Pruett Wins Jaguar Pole

February 22, 2003

PRUETT WINS JAGUAR POLE AWARD
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. ‹ Scott Pruett won the Jaguar Pole for Sunday¹s
Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup race, part of the Grand Prix of
St. Petersburg, Saturday.
Pruett, driving the No. 7 Jaguar R Performance Jaguar XKR, lapped the
1.806-mile 14-turn temporary combined street and airport course in 1:14.545
minutes at an average speed of 85.961 miles per hour to record his 21st
career pole.
Pruett¹s teammate and car owner, Paul Gentilozzi (No. 3 Jaguar R Performance
Jaguar XKR), was second fastest at 85.944 mph, ahead of fellow Rocketsports
Racing driver Johnny Miller, who ripped off a 85.222-mph effort on the final
lap of his qualifying session.
Boris Said qualified fourth in the No. 33 Menard¹s Ford Mustang, but will be
forced to start at the back of the grid due to a rules infraction found in
post-qualifying technical inspection. Said¹s teammate, Paul Menard, will
start next to Said.
Stu Hayner (No. 2 Trenton Forging Chevrolet Corvette) was elevated to fourth
as a result of the penalty, while Tomy Drissi (No. 5 Phone Booth The Movie
Jaguar XKR) will start fifth Sunday.
Pruett became the first winner of the Jaguar Pole Award, a performance-based
initiative that rewards drivers who win the pole at each of the Trans-Am
Series¹ 11 events this season. Pruett, who won his most recent pole during
his last full Trans-Am season in 1994, received a key, which, at the
culmination of the season, he will use to attempt to open the door to a 2004
Jaguar XK8. If the key opens the vehicle, Pruett will win a one-year lease
on the car.
³It was good that Jaguar is continuing on with the tradition they¹ve already
put in place,² said Pruett, who won the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in 1987
and is the only defending winner in the field. ³It¹s easy for a driver when
you have a good car. I was finding my way during that first (practice)
session, kind of like a good old rusty nail, but yesterday afternoon we
started feeling more confident. Hopefully we can keep that roll going.
³It¹s fun to be back, especially with Jaguar. My heritage goes back a long
time with them, back to the early 1990s with Tom Walkinshaw. It¹s good to be
back.²
Pruett further credited spec tire supplier BFGoodrich for his fast lap.
³I have to couple the car with what BFGoodrich has done with the radial,²
said Pruett. ³The last time I ran here was on bias-ply tires from a
different manufacturer. I have to believe that has a lot to do with the
pole.²
Gentilozzi said having his team around him at the start of the race will
bode well when the green flag waves.
³This is a team,² said Gentilozzi, who recently announced he would help
develop Jaguar¹s new AJ-V8 four-valve fuel injected engine. ³Each driver¹s
objective is to win, but respect each other. When you¹re one, two and three,
you just try to get through the first turn and settle into a rhythm. The
race isn¹t won until the last lap. I¹m sure it¹s going to be a good race.²
Miller, who brushed the wall during Friday practice, slowly built up speed
during the session, culminating in his last-lap charge.
³We were going in so many different directions with the car,² said Miller.
³We made some radical changes. They worked. I had to make a few laps to make
sure I was confident. We hit the wall yesterday and had to put on a lot of
spare parts last night. I kind of snuck up on it. I think we¹re on to
something and we¹re getting closer. As a team we worked together, and that
showed.²
The Trans-Am Series race is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. Sunday, following
the Champ Car World Series. The race will be aired on a same-day
tape-delayed basis on SPEED Channel at 5:30 p.m.

Qualifying Notes:
11:30    First session rolls
Lap 3    Paul Menard (No. 99 Menard¹s Mustang) stalls in turn three,
continues
Lap 5    Scott Pruett (No. 7 The Jaguar R Jaguar XKR) turns a
1:14.545-minute         lap at 85.961 miles per hour to earn the Jaguar Pole
Lap 6    Bobby Sak (No. 10 Chevrolet Corvette) stalls, towed.
Lap 8    Bob Ruman (No. 23) reported leaking coolant. Grill blocked by
leaves,         overheats, pulls into runoff area in turn three.
11:45    Checkered flag
Lap 11     Johnny Miller turns a 1:156.192-minute lap to place third on the
grid
    Checkered flag

11:48    Second group takes green flag
Lap 1    Bill Bentley (No. 46 Bentley Architects & Engineers Camaro) reports
shifter problems
Lap 8    Bentley slows into turn three
Lap 9    Greg Pickett (Cytomax Jaguar XKR) black flagged, serves drive-
through penalty for speeding on pit lane
Lap 10    Randy Ruhlman (No. 49 Preformed Line Products Corvette) suffers
gearbox failure, red flag
    
    Paul Menard (No. 99 Menard¹s Ford Mustang) spins in turn three,
makes light contact with tire barrier.
    Checkered Flag