TRANS AM: Scott Pruett to drive with Rocketsports Racing in Laguna Seca Trans Am race

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

September 5, 2001

LANSING, MI - Rocketsports Racing will campaign a third entry driven by road racing champion Scott Pruett in the Trans-Am 125 for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca during the Monterey Sports Car Championship Presented by Mazda weekend on September 7-8. Pruett, who won the 24 Hours of LeMans LMGTS class in June, will drive the No.5 Johnson Controls/HomeLink Jaguar XKR. He completes the three-car assault including team owner and two-time Trans-Am champion Paul Gentilozzi and his teammate, Trans-Am hotshoe Johnny Miller.

Pruett ran with Rocketsports earlier this season at the 24 Hours of Daytona in a Saleen SR7. In 1993, Pruett raced with Rocketsports in selected IMSA GTS events.

"In 15 years of road racing, I've more respect for Scott as a racer than anyone else I've met," said Gentilozzi, who has 23 Trans-Am wins. "He has a great affection for Trans-Am. He's had tremendous success in all forms of racing, but some of his best memories are from Trans-Am.

"Our schedules finally worked for the Laguna date," continued Gentilozzi, who ranks first in all-time Trans-Am top-three, top-five, and top-ten finishes. "We've caught up on our engine inventory and Scott had the date open. He'll be a great addition to the field of competitors."

Pruett, who competed in his rookie season in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series last year, is pleased to be back racing in the Trans-Am Series.

"I've always loved the Trans-Am Series and I look forward to the opportunity to drive for Paul again," said Pruett, who has two drivers' championships in both Trans-Am and IMSA GTO competition as well as a pair of CART wins. "We've had a lot of fun and success together both as teammates and competitors. We'll get together and see what we can do here at Laguna Seca."

Pruett has a diverse and successful background in motorsports winning in production-based sedan, open-wheel, and kart competition. He's won at the 24 Hours of Daytona three times (1994, 1988, 1987), won the IROC race at Daytona (1991), and was the Indianapolis 500 Co-Rookie of the Year (1989). Pruett is regarded as one of the most technically astute drivers on the circuit and played a prominent role in the reintroduction of Firestone tires to open-wheel racing and assisted in the development of Toyota's CART race engine, earning Toyota's first pole position.

Text provided by Eric Prill

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