power to win any championship and they are hopeful of winning this race also as the best drivers are racing on the tracks of Daytona International Speedway which is taking place on the last weekend of the month of January. Rolex has taken an initiative to bring together the finest drivers from the world to come and participate in this series and racers always look forward to participate at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

American fans are really excited for the 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season. Since the Formula One and Champ Car Series Driver Maxi Papis is joining the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in Car No. 01 and the excitement of the fans is uncontrollable. Even Max Papis is also looking forward to race in the Rolex 24 At Daytona as it means a lot for his career also. In the year 1996 he made his debut in the Rolex 24 At Daytona where he finished 65 second behind Wayne Taylor and it was considered to be the closest finish of the event. He will be racing in the best car that is No. 01 car which can beat any other car in this event. He has the required experience which will be the chip on the shoulder of the team. The driver lineup for team is very good as each driver is very well experience and has the capacity to win any race. This race will be a reunion of Maxi Papis and Scott Pruett who have won championship together. The winning spirit is very high among all the players of the team and they are going to put their best foot forward to win this event also.

Maxi Papis has a long record of winning series as in the year 2000 he has won the SRP class and has finished fourth overall in a Riley & Scott Ford. In Ferrari 333SP he was positioned at number three and he has won many other races also. In the 2004 Daytona Prototype he had finished 10^th overall in Ganassi Racing’s Lexus Riley. In that race he was accompanied by Scott Pruett, Scott Dixon and Jimmy Morales. For the last two years he has been a part of GT class and has been positioned well. This year he will be the part of Daytona Prototype and is looking forward to win the race. Crowd of fans is waiting to see Maxi Papis race in the car No.01 and show then how a metallic beauty looks when it races at the unimaginable speed. The Rolex 24 At Daytona is must watch event as Chip Ganassi Racing has lineuped with a dream team which has the power to win this race.

Rolex has played a vital role in the development of talent and influencing the pursuit of excellence. Supporting a number of sporting events around the globe, Rolex has been the momentum behind the motor sports industry in America. At the turn of the century the motor sports racing championships were suffering in the United States and the lack of sponsors further accentuated the problem. Rolex changed the fortunes of the industry altogether with its unhindered sponsorship of the Grand-Am Rolex transform this game into a world class event that draws a number of talented drivers from across the globe. The Rolex Sports Car Series is one of the most prestigious and challenging race events and comprises twelve races held all over the United States. The points garnered by the teams and their respective drivers are totaled up to determine the champion at the end of the event that is held in October on the Homestead Miami Raceway.

The 2009 edition of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series was one of the most eventful racing championships ever held. With a number of photo-finish victories at the event this turned out to be the most competitive and eagerly fought for racing event ever. In some cases the teams were behind each other by a few milliseconds. The thousand strong spectators that had come to witness the event were gasping with delight and stunned to see the standard of competition at the event. The Gainsco team and SunTrust team along with others are in close contention for the title of the Rolex champion. Literally racing to the finish Max Angelelli and Brian Frisselle are fighting hard in an attempt to lay a claim to the title of the Rolex champion. Securing two victories this year in the total races that were held as a part of the Rolex Sports Car Series, the second of which came at the Montreal 200 they are hoping to close the lead. Currently eight points behind Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, who are representing the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley, Max Angelelli and Brian Friselle will be putting all they have got in order to win the finale as well as the Rolex Championships.

Champions from the last years Rolex races Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas will be defending the title in the close competition that will reach its crescendo on the 10^th of October at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Merely a week or so away the grand finale of the Rolex Sports car Series will be a spectacle to watch. The best teams, the most competent drivers and a huge fan base along with a sea of spectators will descend to the tracks of the Homestead-Miami Speedway on the 10^th of October to come together in a celebration of the eminent Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Championship Races.

Proudly supporting the race and celebrating the remarkable drivers who participate in this event Rolex is redefining the popularity of the Grand-Am Sports Car Series. In a few days time Rolex will crown the champion, till then fans along with the spectators have to wait anxiously for the eventual victor.

A 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.

The 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 10^th 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.

Rolex has earned a reputation that goes beyond being the best watchmaker in the world. It has spread its wings to move beyond the traditional role that everyone plays and is actively involved in bringing forth the human craving to push one to the limits by promoting different events that offer platforms for the same. Grand-Am road racing is one of the most crucial events on the Rolex calendar that is precisely what someone looking for thrills on a racing track behind the racing wheels would die for. The yearlong extravaganza is the crown jewel in Rolex’s crown and generates the kind of hype which is unparalleled for any sport and event in the world.

The skills and capabilities of racers may be checked on the race day but their survival and success on the race course is dependent on the time and efforts they have put into building up on their strengths and overcoming their weaknesses during the tests carried before the races. Every team and race driver is looking forward to the opportunities they can get to work on their skills and cars in real like racing conditions. And to get a chance to race on an actual circuit, nothing possibly can beat that. Everyone had been hoping to get a chance to drive on the prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway and everyone’s wish was granted last week.

Last Thursday witnessed the first sanctioned tests at the popular Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the enthusiasm among the teams and officials could be easily felt in the air. The schedule of the test had been broken into two separate but same duration time periods to be carried out in two different race tracks. First off all the cars were to race down the 2.534 mile long Formula One circuit with 13 turns, a rare opportunity for the Grand-Am teams and drivers. The time period for the same had been kept from 10 in the morning to noontime. There was to be a break of one hour after that. The next phase was to involve 2.621 mile long MotoGP configuration which has 16 turns. The time period for the same was 1 pm to 3 pm.

Such a system had everyone very excited about the upcoming test day and it really turned out to a great day for every team that participated. It was a great day for Rolex too as it’s the days like this that propel human ambitions to aim for the sky and prepare well to equip oneself with everything that would be required in materializing those aims.

There were as much as nine Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series teams all presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 which were out there on the bright Thursday. Among the people who tested their cars were Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in their impressive four wheels. Jon Fogarty and Bob Stalling, the point co-leader at the Daytona Prototype, and Wayne and Rickey Taylor were there on the racecourse that day. Also present in the Coyote were Ed Carpenter, Scott Ayer, Jonathan Klein and Ryan Lewis.

It was a great day for the Rolex sponsored Grand-Am as also for the racers, teams and their countless fans.

Persistence is often rewarded though it requires the utmost level of focus and dogged determination to achieve the extraordinary. Rolex the foremost name in the world of luxury watches has taken the onus of developing the ability of attaining perfecting. I tune with this philosophy, Rolex sponsors a number of sporting events around the globe that aim to develop the capacity for perfection. Aiding the will for pursuing greater ability and talent, Rolex perpetrates to be the driving force behind ambitious initiatives. The fuel behind the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Rolex is committed to recognizing brilliance and supporting its quest for attaining the highest levels of perfection. It has been over a decade that Rolex has been associated with the motor sports committee and the racing industry and in this period Rolex has encouraged a deep rooted principal of understanding the significance of true skill. The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series draws tremendously talented racers who have over the years not only broken several records but have also been the precursors of unusually brilliant set of techniques.

Stunned by the increasing levels of performance and the standard of competition, increasing numbers of people are finding their way to the racing circuit every time a race comes around. The increasing scope and range of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series attracts a large number of sponsors who come forward to sponsor the event. As a part of its campaign of constantly supporting motorsport racing in America, Rolex identifies and awards true sporting talents who have performed persistently over the entire year in the races that form a part of the Rolex Sports Car Series.

In the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series a total of nine races out of the entire twelve races have been completed. Each of the races saw a very close fight to the finish as the racers pushed on. Courtesy of Rolex the Grand-Am Rolex Series Driver Point Standings provide a clear picture of the total points each driver has earned as well as the leading driver in the standings. Packed with some of the closest photo finishes in history the 2009 series till now is being led by the duo Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas with a total of 199 points. Driving the Lexus Riley the team of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas is scorching ahead leading the Telemex/Chip Ganassi Racing team to the head of the pack. Born in California in 1960, Scott Pruett has been racing for most of his life and brings with him a tremendous quantity of experience to the team. While the other team member the Mexican born brilliant Memo Rojas, falls in the category of a prodigious racer. Together the duo has been able to push every standard and raise the level of competition in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Closely following the talented duo of the Telemex/Chip Ganassi Racing team is the SunTrust team with remarkable drivers Brian Frisselle and Max Angelelli with a total of 198 points. The 2009 Rolex standings clearly indicate the tremendous competition and the level of talent this year. As the series draws to a close people anxiously await the rise of their Rolex champion.

A 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.

The 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.

With 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.

Endeavoring to promote excellence and constantly striving to attain perfection, Rolex provides resolute support to over 150 world class sporting events around the world. The Rolex Sports Car Series is regarded as a premier racing event in the world of motorsports. This event attracts ferociously competitive racers that pack more than a mean engine under the hood. The stands are packed with a sea of enthusiasts that come to witness revving engines that leave a trail of smoke, as they blaze around the circuit trying to go faster and still maintain control. There are instances when these road warriors fall prey to the limitations of the machine and crash into a ball of fire that gets the spectators on to their feet, as fire tenders hurtle their way towards this burning inferno. Such is the allure of speed and control that men have forever craved for and in most cases been able to triumph over. The Rolex Sports Car Series is an endeavor by Rolex to assist the drivers break through the barriers of achievable speed and enable them to reach the highest level of control and precise functioning. It is this passion to drive faster that fuels the desire to compete and clinch the top spot.

A part of the Rolex Sports Car Series, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen is a highly competitive event that is held annually. Taken over by the Grand-Am Road Racing Championship in 2000 with Rolex as its tile sponsor the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen had nearly collapsed when the United States Road Racing Championship, a body that governed the event crumbled. After a revival of the format and continued sponsorship this racing event has been able to grow and re-establish itself as a sought after and popular racing event in America. During the 2009 edition of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Glen that was held on the 6th of June, defending champions of the Daytona Prototype version, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas cruised through to victory. Striving to get their first victory for the year the team of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas were running 14 points behind the top team in the standings. Before entering the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen, the team of Pruett and Rojas was extremely anxious as a single win can be the only requirement to clinching the top honor. In a memorable display of talent and aptitude both the members of the team gave other competitors at the Watkins Glen International speedway a lesson in racing to victory. Blazing ahead in their number 1 TELMEX Lexus Riley fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, the duo had stayed in the lead for 142 of the total 188 laps. Though this race will be followed by other races the 2009 Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen turned out be a complete nail biter as teams tried every maneuver and skill to dominate the race. The next race at the Miami speedway is all set to be a thrilling event, as the teams are separated by a few points and will push the levels of human capacity to gain ground and triumph.

Rolex has constantly partnered the event and as a part of its ambition of promoting excellence it will continue to spark the human spirit into action and achieving the extraordinary.