Pruett to Drive Coors Light Dodge at Infineon Raceway

Pruett to Drive Coors Light Dodge at Infineon Raceway

 

CONCORD, N.C. (May 30, 2006) - Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
announced today that the team's road-racing veteran driver Scott Pruett
will make the switch from Daytona Prototypes to stock cars to compete in
the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series road course race of the season at
Infineon Raceway on June 25th.  Pruett, the California native who
currently leads the Rolex Sports Car Series championship for CGRFS, will
pilot the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge entry for the Cup race around the
1.99-mile track in Sonoma, Calif.

 

CGRFS regular David Stremme will resume driving duties of the No. 40
Dodge July 1st at Daytona International Speedway.  

 

"I have been very pleased with the strides that David and the 40 car
have made over the last several weeks and David is an important part of
the future of Chip Ganassi Racing," said team owner Chip Ganassi.  "But
in Scott Pruett we have one of the best road course drivers in all of
racing and once again have the luxury of being able to utilize that
expertise."

 

Pruett is no stranger to NEXTEL Cup racing with 37 career starts under
his belt.  He has had six starts over the past five seasons for CGRFS,
producing three top-five and four top-10 finishes.  Two of those starts
came at Infineon Raceway, with a best showing of third in 2004.  

 

"The relationship I've had with Chip and the whole Ganassi organization
over the past few years has been outstanding, and I love the balance of
running the Rolex Series with the NEXTEL Cup races," said Pruett. "We've
had a lot of success this season in the Daytona Prototypes already, but
a personal goal of mine has always been to get a NASCAR win under my
belt."

 

For the third consecutive season, Pruett is running in the Grand
American Rolex Series for CompUSA Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
in the no.01 CompUSA Lexus-Riley. Teaming for the second straight year
with co-driver Luis Diaz, the duo currently lead the Rolex Series points
standings in both the team and driver categories on the strength of
three wins and two poles in seven races. 

 

With the commitment to the Infineon NASCAR weekend, Pruett will pull
double-duty, commuting back and forth from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
where he'll look to defend his Rolex Series points lead Saturday
afternoon in Grand American's EMCO Gears Classic.

 

In 2005, Pruett drove the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge at Watkins Glen
International when he subbed for Sterling Marlin. After a fourth
CGRFS-prepared car was unable to qualify for the race due to inclement
weather, Pruett stepped into Marlin's car, started 43rd and finished
fourth - marking the highest finish for the No. 40 car in 2005.

 

Stremme has made 15 starts in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and he is
currently 36th in the championship points standings.  He recently had
his highest starting position of fourth at Darlington Raceway and at
Texas Motor Speedway in April he finished 21st, his highest finish of
the season.  In July 2005 Stremme made his NEXTEL Cup debut at
Chicagoland Speedway where he had his highest career finish of 16th.

 

The Dodge/Save Mart 350 is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday,
June 25th and will be broadcast on FOX and PRN Radio. The EMCO Gears
Classic at Mid-Ohio is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday
June 24th and will be broadcast on PEE Channel.

 

www.chipganassiracing.com