Pruett, Rojas Win The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Third Time In A Row

GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series

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.

No. 01 TELEMEX BMW Riley

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.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on June 7th, 2010 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Ganassi Mazda Wins At The Rolex Grand Am Series

GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series

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.
Scott Pruett
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.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on April 13th, 2010 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Action Express Wins The Rolex 24 At Daytona 2010

Roles 24 At Daytona

In a surprise victory, the 48th Rolex 24 At Daytona has been bagged by the Action Express Team. On Sunday, the race saw weather conditions swing restlessly, resulting in some major lead changes in the results. The Action Express driver Joao Barbosa made the team victorious by leading over Scott Pruett by 52.303 seconds, making way to win the title of season opener of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16., leaving Scott Pruett for runner-up position.

Scott Pruett, a three-time Rolex 24 winner teamed up with Max Papis, Memo Rojas and Justin Wilson in Felix Sabates’ No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW Riley. A team which has tasted victory in three of the last five Rolex 24 At Daytona races has to content with a runner-up finish for the second consecutive year. While Scott Tucker together with Richard Westbrook, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Lucas Luhr, racing in No. 95 Crown Royal/NPN BMW Riley, made it to the third position lagging behind by four laps and Tracy Krohn and Ricardo Zonta teaming up with Colin Braun and Nic Jonsson followed by John Pew, Ozz Negri, Mark Wilkins and Burt Friselle made it to the fourth and fifth positions respectively.

The GT race was won by Sylvain Tremblay, Nick Ham, Jonathan Bomarito and David Haskell racing in Speed Source’s No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8. Joao Barbosa was seen praising the team for delivering outstanding performance even in not-so-favorable weather conditions. The day saw a wet beginning with the tracks completely soaked in water for two hours prior to the beginning. However, weather got better within few hours, but the conditions remained the same for several following hours giving way to a dry but chilly and windy Sunday. The Action Express drivers- Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Ryan Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller had their way, leading 316 circuits out of 755 making it a second consecutive victory of Joao Barbosa in Rolex Series Daytona Prototype. Joao Barbosa was seen praising his team Action Express for delivering amazing performance under difficult circumstances. This surprising victory has been possible because of the false alarm which confused the Ganassi team which worked as a breathing space for the Action Express.

TELMEX/Target BMW Riley

The Rolex 24 At Daytona 2010 remained eventful, featuring a record of about 53 lead changes among 29 drivers. The race also saw some cars being retired. While Montoya, who was leading the race at midnight, had to get his car retired when it began smoking due to engine failure, the defending Daytona Prototype Champion No. 99 Gainsco Chevrolet Rilay was retired when he was running at fifth including many other cars due to several complications. The No. 10 Sun Trust Dallara who started from the pole with Max Angelelli recovered from an incident and finally hit the sixth position. The new No. 7 Starworks BMW Riley faced the problem of cold tires. The winner of the inaugural Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge, Derek Johnston along with his alliances remained tenth in class.

Action Express Racing team was formed earlier during the offseason and it was the time when Brumos has announced its one car team. That it would end up wining the most difficult of endurance racing was totally unexpected but this is what Rolex sponsored events are known for, i.e. bringing the best out of everyone.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on February 2nd, 2010 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Max Papis Joins Ganassi Racing For The Rolex 24 At Daytona

Rolex

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.

Chip Ganassi Racing

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 10th 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.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on January 24th, 2010 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Teams Break Records At Roar Before The Rolex

No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports/Supercar Life Racing BMW Riley

The speeding cars have come to a halt with shrieking breaks and the champion racers have raced to their potential. The Roar Before the Rolex has seen the fastest laps during the three day test race which took place on January 8-10th. The speed with which the cars raced amazed the audience as they never thought that the race will be so thrilling as the weather conditions were not very good in the morning. The unprecedented temperatures did delay the race but when it started in the evening it was a race to watch. The speed really rocked the 3.65 miles Daytona track and speed became the talk of the town that evening and till the very end of the race. It seems all the teams are all ready for the main series that is the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16 season opener the Rolex 24 At Daytona which will take place on January 30-31st. At the Roar Before the Rolex 24 all official speed records were broken by both the Daytona Prototype and GT classes in the three-day test. Rolex is also a part of the race as it was the title sponsor. Rolex has always encouraged sports which brings out the spirit of sportsmanship and have always made an effort to be bringing together the best talent from all over the globe.

Rolex

The Daytona International Speedway track for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 saw the fastest laps of 1:40.466 created by Max Angelelli in the No.10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara from the Daytona Prototype. The No. 41 Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Mazda RX-8 took a lead in the GT competitor which was raced by Leh Keen who completed the lap in 1:49.214. Max Angelelli has broken the record of winner David Donohue at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2009, who had set the track record of 1:40.540. Leh Keen has broken the record of Sylvain Tremblay the GT mark last year by running 1:49.455 during his final lap. Max Angelelli has the desire to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona with his co driver Wayne Taylor, Emmanuel Collard and Ricky Taylor.

The team which raced the second fastest was the IZOD IndyCar Series star Scott Dixon in the No. 02 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley. It raced the lap at 1:40.588. At the third position was Michael Valiante with a lap of 1:41.182 who raced in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley. The Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ second racer Scott Pruett in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW Riley completed the lap in 1:40.986. The biggest surprise was Christophe Bouchut in the No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports/Supercar Life Racing BMW Riley who missed the fourth position by few minutes and completed the lap at 1:41.121. In the GT entries Martin Ragginger got the second position as he completed the lap at 1:49.627 in the No. 23 Alex Job Racing Foametix/Battery Tender Porsche GT3. Spencer Pumpelly was at the third position, in the No. 71 TRG Porsche GT3, who raced the laps at 1:49.700 followed by Jorg Bergmeister, who raced the laps at 1:49.730 in the No. 67 TRG/Flying Lizard Motorsport Porsche GT3. Tremblay tried very hard to gain the fourth position in the No. 70 SpeedSource/Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8 but missed it by few minutes. The record of all the teams is superb and sports lovers are waiting for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Racing event on January 30-31st will be the test of caliber. Speed will be the key factor for winning the race.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on January 15th, 2010 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Testing At Daytona International Speedway To Mark The Beginning Of Preparations For Rolex 24 At Daytona

No.01 TELMEX Target Lexus Riley

Fast and furious cars, skilled and talented champion drivers moving on the racing track. Cars running at the speed of light and the viewers going crazy watching those cars. Speeding car action would continue for hours as the test series at Daytona International Speedway for Rolex 24 At Daytona goes underway on December 8th and December 9th for the teams to test drive before the main event takes place in the beginning of the next year. Viewers are waiting anxiously to watch the speeding cars and to give a cheering applause as each car lands on the driving track for testing.

The champion drivers can have a feel of the track before the 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series begins. This motorsports formula is sponsored by Rolex, the premium watch making company which believes in contributing to fun loving and thrilling sports. Rolex is not only a company which manufactures world class watches but also likes to promote world class events too. This is one of the events Rolex have been sponsoring for years now. With Rolex being at the forefront many other companies will be showing their enthusiasm for the fastest thrill existing in the world. This event will have different Daytona Prototype cars be it Porsche 250 or BMW or less expensive car like Ford Mustang FR500-C program which help equalize the competition with variety and different flavor.

The test at Daytona International Speedway will see the participation of three-time Rolex 24 At Daytona champion Scott Pruett from Chip Ganassi Racing team. Scott Pruett started to race at the age of 13 and won a series in New Zealand and since then this fervor for cars has led him to drive the machine to its limits. He continues to show his excellence with the metal machine by winning championships at Rolex 24 At Daytona. The desire to drive which is driven by passion to go beyond limits and standing in the frontline by winning championships shows the fire existing within the belly of the driver. A passionate driver who loves to drive his sleek car and lead toward unmatchable victory. The furious

No.01 TELMEX Target Lexus Riley

movement of the cars and the dangerous turning of each lap provide excitement to the viewer to shout his lungs out. The shout expresses a feeling of fear yet the desire to see that fear again and again till it reaches the euphoric point of victory.

Driver of the Chip Ganassi Racing has always drove No.01 TELMEX/Target Lexus Riley in the event series so far. This test drive on the tracks for 24 hour racing next year will inform the viewers about car Scott Pruett is practicing his skill with and may lead to the next victory for the coming year. Also testing the skills on the track would be other champion drivers of the team Michael Shank Racing and Rolex 24 At Daytona Driver Challenge winner Derek Johnston. Chip Ganassi Racing and Michael Shank Racing have been very active till now but despite the expertise have not managed to reach the euphoric point by winning a championship. This test series is always more breathtaking and stimulating for fans as they get to watch hours long trail match between different teams who participate for the main event. Fans across America wait for the test series to decide on the team which will be the year favorite for the nation. Scott Pruett till now has managed to be in the lead but with previous records of Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson can bring in neck to neck fight between teams.

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

The Final Straw: Rolex Grand Finale

Max Angelelli and Brian Frisselle

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.

Rolex

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 10th 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 10th 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.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 30th, 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 »

Great Testing Experience For Rolex Grand-Am Road Racers At The IMS

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

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.

Rolex Sports Car Series

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.

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

The Days Of Glory: Rolex Rankings

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car SeriesPersistence 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.

Scott PruettIn 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.

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